FORMER career criminal Paul Ferris, whose autobiography Vendetta, co-written with writer Reg McKay, has just been published, was in Rothesay a wee while ago with documentary maker Donal McIntyre and his crew to film where Glasgow gangster Arthur "The Godfather" Thompson had a holiday flat.

The filming done by early evening, they returned to their B&B where there was no food. The jovial Donal asked about the nearest restaurants only to be told they were all closed for the day.

An incredulous McIntyre, not well versed in the ways of sleepy Rothesay, did not believe it, so then scoured the entire town to discover that yes, all restaurants were indeed shut and all they could find was a fish-and-chip shop and an off licence. So that is why an award-winning TV presenter, an infamous ex-gangster and two highly-rated film-makers were later seen sitting forlornly in a bus shelter near Rothesay pier scoffing fish suppers and passing two bottles of wine between them which they had to slug from the neck.

Yes, the glamour of telly.

October 13 2005
KEN SMITH and DAVID BELCHER October 13 2005
The Herald
http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/48819-print.shtml