The other Scottish journalist who interviewed EP

Friends and colleagues of former journalist Ian Nelson - whose funeral takes place today - always believed he was the only British reporter to interview Elvis on UK soil.

But Press and Journal editor Derek Tucker knew different.

After reading Ian's obituary on HoldtheFrontPage yesterday, Derek contacted the website to tell us that former P&J reporter Alastair Bisset was also present during the 'royal visit' in March 1960.

Elvis stopped off at Prestwick Airport mid-journey from Frankfurt to the US after leaving the Army - the only time the King set foot on UK soil.

Alastair died in December 2007, aged 66, and, as this obituary from the Northern Scotsshows, he also claimed to be the only Scottish journalist to interview Elvis.

Below is the piece Derek sent us from the Press and Journal's archives.


While others can only ponder the appeal of Elvis from afar, Moray councillor and former Press and Journal reporter Alastair Bisset is one of the few Scots who can claim to have witnessed it for himself.

He was one of only a handful of people who met Elvis during his one and only visit to Scotland - a late-night refuelling stop at Prestwick on his way home from Germany, where he'd been stationed with the US Army.

Then a fresh-faced reporter in his first job in journalism with the Ayrshire Post, Mr Bisset wangled his way past airport security and quizzed the bemused GI.

He recalled: "I asked him how he felt about being in Scotland and he said: 'Gee, am I in Scotland?'"

Something about Elvis' startling eyes told Mr Bisset that this clean-cut young man, who was by then a major star, was destined to achieve even greater things.

But had he known just how popular Elvis would become, he'd have been more careful with the memento he managed to snatch from the encounter.

He said: "In those days I used to smoke Embassy cigarettes. I didn't have a notebook with me - it had been quite a late call - so I got him to autograph the back of my cigarette packet.

"After the cigarettes were finished, I threw the pack away.

"It wasn't until some time later I thought: 'Hell, that was Elvis' autograph,' but by then it was too late - I'd thrown it in a bucket.

"I wouldn't like to think what it might be worth today. It would probably have saved me from spending a further 40 years slogging away at journalism though."

der mann beisst sich heute sicher noch bei jeder leeren pckg zigaretten in den allerwertesten

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Hinweis in eigener Sache:
wenn du glaubst, dass ich mich dir gegenüber wie ein Arschloch verhalte, kannst du ziemlich sicher sein, dass du es verdient hast

Ein tolles Interview hat der Typ da gemacht! Eine unorginelle Frage! Aber diese kleine Episode zeigt wie stolz die Briten auf diese paar Stunden sind, die Elvis zwischenlandete...bei uns hat er richtig gelebt...ist schon irre!

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Ohne Worte!