The Broons set to give Susan Boyle a run for her money

SCOTLAND’s first family – The Broons – are set to challenge Susan Boyle for the coveted Christmas number one spot with the release of their very first album.

The compilation CD named The Broons Family Album: A Braw Collection O’ The Broons Favourite Tunes was released a week ago and has already rocketed into the UK charts coming inside the top 30.

The iconic comic strip family from Glebe Street, who first appeared in the Sunday Post as far back as 1936, have the support of Beatles record label EMI.

And insiders are widely predicting The Broons will be locked in a full scale “battle” with Susan Boyle the week before Christmas for the number one spot in Scotland.

In some record stores it is already the number one compilation album.

A spokesperson for HMV in Dundee said: “Broons are the third biggest seller in the store for the week only being outsold by Susan Boyle and Bon Jovi.”

The album contains five CD’s with a mix of music mostly hailing from the sixties.

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EVERY WEEK DAY WITH DEADLINE NEWS

Friday 12th November 2010

Susan Boyle meets fans at Edinburgh book signing

SCOTS singing sensation Susan Boyle wowed fans at her first ever book signing on her home turf.

The Britain’s Got Talent star arrived at Waterstones on Princes Street, Edinburgh, to sign copies of her autobiography The Woman I Was Born to Be.

Susan Boyle says it’s “fantastic” to have her own book

Susan celebrates her new book as she welcomes her fans

SCOTS singing sensation Susan Boyle wowed fans at her first ever book signing on her home turf.

The Britain’s Got Talent star arrived at Waterstones on Princes Street, Edinburgh, to sign copies of her autobiography The Woman I Was Born to Be.

She said she never thought the day would come when she had her own story out for the public to read.

Former Bay City Roller Pay McGlynn beaten by car thug

A FORMER member of the Bay City Rollers was viciously beaten by a thug through his car window just days after getting out of hospital following a heart attack.

Pat McGlynn, 52, was waiting at traffic lights about 200 yards from his home in Liberton, Edinburgh, when he noticed a man approach his driver’s-side window.

Mr McGlynn said he unsuspectingly rolled down the window to see what the man wanted, but was instantly punched on the face and head.

He said: “It came out of no-where.

“He kept hitting me but I am still quite weak after the heart attack, normally I would have tried to fight him off but I just couldn’t.

Gamu and family granted right to appeal deportation

FORMER X Factor hopeful Gamu Nhengu and her family have been granted the right to appeal against a decision to deport them from the UK.

The 18-year-old singer’s mother Nokuthula Ngazana had an application to extend her working visa rejected last month by the Home Office, after she allegedly received £16,000 in tax credits she was not entitled to.

But the family – who have been living in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, for eight years – have been given the right to contest the claims during a hearing at the Immigration Court in Glasgow on 26 November.

Ms Ngazana, 42, the widow of a lawyer in Zimbabwe, came to Scotland to study nursing eight years ago but her visa expired and has not been extended.

Gamu and her two younger brothers Milton, 12, and Marty, five, have been waiting patiently with their mother to find out their fate.

Storm Lee says Simon Cowell is a ‘nice guy off camera’

By Clare Carswell

FORMER X Factor hopeful Storm Lee Gardner has revealed that judge Simon Cowell is not as nasty as his on-screen persona may suggest.

The Edinburgh-born singer was on the receiving end of some harsh comments from Mr Cowell including being compared to “a singing fly”.

Despite this, Storm Lee said he holds no grudges and has confessed that the pair had a good relationship away from the cameras and described Simon as “a really nice guy”.

He said: “I had some really good chats with Simon.

“Off camera, he is a completely different character and a very nice guy.

Doctor Who’s Karen Gillan hunted for witch role

By Clare Carswell

The lead role in a film about Scotland’s most notorious witch will hopefully be played by Doctor Who’s, Karen Gillan, if screenwriter, David Ness has his way. 

Ness who lives in Nairn, has worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest names and has had his most recent screenplay about Scottish witch, Isobel Gowdie snapped up by a production company.

Ness, who is also a lecturer in sociology, philosophy and English literature at the University of the Highlands and Islands, was inspired by Gowdie, who was tried for witchcraft in 1662.  The confession that she gave is considered to provide the most detailed insight into European witchcraft folklore.

In the film, Ness intends use the 17^th century story as the basis for a contemporary tale of a young girl who is distressed by the loss of her mother.  The character is haunted by a woman from the time of Isobel Gowdie’s life, therefore providing a link back to the original story.

Brave swimmers to take a New Year’s dip in the Forth

By Christine Lavelle

ORGANISERS of Edinburgh’s New Year celebrations have announced the perfect way to shake off the Hogmanay hangover – by taking a dip in the River Forth.

The 25^th annual Loony Dook – which pulled in 1,000 dookers and 3,000 spectators last year – has been added to the schedule of events during the city’s Hogmanay celebrations.

The event started in 1987 with just a handful of swimmers and over the years it has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity.

Lord Provost George Grubb said: “As a local councillor for South Queensferry, I have braved many a bitter New Year’s Day to witness – and, on two occasions, join – the hardy souls plunging into the Forth for the Loony Dook.

“It’s a great event with a terrific atmosphere and I’m delighted to see it become part of the official Edinburgh’s Hogmanay programme this year.”

Edinburgh tourism set to soar with release of Burke and Hare film

By Christine Lavelle

Tourism experts are predicting a flood of visitors to Edinburgh later this month when the long-awaited Burke and Hare film is set to be released.

The city’s museums and guided tours are filled with everything movie fans need to know about the ‘real story’ behind the terrifying 19^th century killers.

A spokesperson for Visit Scotland said the film will be the highlight of the city’s Halloween activities this year, which is traditionally the busiest period for the capital’s ghostly tour companies.

Stuart Nicoll, co-founder of West Port Tours, said most ghost and murder tour companies tend to refresh their content around Halloween, which keeps people coming back.

He said: “I would imagine the interest in our tour will increase once the film has come out as ours is so specific.

“We had the director John Landis out on a tour when he was in Edinburgh for the filming.