Trip to meet star nearly led to an arrest...
SORRY mum, I have to admit, I almost got arrested this week after deciding to go and meet Dame Judi Dench.
I try to arrange as many interviews in advance but on occasion I hear about things last minute. So when I got a call to say Dame Judi was at the beautiful Dumfries House for a signing and chat at Boswell Book Festival on Friday, I thought I’d chance my arm and see if I could get her afterwards.
I had on my trendy ripped jeans but unbeknownst to me, guests had been advised their attire should be “semi formal” with ladies wearing skirts or dresses, so I received a few unsavoury looks as the select crowd came out from the event.
I was told Dame Judi was having a three-course dinner in the big house so I waited with a couple of fans outside as the midges stared eating my face and it got darker and darker.
By 10pm I thought we should give up, and got so bored I began trying to recite ‘Dame Judi Dench’ 10 times (its like a tongue twister if you do it quickly!) but I’d a lift from a friend who refused to budge until we met her.
We set up camp in the empty book tent remaining everoptimistic until one of the exiting diners told us she’d already left through the back door.
All of a sudden there was a flurry of lights which turned out to be a police car, and as the officers got out we realised they were heading towards us.
After a polite exchange, they hinted that we should leave the grounds, which, of course, we did hastily.
It turns out Prince Charles was in residence and had invited Judi for dinner with some other VIPs.
Unbeknown to us, he and his secret security had been eyeing us from the window...
Oops. I felt a right Charlie.
Horsing around
DAME Judi did however reveal the next day at the book fest that she loved Scotland and had fond memories of filming her first feature film in Scotland for Mrs Brown with Billy Connolly.
She said: “It was marvellous shooting in the Highlands. In the film, people saw me wearing so many different black dresses, layers and layers of black. In fact, I just had the one black dress to wear throughout the whole filming process. I had lots of different collars, lace and such like switched round my neck to make ‘the dress’ appear different throughout the film. In a few scenes it was pouring with rain, it was freezing, my dress was absolutely soaking, so heavy but we just all had to get on with it. I loved it.”
She added: “I’d ridden a horse before, yes I can ride, but I’d never ridden sidesaddle until the film. This was a new experience for me. When I got onto the horse he just set off with me on his back, and immediately started farting – and wouldn’t stop. It was hilarious – there’s a shot of us riding off into the distance, luckily no-body seeing the shot could hear what was really happening!”
Nickelback in town
ROCKSTAR and Photograph hitmakers Nickelback had the first night of their European tour in Glasgow’s SSE Hydro and I chatted with Chad Kroeger, his brother Mike and the guys later at The Blythswood Square Hotel.
The lads carried bottles of water into the hotel which wasn’t very rock ’n’ roll.
Chad admitted that he’d missed out some songs from the set because he ran out of time on stage and realised when it was too late.
He also claimed he wasn’t as fit as he’d hoped for the tour and ended up being out of breath in between songs.
He revealed that telling jokes in between numbers was his way of getting his breath back.
He tried out a Scottish accent for me and thanked his fans here for their ongoing support. He also told me he was planning on buying a tartan tammy here.