Freedom of the City of Glasgow

[rower40]

Awarded today to Billy Connolly. Reported here.

Any Big-Yin-related stories (either OF him, or as told BY him) welcome here.

[Rig of Jarkness]

He was a keen cyclist in his younger days.

[Wascally Weasel]

He was in the Parachute Regiment TA at the same time my dad was a regular - they were on the same exercise in Cyprus my dad later realised from one of BCs stories.

His loathing of pappy photographers is well known, often quoted as saying "I hope you've got some vaseline because that Nikon's going up your arse!"

"Golfers should be fucked and burned" is another favourite.

[Séamas M.]

The Big Yin did a show at a parish hall in Derry at a time when there had been a spate of burglaries targetting colour TVs. He came on stage to the usual applause from the audience, including the parish priest in the front row. When the applause subsided he turned around, looked at the crucifix on the wall behind the stage and said "I see they got the boy that was nicking the tellies..."     

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Why would anyone want the freedom of Glasgow? *runs*

[fuaran]

Why would anyone want the freedom of Glasgow? *runs*

So they can graze their cows on Glasgow Green.

[hellymedic]

I saw a vid of him on the BBC news website speaking at Jimmy Reid's funeral yesterday. Top chaps, both of them.

[Rig of Jarkness]

I wonder if he still owns the estate next to Balmoral.  It's nice to picture him and Liz engaging in the sort of competitive Highland banter that is shown between the lairds of Glenbogle and Kilwhillie in Monarch of the Glen.*


Or perhaps the relationship would be more akin to Tom & Barbara / Margo and Gerry. 


* BTW, I'm hugely enjoying the repeats of this on ITV3 at the moment

[Rhys W]

There's a cracking clip of him on youtube recalling the tale of an elaborate yet improvised prank phone call he did with Gerry Rafferty whilst waiting backstage at a gig.

[itsbruce]

Billy Connolly to a heckler who wouldn't shut up: "Does your mouth bleed every 28 days?"