A STILL Game star has revealed his love for an iconic Glasgow pub ahead of his big show in the city.
Paul Riley - who plays Winston Ingram in the hit TV series - is set to bring his new stand-up show, The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot, to the 18 Candleriggs on Friday, August 23.
Ahead of taking to the stage, the 54-year-old reminisced about a beloved local pub he used to frequently visit near a city theatre.
READ MORE: Still Game icon to host 'hilarious' live event in Glasgow
Speaking to the Glasgow Times, the comic reveals he used to be a regular punter at The Griffin on Bath Street.
The historic boozer - which is across from the King's Theatre - has been an institution in the city centre since 1903.
Paul said: "I used to go to The Griffin quite a lot, however, now because I live in the West End I go down to Partick because it's quieter down there and it's still rotted in Partick.
"You meet real people and they are all brand-new, every single one of them, and I love that."
While the sitcom star now resides in the city's plush West End, he's not always been a local there.
READ MORE: Still Game stars' hilarious Tinder profiles for characters
The funnyman grew up in Milton in the North of the city.
"I grew up in Milton, where it's got a reputation for being the 'world capital of car theft', believe it or not", Paul said.
In terms of what it was like growing up in the city scheme, he added: "If you don't know anything else, you don't feel any different and that's how I felt until I went to drama school and then things started to change from there."
As a Glaswegian himself, the TV legend has a deep love for the area.
One of his favourite things about Glasgow is its 'beautiful greenery'.
While Paul is known for many classic TV shows including Chewin' the Fat and Dear Green Place, he is extremely well-known for his character Winston Ingram in Still Game.
The hilarious sitcom first aired in 2002 and was created by Scottish TV icons Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill.
As well as inventing the show, the pair played the lead characters in it - with Ford starring as Jack Jarvis and Greg playing Victor McDade.
In the show, Paul was known for his one-liners and being a close pal to the lead pair.
To this day, the actor says he still gets recognised as Winston and fans always hit him with one-liners from the series.
He said: "It's a daily occurrence.
"It's a compliment and there's no other way to take it than a compliment."
The funnyman also revealed when he meets fans of the sitcom he teaches them the 'Winston walk' - which is how he walked in the show due to having one leg.
READ MORE: Still Game stars reveal return of hit show - but it's with a twist
Discussing Still Game, Paul said: "The thing about Still Game is it's got what I call the Harry Potter effect.
"So, basically adults hand it down to their kids and say 'You need to watch this'.
"I remember when we did a Comic Con in Aberdeen and a five-year-old dressed as Spiderman came up to me and just went 'Shut it tadger' and the parents were really apologetic.
"They said: 'We're so sorry but he loves it (Still Game), we just can't take him away from it'."
He added: "Still Game is the porridge pot that never empties - people just keep watching it and keep passing it on."
Reminiscing memories from the show, Paul went on to say: "I just remember when we would be filming.
"At one point Greg Hemphill (Victor in the show) came in one day and he said 'Look at this', so, I said 'What is it'.
"He said: 'It's called Guitar Hero'.
"So, we plugged it into the TV and we ended up all being addicted to it and they couldn't get us back to work.
"It nearly got confiscated. So, that's one of my abiding memories of Still Game."
READ MORE: Glasgow cops bumped into Still Game legends while on patrol
Another memory Paul cherishes from the show is when all the cast were filming in the local Craiglang boozer - The Clansman.
"When we were filming in the Clansman it was pretty much like a zoo - the director had no chance of controlling us.
"It was great fun."
With Paul being among many great Scottish comedians including Kevin Bridges, Greg Hemphill, and Frankie Boyle, he revealed there has always been one he has looked up to.
The Glasgow star says he's always looked up to the Scottish legend Billy Connolly.
He said: "Billy Connolly is an absolute hero."
With the Glasgow-born comic set to take the stage at 18 Candleriggs this week, the star gave an insight into what his stand-up show will entail.
During the event, the comic will discuss his journey through life so far from an ecumenical debate with a bishop about E.T. to partying with Motörhead.
Paul also revealed the gig will include a Q&A and video clips.
READ MORE: Still Game's Greg Hemphill reveals almost decade-long lie he told co-star
Ahead of his live show in the city, he said: “The tour has been received superbly, all over the UK.
"I have tonnes of hilarious stories from an astonishing career so far.
"I just live life to the full and am a keen practical joker, so there’s never a dull moment, that’s for sure!
“If you’re looking for a good night out, come along."
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel