DAVID BOWIE – THE TENUOUS LOCAL ANGLES...
As with any major global event, local newspapers have been desperately seeking a local angle related to the shocking, sudden passing of the great David Bowie. Here are some of the finest/worst. First, from Ireland
Bowie’s Kildare connection (Leinster Leader)
“Since David Bowie passed away, many have wondered if he ever made it to Kildare. Although he may not have played a gig in the Lilywhite county, there was speculation locally that he may have visited Eric Clapton when he owned Barberstown Castle, or dropped in to Ronnie Wood when he lived near Digby Bridge.”
Chris recalls week-long encounter with Starman David Bowie (The Avondhu)
Chris O’Donovan, known around Fermoy as ‘Kipper’, was the senior sous chef aboard The Wind Song, a luxurious £100 million cruise ship that catered for the rich and famous, which Bowie chartered for a week-long cruise around Tahiti in 1988.
Missing camera fails to spoil Bowie’s visit (Southern Star)
Bowie and Jimi Hendrix bassist, the late Noel Redding spent a night in the wonderful De Barras in Clonakilty in West Cork. Owner Bobby Blackwell couldn’t find his camera but Bowie made sure they were looked after.
And from the UK
1. Old Coulsdon man delivered David Bowie's milk in summer of '69 (Croydon Advertiser)
THE Old Coulsdon man who delivered David Bowie's milk during the summer of '69 remembers the music legend as "nice man" who "had time for people".
Chris Phillips, now 61, was just 15 when he decided to get a milk van to see him through the summer holidays.
But little did he know just around the corner from his parent's house in Brackley Road, Beckenham was Bowie's Southend home.
"When I started my milk round they said 'will you please deliver the milk around the back of this house because the guy living there thinks he is going to be a rock star'," Chris said.
"So when I delivered milk there I went to the back garden, and all these musicians would be there smoking cigarettes and playing guitars."
Chris, who went to Quernmore School, said Bowie - a former Croydon College pupil - ordered three bottles of silver top milk to be delivered every couple of days.
- David Bowie’s first EVER performance was on the Isle of Wight – as a scout (On the Wight)
David Bowie gave both his first and last UK performance on the Isle of Wight and also spent time in Ventnor in the mid-60s playing at the Ventnor Winter Gardens. The Scout Association posted a pic showing Bowie on Scout camp on the Isle of Wight with the 18th Bromley Scouts. David played ukulele and a homemade single string bass, along with his school friend George Underwood. They did Lonnie Donnegan’s hit “Gamblin’ Man” and “Puttin’ on the style” at the troop summer camp in 1958. His last proper UK gig was Isle of Wight Festival in 2004.
- David Bowie lives on in Falkirk (Flakirk Herald)
Falkirk’s very own David Bowie was shocked to hear of the musical legend’s death this week.
The local Mr Bowie (52) told The Falkirk Herald: “The weirdest greeting I ever got was, after introducing myself as David Bowie, the person replied, I see you got your eyes fixed then.”
- David Bowie fan reveals how pop icon turned down a Fray Bentos pie at his mum's house in Bonnyrigg (Daily Record)
PETER Sanderson shares his family's unique tale of the rock superstar who ended up coming round for dinner after he turned up late for a gig in 1969.
- Rock star David Bowie, who played in Epsom in 1972, dies of cancer aged 69 (Epsom Guardian)
He played the Ebbisham Hall (since demolished) in Epsom as part of his Ziggy Stardust tour on May 27, 1972. One of many local stories along the lines of ‘David Bowie played a gig here...)
- David Bowie's York connection (The Press)
His aunt Roma Teal lived in Dunnington and then at Connaught Court care home in Fulford before she died aged 104 in October 2014.
- 'David Bowie played one of my records a lot' - Lincolnshire musician Robert Wyatt pays tribute (Lincolnshire Echo)
“A singer-songwriter who lives in Lincolnshire and played at the same concert as David Bowie in 2006 has played tribute to the musician.” (Don’t think Wyatt would like to be called a local singer songwriter, but in a painful piece by a hack who doesn’t know who she’s talking to, that’s what he’s called...)
- A county in mourning for rock legend David Bowie whose success owed much to Yorkshire (Yorkshire Evening Post)
- David Bowie's Doncaster cousin speaks of 30 year quest to track down her superstar relative (Sheffield Star)
- Rock legend David Bowie called himself ‘Milton Keynes (Milton Keynes Citizen)
And elsewhere in the local papers:
Ronan also had the brilliant story of the postcard from Tenerife that arrived to its destination in Tralee - eight years after it was sent! Kerry’s Eye ran the story of Breda ‘Bunty’ O’Shea on its front page.
Also in Kerry, the early early early house in Tralee, and from the Tuam Herald, the astonishing story of the Glenamaddy poachers who were told in court that they would have been better off buying fish from a shop instead of poaching by flashlight with a spear! Yes, a spear!
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