BACKSTREET BOYS FAN ENDS UP PAYING AJ’S CAB FARE IN GLASGOW

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Beverley Lyons
A Scots Backstreet Boys fan ended up paying the taxi fayre for one of the US singing stars when he said he didn’t carry any cash.
Louise Hendry, 37, a financial services administrator from Glasgow was waiting outside the band’s city centre hotel when the bizarre incident happened.
And she admits she still can’t believe that she ended up paying up the cash for one of the I Want It That Way idols.
Louise was standing outside Glasgow’s Blythswood hotel trying to catch a glimpse of the lads who played the SSE Hydro last night when singer AJ McLean from the band arrived from a shopping trip in town in a black cab.
Louise, a Backsreet Boys superfan,  who walked down the aisle to the song Drowning, and even has a lyric from the song tattooed on her neck, said: “AJ had left to go shopping earlier and came back with his minder in a black hack a few hours later. He was carrying lots of shopping bags. There were two girls from Germany waiting for him outside the hotel as well as me and when he saw us he said: “‘I’ll see you in a minute. I haven’t got any cash to pay my cab.”
He went inside the hotel and I could see him asking the concierge about where he could try and get some money. He was told there was a bank machine across the road, but I  told his minder I would pay it to save him any hassle. I rushed over and although the meter said £5.10 I gave the driver £6.”
“When AJ came out the hotel I told him I paid his taxi and he said: “I really appreciate it” and gave me a kiss and a cuddle.”

“I’ve loved the band since I was 22 when my sister liked them and had their dvd in the house . Brian initially caught my eye but I’ve loved them all since”.
“I was so happy when AJ came over for a hug and it was absolutely worth more than the £5.10 taxi fayre. He said he’d enjoyed his day shopping but had bought ‘way too much s***’ as usual.  It was priceless and made my day. I met a Brian later too and had a laugh with him.”
The married mum of one laughed: “AJ has not paid me back yet and I’ve already bought my £93 front row ticket but you never know, I might get an upgrade on the tour.”
Louise said it was lucky she had cash on her as normally she only has her card on her too.
She explained: “I don’t tend to carry cash any more but  I had it because we going for a Chinese meal. I guess I had to miss a starter because of that but I don’t care cause I had a great day.”

Excerpts of this article have since appeared in the Daily Record - from Scotland with Love theshowbizlion.com 

FIGO’S IS BRINGING ITS FIRST PERI PERI RESTAURANT TO GLASGOW

A brand new Peri Peri chicken place is coming to Glasgow’s South Side  - and it’s the very first of a new Scots owned chain.
Signage is now up for Figo’s Peri Peri at 178 Kilmarnock Road, Shawlands and according to owner Ahmed Iqbal, 38, it’s set to open its doors next week.
Ahmed, who previously owned Cafe Amirah on the same site, reckoned it was time to update his offering and now plans to roll out another five Figos restaurants and takeaways across Scotland over the next five years.
He said: “Over the last six months my business partner Adil Saleem and I have extensively travelled around the U.K. looking at different Peri Peri chicken restaurants and we think we have something exciting and new for our customers.
Our business is different from other chicken franchises because we have the option to change around the menu to suit our customer’s demands.  We can also be creative with our recipes and dishes and can offer specials at different times of the year. We are already looking at a second opening next year and for three to five venues around the West of Scotland and Edinburgh over the next five years.”
The flavourings for the Peri Peri chicken at Figo’s are made fresh daily which means they won’t lose their quality of taste.
Ahmed said: “Many restaurants use off the shelf flavourings which lose their quality of flavour after a few days of being opened but we use fresh ingredients every day. One of our unique flavours is our chilli, garlic and herb sauce which has been made to perfection.”
Ahmed added: “We want to create an atmosphere where people feel right at home when they come to eat here. It is not just a fast food joint and the experience is important. We have a very family friendly atmosphere and offers personal service with a bit of banter for our customers.”
Tables have been imported from France and other fittings have been specially made.
The full menu is still being finalised this week but Ahmed says there will be lots of loaded fries as well as steamed and grilled vegetable options for those who are diet conscious. All meat will be Halal.
He added: “We have our own unique style of doing things. One of the loaded fries options includes a chopped up hand crafted burger served up with a mix of our house made sauce, peppers, onions and melted cheese.
“Our burgers use locally sourced beef and are handmade from scratch using quality ingredients. We have lots of veggie options and are looking at gluten free and vegan options for the future too and our main dishes will average around the £5 to £7 mark.”
The venue seats twenty people and Figo’s will also be delivering via Uber and it’s own app on a few weeks time. (Sponsored)











From Scotland with Love Theshowbizlion.com

GIRL POWER COMES TO TRNSMT FESTIVAL WITH QUEEN TUTS STAGE

The Spice Girls said it ages ago and Girl Power truly reigns as TRNSMT festival announces its brand new stage.

Queen Tut’s Stage, a permanent new addition to the TRNSMT Festival, is set to pave the way for a new generation of female headliners, with organisers DF Concerts committed to breaking down the ‘Gender Play Gap’ at the event.  Theshowbizlion.com and DF Concerts are also delighted Scottish Women Inventing Music (SWIM) will be onsite raising awareness of the organisation across the weekend.

Artists including Lauren Spiteri, LUNIR, ST MARTiiNS, Cara Rose, Chlobocop, Scarlett Randle will perform on Friday 12^th July + Zoe Graham, CRYSTAL, Sahara, Tongue Trap, Wet Look, Swim School play on Saturday 13^th July + The Eves, Zoee, Tamzene, Stephanie Cheape, Deni Smith, Baby Taylah join the bill on Sunday 14^th July 2019.

SWIM is a community of music creators and industry professionals who identify as female, and welcome non-binary, trans, queer women. The organisation is committed to achieving a level playing field for women, pushing for gender equality across the music industry, which includes musicians, DJs, composers, photographers, journalists and tech staff. Across the weekend of TRNSMT, festival goers will have the chance to hear more about their important work and donate to support their mission.  

Speaking about the new stage at TRNSMT Festival, DF Concerts’ Aarti Joshi said: “The Queen Tut’s Stage is a very important addition to TRNSMT Festival. As a company, we are committed to helping to close the gender play gap and at TRNSMT specifically, we have focussed on providing a platform for core female acts at a grassroots level to help them become the bill toppers of the future. Of course, as an industry, we have a long way to go but we feel this is a real step in the right direction.”

“With what will now be three stages of exceptional music to choose from, TRNSMT fans have a lot to look forward to and we’re very excited about artists like ST.MARTiiNS, Cara Rose, Scarlett Randle, and Chlobocop to name a few - the talent on our doorstep is of such an incredible level and we’re looking forward to celebrating from 12-14 July at Glasgow Green”. 

Hilary Brooks (SWIM Founder) said: “Scottish Women Inventing Music is a grassroots organisation partly inspired by KEYCHANGE, the international music initiative pledging 50:50 gender representation on festival and concert stages by 2022. I’m delighted that DF Concerts have invited SWIM this year to promote, celebrate and support women artists at TRNSMT and to fuel the discussion of creating a more equal and collaborative industry.”

The announcement follows the success of the sold-out Queen Tut’s event back in March that saw the legendary venue King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut renamed in celebration of International Women’s Day. The new stage will give TRNSMT Festival fans the opportunity to check out some of the best emerging female acts the country has to offer across three days of incredible live music. 

Spanning a wide variety of genres and styles, the Queen Tut’s line-up is a brilliant snapshot of Scotland’s flourishing and incredibly diverse music scene. Bringing their wholly unique and deeply alluring brand of woozy alt-pop to Glasgow Green, Dundee duo ST.MARTiiNS will be sure to make their mark on the opening day of the festival. Having gained a strong foothold in the Scottish music scene, it is no surprise that the recent LAB Record signees have started to seize the attention of tastemakers down south. 

CRYSTAL will bring their raw, grungy anthems to TRNSMT for the first time on Saturday 13^thJuly. Having made a lasting impression at the likes of Wide Days, TENEMENT TRAIL and more, they will go down a storm with TRNSMT fans this summer. All the way from the Scottish Highlands, Tamzene is sure to wow audiences with her incredibly soulful vocals and folk-inspired songs while fast-rising Glasgow artist Chlobocop will bring something entirely unique with her stylised, addictive pop tunes. 

The Queen Tut’s Stage artists will join a massive line-up for 2019 of Stormzy, Catfish and the Bottlemen, George Ezra, Gerry Cinnamon, Snow Patrol plus Richard Ashcroft, Jess Glynne, Sigrid, Mabel, Sam Fender, Jade Bird, Catherine McGrath and more. 

TRNSMT 2019 tickets are on sale NOW and available from WWW.TRNSMTFEST.COM

HARRY POTTER STYLE BUS TOURS ADD EXTRA SERVICE IN EDINBURGH

A Scots company has had to put on extra tours to meet demand after offering Harry Potter style bus experiences in Edinburgh.
The  Red Bus Bistro company began offering its Wonderful Wizarding Tours to fans of the magic franchise in December last year.
Their vintage double decker bus visits places of interest that inspired the book and film franchise including the Balmoral hotel where JK Rowling finished her last book, the Elephant House cafe where the ideas and books began, Victoria Street, the inspiration for Diagon Alley and other spell binding sights.
Owner Alison Simpson and her team also have included a themed afternoon tea including delights like chocolate frogs, jelly beans, I Can’t Believe Its Not Butterbeer cocktails and Sorcerers Sandwiches.
The tour which lasts ninety minutes was originally trialled last year on Thursdays and Fridays but now Alison has added a Saturday to the schedule and will run the services at 6pm.
She said: “Our wizarding tours have been very popular amongst tourists and families alike. When we began at the tail end of last year we were testing the water and now realise everyone loves a bit of magic in their lives. We can take up to forty people per bus.”
“We have employed an actor turned wizard to deliver our unique tour content and we offer quality bespoke food and drink for our customers.
We’ve even got an offer on just now where every child (under the age of 15) eats free with two adults. We charge £37 per adult and we are constantly evolving how we deliver our experience.”
She added: “We can’t wait to tie in with any upcoming conventions and school holidays. Our Red Bus Bistro offers different experiences for a whole range of customers, including afternoon tea and gin tours, hen nights, party evenings and more sedate sightseeing trips.”

Excerpts of this article have since appeared in the Scotsman 

BBQ FRUIT IS THE NEW GLASGOW FAVOURITE AT DHABBA

Scots Indian restaurant The Dhabba is offering customers more thrills with their grills as they celebrate National Barbecue Week with some strange fruits.
The North Indian restaurant which boasts an outside pavement area for the sunnier months often uses a tandoor for its food. The bell shaped oven traditionally made of clay fires with wood or charcoal can reach temperatures of 480 degrees Celsius (900 Fahrenheit).
For National BBQ Week which takes place from May 27 until June 2 diners will be able to enjoy a platter of tandoori fruits alongside favourites like tandoori lamb, chicken, monkfish and vegetables.
Phaldari Seekh combines unusual fruits like lychee, pink guava, mango, loquat, papaya, jackfruits and gooseberries with a hint of spicy marinade. It’s healthy and substantial dish that gives you a real taste of Asia.
Dhabba owner Navdeep Basi said of the dish: “We always strive to offer something a little different here at Dhabba. Our customers have always enjoyed our tandoori dishes and this is definitely the season for them. The marinade of our Phaldari Seekh is a hint spicy but the fruits are mostly sweet which is quite contrasting. Each bite is a different taste because of the number of fruits in them.”
The £11.95 dessert platter will be available during National BBQ week only.

STRICTLY STARS CELEBRATE KATYA JONES BIRTHDAY IN EDINBURGH

Beverley Lyons
STRICTLY star Katya Jones was on a high as she celebrated her thirtieth birthday with dancer husband Neil Jones, Karen Clifton and her boyfriend David Webb, and fellow pro dancers  Diane Buswell, and Oti Mabuse  on the tour bus as they travelled from Edinburgh to Aberdeen.
Katya who earlier performed at the Playhouse in Edinburgh with the Strictly Professional Tour joked ‘I expected a proper singer to sing for me’ and was then serenaded by opera singer David as she and the rest of the performers drank and played games on their private bus.
Beer and fizzy drinks were aplenty and the poker chips were out as the dancers laughed while David, who cosied up at the back of the coach alongside Karen, sang an operatic version of Happy Birthday to a delighted Katya who stood up to hear him.
Neil told Katya that thirty was the new twenty as he and the team sat around the bus amidst whistles and cheers.
Oti commented online: “And the bus explodes in joy”
Gorka Marquez who had earlier posted a picture of himself on social media exploring Edinburgh’s sites enjoyed the evening while AJ Pritchard opted to try and get some sleep by wearing an eye mask.
When the crew reached Aberdeen they even had a laugh by trying out a new Snapchat filter which transforms your face into the opposite sex - and Katya and Karen Clifton both looked amused as they checked themselves out as men.
Diane Buswell had celebrated her thirtieth birthday with boyfriend Joe Sugg, 27, just last week on May 6 a day ahead of the Nottingham leg of the tour.
The two even put up a YouTube video of themselves in bed as they joked that Diane, who taught Joe to dance on the telly show before they fell for one another, was a cougar.
Joe didn’t manage to catch up with Diane while she was in Scotland because he was so busy attending the BAFTA TV awards last night.
Strictly’s Shirley Ballas causes blushes all round as she flirted with the blogger.
Joe did however visit Scotland earlier in the week as a guest at Dumfries House where he met up with Prince Charles. Looking smooth in his suit, Joe mingled with the Prince and guests as he learned all about the craft courses on offer with the Prince's Foundation  - and as Joe used to be a thatcher himself, he also went back to his roots by taking part in a thatching workshop.
As he posed with some pipers, he said of his experience: “Pleased to announce that I’ve joined a new band. I’m at Dumfries House finding out about the traditional craft skills run by the  Princes  Foundation.

GLASGOW GLUTEN FREE RESTAURANT DAKHIN OFFERS SIX GF BREADS

A Scots restaurant now boasts six different types of gluten free bread for its customers to celebrate Coeliac Awareness Week.
South Indian restaurant Dakhin in Glasgow’s Candleriggs has been certified by Coeliac U.K. and every single dish in the restaurant from starters to desserts is gluten free.
To celebrate Coeliac Awareness until May 19 the restaurant have created a brand new bread for customers to try.
The special creation is called Vattayappam and it is made of rice and coconut sugar, cardamom, cumin and a bit of salt.
Priced at £3.95 it joins other breads on the menu including Sada Dosa, a crepe from rice and lentils, Chilla, a thin and savoury bread made from gram flower with fenugreek, Siru Uttapam, a soft pancake from ground rice and lentil and a three feet long Paper Dosa.
Owner Navdeep Basi said: “We have served up a full Gluten Free menu at Dakhin since we opened in 2004. Last year we were thrilled to be officially approved by the Coeliac U.K. and we can’t wait to show customers new and old some of the exciting dishes we have on offer. It’s important that people with Coeliac disease can feel safe when they are eating out and we take pride in the fact that we can give them an extensive range of dishes from vegetarians to chicken, lamb and fish that they will enjoy.