GRANDMA GOES TO THE PANTO

"Oh no it's not!" "Oh yes it is!" ... it's pantomime season and tonight we all went out to the King's Theatre, that grand old theatre in Glasgow, which has seen many a panto in its day, for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. John organised the tickets and would you believe it was the last night!

The pantomimes, and there are several on just now, are very much an institution both here in the city but elsewhere in much of Britain. The theatre was filled with kids and adults who all come knowing they are going to have a good night of banter, sing-along and humour which is always to do with local politicans, shops, places that only Glasgwegians would pick up.

But the best bit was the surprise I got when the part of Prince Charming - or as he was called, Prince Leonardo of Lamlash - turned out to be a name I recalled from the past!

It was 10 years ago when we started our Junior Fiddle orchestra in Bearsden. The children, aged 10 to 16 years were raising money for the BBC charity Children in Need and we were rehearsing for this fund-raising event one Tuesday. Angela (the conductor) took a few minutes out from the practice to explain to the children we were all going to be attending at the BBC studios as ticketed guests (as we had been rasing money for it). She mentioned that Darius was going to be there. In front of the children I said to Angela "Who's Darius?" Well, the kids and Angela hooted with laughter at this! "I thought he was the BBC bear" says I. (No dear ... that's Pudsey....)

It was patiently explained to me that he was a local boy who had recently won a national talent contest. ("Oh-h-h....")

Well I am here to tell you that I have now seen Darius and he is not at all what I had imagined! He's not a wee kid in short pants; he is quite the most dishy fella I have seen in ages and what's more he can sing! He is very tall - which is important in my books - and it seems he is quite an item both in the pop culture as well as the opera world. Watching him swirl his cape as he strutted about the stage saving beautiful Snow White from the dreaded Witch had me absolutely swooning in the aisle!

So I came home floating on a cloud, quite enchanted by the whole evening! Oh-h-h-h to be a teenager again! And it never even occurred to me to go to the stage door for his autograph (which apparently is what our kids in the orchestra did at the BBC event 10 years ago)! Maybe it is just as well; I am sure my children, let alone my grandchildren (!!!) would die of embarrassment!