Susan Boyle

Posts Tagged ‘West Lothian’

Susan Boyle has been targeted by The West Lothian Tourist Board to bring extra exposure to West Lothian, the area of Scotland where Susan lives.

There is apparently a plan afoot to turn Susan into an ambassador, as a key element of a campaign to attract toursists to West Lothian’s “hidden gems”.

Anna Lightbody, of Visit West Lothian,? told the Daily Record: “Susan Boyle’s rise to fame has put West Lothian on the map.

“It would be crazy not to try to tap into that.”

Susan Boyle returned home from recording the Haiti single to find an intruder at her home.

According to BBC News, a man was detained by police but subsequently released pending further inquiries.

It is understood that Susan had just flown back from London after contributing to the Helping Haiti charity single.

The man ran out of Susan’s house in Blackburn, West Lothian, when she opened the front door on Tuesday night.

A spokesman told the BBC: “Lothian and Borders Police were called to an address in Blackburn at around 9.50pm yesterday following reports of a disturbance.

“A man was detained in connection with the incident and released pending further inquiries.”

Despite Susan’s fame, she still lives in the same (ex) council house that she grew up in. Security is thought to have been increased recently at the dwelling – though not by enough, it would appear. What happens if the next nutter that Susan encounters doesn’t run away? It just doesn’t bear thinking about.

Susan Boyle has again displayed her sweet personality by joining a school choir during their Christmas party.

She surprised the children at Holy Family Primary School in Winchburgh, West Lothian, when she turned up to their Christmas party.

The surprise visit was organised by the school’s head teacher, Lisamaria Marzella, who told the Daily Record:”The pupils were so excited and Susan really made our party special.

“She danced with pupils and chatted to them about her music and our school.

“She was very friendly and has a lovely manner with the children. She is such a lovely person and will be welcome at Holy Family any time.”

Susan sang “Silent Night” with the children, then passed on some singing tips of her own.

One of the children, Sarah Smith, sang a solo in front of Susan. Lisamaria said that Susan seemed impressed by the children’s singing.

Another child, fifth year pupil Tegan Baxter said :”Susan is awesome and she was cheerful and kind.” Bruce Gallagher, a pupil in year 6, added: “It was so cool meeting Susan because she is such a superstar.”

Since Susan attended the school’s Christmas party, a video of the children singing (without Susan) has become a hit on YouTube, with lots of Susan Boyle fans taking a look and commenting. One fan said: “What a great choir you are. You all did a great job. I am so glad you and your teacher were able to meet with Susan today. I am sure you all had a great time. I am a fan of Susan’s too, from Canada. Merry Christmas and? Happy New Year to all the students and staff of Holy Family Primary School.”

You can view the video here:

Susan Boyle stunned delighted teachers and puils when she revisited her former school, St Kentigern’s Academy, in Blackburn, West Lothian, on Wednesday. Susan appeared unannounced (bless her!!) at the official opening of her former secondary school after its ?19 million refurbishment.

Susan was given a tour of the new facilities, and spoke to staff and children at the school. She was shown the new library, dance studio and technology department which are contained in a new extension to school. The school was opened on 16th December by Cardinal Keith O?Brien, the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh.

Susan wore a double breasted military style coat with gold buttons and a patterned dress for her visit. She looked? smart, chic and very self composed.

Cardinal O?Brien told Deadlines Scotland: ?Having visited St Kentigern’s regularly during my 24 years as Archbishop, I was amazed at the change which has taken place with the refurbishment and extension.

?It does provide additional wonderful opportunities for the young people who will benefit at St Kentigern?s Academy in the years which lie ahead.

Susan chatted happily and laughed and joked with local councillors, staff and pupils and smiled throughout her visit. She also made sure that she dropped in on the music class whilst she was there.

The head teacher, Stephen Campbell, said: ?We are all delighted with our new environment.

?There really isn?t an area of the school that hasn?t been upgraded the changes and improvements are fantastic and everything was completed within 18 months ? a remarkable achievement.?

Susan Boyle is relaxing at her home in Blackburn, West Lothian, happy in the knowledge that she is a record breaking recording artist, but with her “feet on the ground”.

Susan hasn’t got much time to do interviews at the moment. However, she has been speaking to the West Lothian Courier, her local newspaper, about her current success and achievements.

Susan told the courier that she couldn’t believe how successful she had become.

She said: ?It?s been fantastic, I?m glad to be back with my feet on the ground.

?I really don?t have time for anything just now, but I?ll speak to the Courier because I love reading it.?

Susan’s spokeswoman said: ?In America, Susan is already outselling Rihanna, Lady Ga Ga and 50 Cent with a projected first week sales figure of around a million.

?In doing so she is set to break Eminem?s previous record for highest first week US sales this year.

?Susan has broken retail records around the world including selling 80,000 copies in four short sales windows on QVC and becoming the biggest pre-ordered album in the history of Amazon.?

Susan?s earnings are predicted to exceed ?10 million in the next 12 months.

In other news, Susan is taking steps to increase security at her Blackburn home. Instead of choosing to live in a huge gated mansion, Susan is instead taking advice on improved security measures for her (ex) council home so she can still live amongst her friends and family, and not disrupt the life of her treasured cat, Pebbles.

I first received an unconfirmed report from a lady who contacted me on Friday 16th October, saying that a friend of hers had seen Susan Boyle being admitted to the Accident and Emergency department of St John?s Hospital in Livingston, West Lothian and asking me if I knew anything about it – I didn’t.

Because the report was unconfirmed, I felt it best not to mention it on this website.

The same lady contacted me earlier today and said her friend had seen one of the nurses talking to Susan, and she gave me some details of the conversation. I have now found an article in the Sunday Express that confirms my source’s report.

Susan Boyle apparently became ill during a visit to her council house in Blackburn. According to reports, she was suffering from an “upset stomach” and returned home later in the day.

Susan’s neighbour,? Margaret Smith said: “I hope Susan is OK.

“I never knew there was anything wrong but some people were talking about it.

“?I saw Susan after I came home. She walked past my window at about 4pm and looked fine.”

Nicola Phillips, Susan’s manager, said: “Susan is fine and we have no further comment. I am not in a position to say what was wrong with her because that is private.”

Some rumours have suggested that Susan? may have been suffering from swine flu. However, I doubt that this is the case – it is just that swine flu is in everyone’s mind at the moment due to the media coverage.

Of course, we all remember that Susan suffered from “exhaustion” and was rushed into the Priory Clinic at the end of the Britain’s Got Talent competition. However, there is no evidence to suggest that Susan’s symptoms were stress related.

Susan is shortly due to start a publicity drive for her debut album, “I Dreamed a Dream”.

Susan Boyle was yesterday photographed smiling at reporters as she left her local bank, the Royal Bank of Scotland in Bathgate, West Lothian.

According the The Sun, Susan looked happy and relaxed as she waved and chatted with fans.

And according to a report in the Daily Mail, a Susan Boyle statue might be on the cards for Blackburn. A spokesman for West Lothian Council told the mail that a statue was one option being discussed to commemorate Susan’s success.

‘Our provost Tom Kerr is keen to sit down with Susan and discuss ways to recognise her achievement,’ he said.

‘Certainly the council would like to recognise her in some way in Blackburn as the interest shows no sign of stopping.

‘I have just had a Japanese TV crew asking if it was possible to film in the town.’

Susan Boyle is staying true to her roots as she has decided to buy her council house in Blackburn, West Lothian. Susan has lived in the house since she was a baby, but has never been able to afford to buy it, until now.

(A note for my American friends and other visitors from outside the UK. A council house is a house owned by the local council or district authority. Previous government legislation gave council house tenants the “right to buy” their council houses at a reduced market value dependent upon how long they had lived in the house.)

Gerry Boyle, Susan’s big brother, told the Daily Record: “Susan walked into the local council office and told them that although she was living in London, she didn’t want them to rent her house to anyone else.

“I think people were a bit shocked to see her but they told her they had no plans to let it go to anyone else – and now she wants to buy it. She will never forget her roots.”

Gerry also added : “She has been given a mobile phone for the first time but can only make calls. She hasn’t got her head round texting yet.”

Gerry also told The Scotsman that Simon Cowell has had Susan Boyle’s cat, Pebbles, transported to her luxury Kensington flat and has given her a credit card so she can go shopping. Susan has had fun buying new clothes, getting her teeth whitened (we know Mr Cowell is an advocate of cosmetic dentistry) and she has a personal assistant called Julia.

It is also rumoured that Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber is helping Simon Cowell and Susan put together her new album.

Susan told Gerry about meeting her idol Elaine Paige for the first time: “It was fantastic to be on TV with Elaine,. When I watched the interview back I felt like a megastar for the first time. I can’t believe how much my life has changed in the past few weeks. I am so happy.”

However, Susan has also expressed fear about her life going back to the way it was previously, asking: “What happens if it all stops?”

Susan Boyle will be appearing on the Oprah Winfrey show in the US on Monday 11th May, and the interview is likely to be viewed by more than 20million people in the US.

However, it is believed that the bosses at Britain’s Got Talent have forbidden her from singing live on the show, as they feel it would give her an unfair advantage over the other contestants.

Susan is planning to show Oprah and her 20 odd million viewers around her modest council house in West Lothian that she shares with her cat, Pebbles.

According to Hello Magazine, the camera crew arrived on Tuesday morning, but stopped filming briefly in the afternoon to allow Ms Boyle to have a “nap”. They later mocked up a scene where Susan ushers them away from the paparazzi installed outside her door, and invites them in for tea and cake.

Susan Boyle will be appearing on a special Oprah Winfrey show that is featuring guests selected from the 40 different countries where Britain’s Got Talent is filmed. Simon Cowell will also be appearing on the show. The show is titled The World’s Got Talent. Show producers have released a statement saying: “‘Internet sensation and Britain’s Got Talent contestant Susan Boyle welcomes our cameras for a view inside her Scotland home, and makes her ‘Oprah’ show debut”‘.