MARY Campbell will never forget the night she had her very own ‘secret’ Cliff Richard concert in Glasgow.

“It was 1981, and my boyfriend Brian and I went to the Apollo to buy tickets for Cliff, who was appearing on stage there that night,” says Mary, whose maiden name was Reader.

“We were standing in the queue and I could hear music, so I said to Brian – I think they are actually playing Cliff’s songs in there just now.”

She adds: “Brian turned to me and said – no, that’s him rehearsing.

“Next thing I knew, Brian had pulled me down the front steps, round the side and through a door that led in to the stalls.”

At that point, the young couple were stopped in their tracks by a bouncer.

“This big guy, who was standing inside the door, stopped us – but said, I’ll let you in as long as you are quiet and sit right in the back row,” says Mary.

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She sighs: “I was amazed. We got the chance to sit there for about 40 minutes, watching Cliff rehearsing and it was great.

“I really, really wanted to run down to the front and get a kiss and an autograph but I thought better of it.”

She smiles: “We left, Cliff never knew we were there and Brian is now my husband. It was so exciting – I will never forget it.”

Read more: When heartthrob Cliff Richard caused hysteria in Glasgow

Recently our Times Past Famous Faces series featured Cliff Richard’s earlier gig in the city, back at the Empire in 1959, with his backing group The Shadows.

Fans – mainly young women – went wild for the star, stopping traffic outside the venue as they chanted: “we want Cliff, we want Cliff!”

The fans were not quite as lucky as Mary and Brian were, more than 20 years later. After his concert, at the mobbed stage-door, police officers told fans Cliff would “certainly” not be making an appearance. He was true to his word: he was in his dressing room, reading a book.

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Our story on Chic Murray, the legendary Scottish comedian, prompted Iain Henderson to get in touch.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the article on the late great Chic,” he said. “He is my all time favourite Scottish and British comedian - I even got the chance to spend an afternoon with his daughter and her mum in Edinburgh not long after he died - and I paid tribute to him. He was a unique talent.”

Read more: Funnyman Chic was a Glasgow legend

We also ran a Famous Faces feature about legendary Hollywood crooner Bing Crosby, who was golfing in Scotland and may or may not have filmed a lager commercial in Glasgow.

Malcolm Macfarlane, editor of BING Magazine, got in touch to put the record straight.

“You are right, Bing did not film a commercial for Tennent’s in Glasgow,” he told us. “According to my research, the commercial was filmed during the morning of July 3, 1975 at the Black Bull Inn at Straiton, Ayrshire.

“Bing first visited Glasgow on August 25, 1944. He had arrived by ship at Greenock and then caught a train to London.

“Large crowds were at the station to see him catch the overnight train.”

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Malcolm adds: “He spent the next six weeks entertaining the troops in France and on October 1, he and Fred Astaire returned to Glasgow by train to catch a ship back to the USA. Again large crowds were at the station.”

Read more: Did Bing Crosby really drink lager in a Glasgow pub?

Were you or a relative there to see Fred and Bing in Glasgow? Have you seen anyone famous on stage in the city over the decades?

Send us your stories by email to ann.fotheringham@glasgowtimes.co.uk or write to Ann Fotheringham, Glasgow Times, The Print Centre, 125 Fullarton Drive, Cambuslang, Glasgow G32 8FG.