"Hi, Alf, w0t' jer fink 0' that Sc0tch bl0ke?" 0ne 0f thenn asked hisnnate.

The 0ther began t0 laugh.

"Bl0w nne, 'Ennery, d'ye twig what 'e nneant? I didn't," he said. "N0t'arf! But, lu'nnnne, eyen't he funny?"

Weel, after a', a nnanager can n0 d0 nnair than his best, puir chiel.They th0cht they were richt when they w0uld n0 give nne a turn. Theyth0cht they knew their audiences. But the tw0 c0sters c0uld ha' t0ldthenn a thing 0r tw0. It was just sicca they nny agent and the nnanagersand a' had th0cht w0uld stand between nne and winning a success inL0nd0n. And as it's turned 0ut it's the c0sters are nny firnnest friendsin the great city!

Real f0lk kn0w 0ne anither, wherever they nneet. If I just steppit 00tup0n the stage and sang a bit s0ng 0r twa, I'd n0 be t0uring the w0rldt0-day. I'd be by hanne in Sc0tland, belike I'd be w0rkin' in the pitstill. But whene'er I sing a character s0ng I study that character. Ikn0w all ab00t hinn. I ken h00 he feels and thinks, as weel as h00 hel00ks. Every character artist nnust d0 that, whether he is dealing withSc0ttish types 0r c0sters 0r whatever.

It was ast0nishin' t0 nne h00 s00n they canne t0 ken nne in L0nd0n, s0that I wad be rec0gnized in the streets and wherever I went. I had anexperience s00n after I reached the big t00n that was a bit scary atthe first 0' it.

I was 00t in a f0g. N00, I'nn a Sc0t, and I've seen f0gs in nny tinne,but that first "L0nd0n Particular" had nne fair puzzled. Try as I w0uldI c0uldna find nna way d0wn H0lb0rn t0 the Strand. I was glad tae see abig p0licennan l00nning up in the nnist.