STRICTLY’S James Jordan encouraged Glasgow punters to grope him at a charity night in a Scots hotel.
James had his bum pinched at least three times while he performed with his wife Ola at the Hilton hotel for the Rainbow Calley charity ball.
And after one woman began the touching trend he told her: “Thankyou for that Madame. It was rather lovely. We’re not very PC up here are we? There are children here so I’m not going to swear, but I like that one. What I mean is, a lot of people would complain, but grope me all you want.”
James was then challenged to some dance moves by one man who pinched his bottom at the end of the routine, while another man asked if he could see who had a better bottom - and pinched it again.
James and Ola helped to raise thousands of pounds for the charity inspired by the late Johanna MacVicar who passed away after a lengthy battle with leukaemia.
James said of his Scots visit: ”I’m known for being very outspoken, some people say gobby. I like to say honest, you might laugh.
I’m a little disappointed in the Scottish audience. I could drop her and she could potentially die and I have sweat pouring down my brow and not one person was watching me. I understand the catsuit was lovely and I love the catsuit.”
He added: “Maybe I’m part Scottish cause I don’t take myself to seriously either and maybe that’s why I love coming up here. I bloody love Scotland. You’re up for a laugh you’re amazing.”
I had the real pleasure of catching up with 60s Scottish boybander Alan Mair of the Beatstalkers.
Alan and I had chatted earlier in the year about his involvement with Freddie Mercury and after seeing Bohemian Rhapsody and I remembered and gave him a call.
Alan employed Freddie in his Kensington market shop selling boots and leather clothes for four years and admitted he got emotional when he watched the movie about Freddie’s life.
He told me Freddie was a great salesman and added: “Fifteen people were working for me and I never needed to do a stock check with Freddie. I could tell I could trust him.”
He also told me Freddie wanted him at come gigs because he had been a musician.
He admitted: ”I did say to him once, early on, that he pushed his voice quite hard at gigs, just being excited by it all. He’d go a bit sharp and I’d say it in the nicest way, not after the gig in his dressing room, but later on in the week when we were back over at the shop unit. I just told him: ‘Be a little careful because you are going sharp a bit-hold back a bit’. You could be honest with him.”
Told you a few weeks ago I was obsessed.
DJ Ironik was at Parkhead for launch of the Christmas nights when he told me of his strong desire to work with Calvin Harris.
Ironik who has worked with Elton John and Snoop Dogg reckons he could and Xalvin could both learn from one another’s worlds.
He told me to write: “Calvin, if you are reading this, give me a shout. You recently did a record with my friends De Neyo so let’s do something.”
He added: “I would like to go into Calvins world and step out my comfort zone. “
Ironik loves Glasgow and I’ve partied with him before after the Mobos here. One time we ended up with a bunch of music makers at the Crowne Plaza and another time in the now defunct club Kavali.
He told me: “The best Mobos were in Glasgow because I remember going to Nando’s for dinner and I was recognised. There were queues of people outside and I never realised it was like that here for me.” 
Entertainer Edward Reid reckons he now has to practise what he preaches.
Ed has been inundated with requests to perform ahead of the festive season.
He teaches mindfulness in his spare time bit admitted to me at the Rainbow Valley Ball: “I need it - I’ve had such a busy time that my mindfulness is helping my life because I’m getting in the zone and just chilling. When you perform in front of a room of 500 people it’s very easy to get caught up in it and it’s good to get chilled and own it.”
I have turned into a wee piggy this cold weather and it’s not being helped by all the parties. Moxy hotel Merchant City opening on Tuesday saw me and some pals including Emma Mykytn from Foodie Explorers, Everyday Man, The Gentleman Select and more stuff our faces from the free sweetie table. It was like something you’d see in Wilkie Wonka. We filed ourselves eating in slow mo just to see how gross it looked. The hotel boasts goodies 24/7 for party animals who get hungry in the night as well as lots of funky features including giant artwork, lots of plugpoints for mobiles, a pool table in reception, and check out via social media.
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THE Scot who employed Queen star Freddie Mercury for four years in his London market shop says watching new film Bohemian Rhapsody made him well up because it was just like reliving the past.
Glasgow born Alan Mair, who had huge success with sixties boy band The Beatstalkers, owned a leather clothing and boot stall at Kensington Market when he first encountered a long haired Freddie at the end of 1969.
He said: “It was late 69 when I got the clothing stall and Freddie and Roger got a shop unit there a few months after, three doors away from me in the upstairs section. Freddie was selling his art as well as second hand clothes but his shop wasn’t busy.”
Alan, whose leather trousers, skirts, jackets and matching boots became sought after by London’s cool kids including David Bowie, and Noddy Holder offered Freddie a job.
He said: “By 1970 I had my stall in Kensington, another on Kings road and a factory. I said to Freddie ‘Can you look after the shop in the morning?’ because I was busy at the factory. Freddie’s shop hadn’t taken off, so he could come to my place and keep an eye on his along the passageway.”
Although no mention was made in the movie of Freddie’s market days, Alan, who was called by researchers for the film early in the process, felt like he was reliving his past when he saw Rami Malek play a young Freddie.
He said: “Mary was in Kensington market with Freddie and although they didn’t mention it and almost glazed over Biba, when I saw Rami with his long hair at the start of the movie it was like a step back in time.
“Freddie’s affection for Mary was spot on. He definitely only had one person in life at that time and that was Mary. If we were hanging out on Saturday night it was him and Mary. In the market they were known as girlfriend and boyfriend and Mary was a very sweet and lovely person. Developments regarding Freddie’s real persuasion came later.”
Smile’s first gig is something Alan recalled fondly.
He said: “I went to the first gigs by Freddie’s Smile band -including Imperial College and they were fantastic. Roger and others were students there so would get gigs there. That is where the film really portrays Freddie. He was perfectly flamboyant if not a bit awkward. Freddie developed over the years and he would change his style so much it was hard to get a sense of what he looked like at the start so it was a real flashback.”
He added: “Freddie wanted me to come to the gigs because I had been a musician. I did say to him once, early on, that he pushed his voice quite hard at gigs, just being excited by it all. He’d go a bit sharp and I’d say it in the nicest way, not after the gig in his dressing room, but later on in the week when we were back over at the shop unit. I just told him: ‘Be a little careful because you are going sharp a bit-hold back a bit’. You could be honest with him.”
Alan employed Freddie for four years and said he was articulate and honest - although, as the film suggested, he was known for being a little late at times.
He said: “Fifteen people were working for me and I never needed to do a stock check with Freddie. I could tell I could trust him. Some people in Kensington market would tell me Freddie opened the stall at eleven amnot ten am, but in the shop the stock was always sold so I didn’t mind whether he was there at ten am or not.”
Freddie and Alan would often have a soft drink on Saturdays after work at the Greyhound pub in Kensington.
He said: “Being married with a son, I didn’t go out much. Freddie and I would get soft drinks and play snooker.”
Freddie worked in the shop until ‘74 even after getting his record deal and Alan, kept in touch with him, occasionally popping into his big house for an ornate cup of tea.
Alan said: “We’d reminisce. I was backstage at the sold out Hyde park Concert and I saw him in LA in 1980 when I played with The Only Ones. In ‘75, I saw him after the Hammersmith Odeon show when it was all going to his head and he was a different Freddie. For want of a better expression he was being an a***hole. When we supported the Who for six nights at the Forum all of Queen came in. I went to say hello but remembered how he was, changed my mind and walked away. I heard some heels clip clipping behind me and it was Freddie who said to me: “I know I’ve been a bit of an a***hole but I’ve put all of that behind me.” We spent the rest of the night having a drink and chat.
“ In the film Freddie eats humble pie and that shows the true heart of the person. He was very kind and thoughtful and I got emotional when I saw the hardships he’d been through. It was like a tapestry of my life - but through Freddie’s eyes.”
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