‘I should have been so lucky!’

AN Angus photographer has recalled the moment Kylie Minogue managed to go incognito in Arbroath.

The pint-sized pop star and Jason Donovan were Australia’s golden couple in the 1980s while starring as lovers in Neighbours.

But Kylie still managed to go unrecognised by punters when she turned up as Jason was making a personal appearance at Bally’s nightclub.

Well-known freelance photographer Wallace Ferrier recalls the moment in his new book By Dawn’s Early Light.

“A capacity crowd had turned up to see their idol and I, together with local photographer Jim Ratcliffe, was hanging around the reception area waiting for him to arrive,” said Wallace.

“I have to say, at this point neither Jim nor I had our cameras ready.

“We both knew we were going to get shots of him on stage and a few with his fans, so we didn’t see the need to have our cameras ready – why should we for what we believed would be him just walking in the front door with his entourage?

“What happened next was most unexpected.

“Firstly, a few security guys walked in, then his tour promoter, then, to my utter surprise, a small, pretty girl.

“Somebody asked: ‘Who is that?’ “I remember looking at him as if to say, ‘where have you been lately?’

“It was, of course, none other than the beautiful and petite singing sensation, Kylie Minogue.”

Kylie and Jason’s on-screen romance in Neighbours had spilled over into real life but they both denied in public they were in a relationship.

“It turned out that my only chance to photograph them close together was as they arrived that evening through the entrance to the Bally’s nightclub,” said Wallace.

“If only I had my camera ready I might have made a few pounds selling the photos to newspapers.

“Kylie made sure she was a good distance away from Jason during their time in Bally’s, so there was not an opportunity for me to photograph them together.

“I got a few photographs of Jason meeting fans on stage and, during this time, Kylie was seated with four local lads almost unobserved, watching her boyfriend from the back of the nightclub.

“Ally Bally bought Kylie a drink from the bar and, at the same time, asked her to sign the disco’s visitors book, to which she replied: ‘Sorry, I’m having an autograph-free day today’.

“To this, rather amusingly, Ally asked for his drink back,” said Wallace.

“Once the couple had retired to the green room, Ally mentioned to the four lads who had been sitting next to Kylie: ‘Did you know who that was you were seated next to?’

“‘No,’ said the lads, who, by this time, had consumed a few drinks.

“It seemed the Arbroath lads had no idea they had been sitting next to Kylie Minogue.”

Wallace waited in the car park afterwards to get a picture of Kylie and Jason together when they left but he was spotted by their security team.

The couple exited out of a side door and Wallace missed his chance.

By Dawn’s Early Light is available now online.

Wallace Ferrier with a copy of his book By Dawn’s Early Light.

Kylie and Jason in Neighbours.