STILL GAME STAR GAVIN MITCHELL TALKS MURDER IN GLASGOW

Boaby the Barman may be no more but Still Game’s Gavin Mitchell is still numb.
He said: “It’s not sunk in if I’m honest. We finished a few weeks ago and then I got the lurgy.”
I met the lovely Gav at the 35th anniversary celebrations for STV’s famed detective series Taggart.
Seamore Neighbourhood Cinema had taken over Maryhill Community Central Hall for the occasion and Gav was in esteemed company alongside show creators - writer Glenn Chandler and producer Robert Love.
Gav told  me: “I actually appeared three times, in three roles on the show, as a barman of course and then a pathologist Robin Carlisle Forbes who was actually kind of posh, and then as a gangster kind of businessman which was a brilliant storyline.
He added jokingly: “He was nice but a bit like me, so er, don’t cross me or I’ll break your nose with a pool cue.”
As we sat watching the first ever episode of Taggart - then a three part mini series called Killer in 1983 - it struck me just how brilliant it was - and how timeless the writing still is. Only the dodgy patterned wallpaper was a bit out of date.
Gav said: “Robert and Glenn both created Taggart, so to be with the creators thirty five years on in Maryhill in the community Central halls is phenomenal. To be in Jim Taggarts stomping ground, in his hood with his creators is refined company indeeed. It’s a bit like being with Keith Richards and Mick Jagger and I’m the Ronnie Wood of the company. I’ll always be the newbie.”

SCOTS ITALIAN RESTAURANTS BEAT ENGLISH FOR TOP HONOURS

Two Scots Italian Restaurants have beaten their English counterparts by being nominated for the Italian food Oscars. 
Glasgow’s own Oro restaurant in Kilmarnock Road joins Edinburgh’s Locanda De Gusti in being nominated for a trophy at the Melius Ristorante awards -rewarding the top 100 restaurants outside of Italy. 
And while Scotland has two nominations, England only has one - in the form of restaurant Beck at Brown’s in London. 
Scots chef Domenico Crolla said: “Every time I’ve competed in the U.K. for the past ten years Scotland has always done better than England whether it’s a pizza or restaurant contest. Scotland has always beaten England.”
Domenico reckons Scots restaurants are better rated because they are owner run.  
He said: “We have a culture of owner run restaurants here including Indian, Chinese and Italian which are all operated by the owners who offer an authentic experience. 
Other restaurants from Dubai and China are one the list so to be on the same list as them is quite an honour.”
Domenico can’t wait to represent Scotland when he visits Rome on October 29 for the awards ceremony. 
He said: “I don’t have the legs for a kilt but I’m looking forward to it. All the restaurants are of a high standard and it’s going to be close competition.”

CRETE IS SMASHING IF YOU WANT PLENTY ON YOUR PLATE

THE Greeks no longer smash plates during a good night out - instead, since the 1970s legislation which now makes it forbidden, they are more likely to toss some flowers or napkins at one another in celebration.
And did you know olive oil forms the basis of the triangular Cretan diet (meat and fish at the top) and, as well as its other health benefits, is a recognised aphrodisiac?
These two facts are just some of those I learned on my Cretan holiday.
You see, as the good professor once told me, Crete is like a bikini.
You might think you can see it all, but the best bits are always hidden away from those but the most curious of eyes.
A week in Crete, the largest of the Greek islands, is just not enough to delight in the many thrills it has to offer.
From the myths and legends of the Minotaur and its associated labyrinth, and Gods like Zeuss and Poseidon, to the history of the Minoan civilisation and its place as the important 'first link in the European chain' to it's current status as a front runner in eco-tourism and ambassador for the healthy Mediterranean diet, its DD cup runneth over.


Located by the Agean sea - so named after the myth of the King who drowned there- it also offers more pleasant aquatic opportunities by way of cruising, scuba diving, snorkelling, and wind surfing as well as beaches like Elafonissi.
And for those with a fish phobia, like me, who prefer a piece of glass between them and the creatures of the deep, the Thalassocosmos-Aquarium, a former American base at Gournes will prove an exhilirating experience in less intimidating surroundings.
Here you can stare eyeball to eyeball at over hundreds of species and thousands of living organisms from the humble Octopus to winged fish, sharks and seahorses.
The largest city in Crete is Heraklion and direct flights from Glasgow or via London will bring you straight into its central airport.
Catering for families and couples, as well as those who just want a retreat from our ever bustling cities, it is mountainous and picturesque, with little fishing villages and harbours to break up the landscape.
You are more or less guaranteed 13 hours of sunshine a day during August, and the temperature still hits the mid-20s in October.
My particular experience was of the five stars on the island - of which there are many, but those with a more limited budget will find plenty including some lodges at places like the eco-friendly Millia Village priced at around £75 a night.


A stay at The Aldemar Royal Mare Thallasso was a real treat - a refined yet sumptuous five star with an olde world attitude towards service and quality and an adjoining spa. The nearby oppulent Minos Palace hotel offered real style and sophistication and some rooms even come with a private pool.
Tourists love a good night out and The Cretan Village in Karouzanos is up a windy cobbled footpath where food, drink and dancing awaits - not to mention the odd donkey. Romance is very much alive and as the raki - grappa wine- goes down, you may find yourself getting amorous with... anyone!
Near the main city of Heraklion lies the world famous Knossos, the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete, restored, by archaeologist Arthur Evans who had an educated if not imaginative mind. With its frescoes and restored interiors it undoubtedly brings alive some of the late Minoan relics.
A visit to the Archaelogical Museum of adjoining Chania showcases some of the artifacts removed during the excavation work.


Chania also boasts a pleasant harbour by which to walk at night and an imposing lighthouse, and nearby is the serene Cavo Spada hotel - a modern retreat with a pool so large the lifeguard needs a boat to get from one end to the other.
For budding historians, a trip to the Melidoni Cave with its rudimentary prayer altars proves haunting. A monument to those burned alive in 1821 forms the centrepiece of these caves and somewhat eerily the pictures I took here depicted facelike forms etched in the walls, soi much so that I had to seek comfort in some of the local food - of which pastries are a speciality.
Crete has so much to offer so who needs plates? You'll find a holiday in Crete smashing in so many other ways.

Theshowbizlion.com was a guest of the Greek National Tourism Organization.

- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com

GLASGOW’S DAKHIN RESTAURANT HELPS FLOOD VICTIMS IN KERALA

Glasgow’s businessmen and women raised over £9000 for the victims of Kerala floods. 
One hundred people including the Indian Consul General and MPs Anas Anwar and Martyn Day turned up to a special charity dinner at Glasgow’s Dakhin restaurant who donated the venue, food and staff for free on the night. 
Business PG Paper also sponsored the event as well as the new owners of TriBeCa restaurant. 
The funds will be used to help with the infrastructure and rebuilding homes in Kerala for those who were devastated by the damage. 
Indian Consul General Anju Ranjan from Edinburgh said: “I was shattered to see the loss of property and people following the flood in Kerala. More than five hundred people were killed and more than thirty five thousand people rescued and more than two million people were put in camps. It is very sad. Scotland and India have a shared history and the spices from Kerala like cardamom and pepper came over to Scotland after Scots went over there to work on the rubber plantations.”
As well as funds, the Council General is keen to hear from anyone who can help with infrastructure in Kerala.
She explained: “There is no weather forecasting system in place like we have here and the children need help with education too.”
MP for Linlithgow Martyn Day who was in Kerala when the disaster struck also spoke of his experience visiting the worst hit areas.  

BE A MODEL CITIZEN WITH A BELVEDERE BIRTHDAY PARTY IN GLASGOW

IF you like Vodka, Coffee and Fine Food then you need to book into a very special Birthday Party on Thursday October 4.   

Luxury brand Belvedere Vodka has teamed up with the ever stylish Citizen Hotel in Glasgow for an exclusive birthday celebration - and it lasts for the whole of October.

The showbizlion.com has always gone wild for  Belvedere and we love the stylish bottle that glows in the dark. 

 This time round Belvedere is bringing the iconic cocktail – the espresso martini – to The Citizen on St Vincent Place in the heart of Glasgow as part of an exclusive month-long ‘pop-up with a coffee twist’.

The city centre pop-up – a Scottish exclusive - will provide style and substance for a retail therapy recharge as well as for purveyors of fine gastronomy and vodka connoisseurs. 

Belvedere in Italian translates to ‘beautiful to see’ and the cocktails on offer this month are exactly that.  The Citizen’s mixologist Matteo Clerici has curated three other very special coffee-inspired cocktails that offer new twists on the classics - The Cold Brew Gimlet, The Chocomint Martini and finally a Don Cortez, which adds a subtle nod to Belvedere’s Polish roots. 

On Thursday October 4 there’s a party marking the first birthday of The Citizen and we’ll be there to try it all out. 

The history of The Citizen as the home of one of Glasgow’s first newspapers is legendary, the Grade A1 listed building it is set within – Scotland’s first red sandstone - is iconic, and its inspired gastronomy is unashamedly Scottish. Add to this an ambience that is chic and fun and the birthday party promises to be an unmissable occasion.

Guests will ascend into the striking building, and through to the Editor’s Suite – a stylishly restored homage to the venue’s heritage when in 1889 it was the headquarters of The Evening Citizen newspaper. 

On arrival into The Editor’s Suite, flashbulbs will pop and, for one night only, disco will reign supreme with a very special DJ set from Billy Woods of famed club night Supermax. Party goers will toast the occasion with the connoisseur’s cocktail of choice - the Belvedere espresso martini - as well as pairing canapés and birthday cake.

Tickets to attend the party are now available through this link https://booking.resdiary.com/widget/Standard/TheCitizen/6372?DATE=2018-10-4 or by calling 0141 222 2909. 

They cost £25 per person and include 3 Belvedere cocktails, canapés andbirthday cake.

Izzy Cameron of Moët Hennessy said: "The Espresso Martini is one of the most popular cocktails in the UK, with the coffee and spirit world growing closer together in their purity and quality. We are excited to be collaborating with The Citizen who are blending the natural character of Belvedere vodka with quality ingredients to showcase five unique coffee cocktails."

 Tony Conetta, Co-owner of The Citizen added: “One year ago, after an extensive restoration, we opened the doors to what is one of Glasgow’s most impressive buildings with an equally iconic history. Now, as we celebrate our first birthday, and in the spirit of The Citizen’s pioneering legacy, we are thrilled to be partnering with our friends at Belvedere for this unmissable party and unique month-long pop-up.” 

HEARTBREAKER LEGEND DIONNE WARWICK SERENADED BY SCOTS TEENAGERS IN GLASGOW

SHE was going to Walk on By, but Dionne Warwick stopped in her tracks as she was serenaded by a group of teenagers outside her Scots hotel.
The singing legend had performed at Glasgow’s Armadillo and was making her way back into the Blythswood hotel when she was treated to the impromptu performance.
Three young members of five piece Scots pop band G Side had wanted to meet her so decided to give her a rendition of her famous hit Heartbreaker in a bid of grab her attention - and it worked.
Dionne who was with her granddaughter at the gig listened intently to the singing trio before thanking them with a bow of the head and stepping inside the door.
Her granddaughter told me afterwards: “That was awesome.”
Earlier in the day Dionne had become emotional when she was shown pictures of Whitney Houston by one of her Scots fans. 

CELEBRATE THE FULL MOON WITH A CHINESE BANQUET FROM GLASGOW’S JIMMY LEE

I had my first taste of moon cake to celebrate the Chinese full moon festival at Lychee Oriental on Tuesday.  
(Please don’t confuse moon cake with space cake - they are both very different things! and the moon cake was sweet like a pastry made of tablet.)
I enjoyed a full five course banquet prepared by telly chef and all round good guy Jimmy Lee at the restaurant.
It was a real delight with everything from an incredible Ginger Broth Congee (like savoury porridge but so moreish) , to Crispy Wontons with Soy Butter Dip, Five Spice Beef Flank Stew with Pak Choi and Steamed Rice, and sweet dessert of Hong Kong Peanut Butter French Toast with Banana Fritter.
Jimmy is a a real whizz when it comes to cooking - and I’m so glad he quit his job in financial services to become a master chef.

This September, people around the world will celebrate China's Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival. As the last days of late summer fade and the leaves on the chestnut trees begin to turn a golden brown, families come together in the cool, crisp air to enjoy a feast under the glow of the full moon. Red lanterns strung with riddles dance in tree branches, while the sweet fragrance of osmanthus flowers wafts through the evening air.

Lychee Oriental Head Chef, Jimmy Lee has created an impressive five-dish 'Chinese Moon Festival' menu that includes, Ginger Broth Congee, Crispy Wontons with Soy Butter Dip, Five Spice Beef Flank Stew with Pak Choi and Steamed Rice, Hong Kong Peanut Butter French Toast with Banana Fritter and finally, Chinese Tea served with traditional Mooncake.  

It is available at £30 until October 25 and theshowbizlion.com gives it a massive thumbs up.