Surprised Karen Barlow tweets image of incognito Rupert Murdoch in Glasgow's Sloans bar as he considers backing the Yes campaign
You know how it is, you're on a trip through to Glasgow from Motherwell and you decide to pop into a pub for a drink, only to bump into Rupert Murdoch having a swift half across the bar while visiting Scotland, supposedly undercover.
Murdoch having a quiet drink in Sloans
Well that's what happened to Karen Barlow, who was visiting the bar with fiancé Bob Campbell to organise the couple’s upcoming wedding reception. While in the bar Karen realised the bar staff were accommodating none other than the billionaire media mogul.
Karen tweeted the image of Murdoch, stating her surprise that they crossed paths in the Glasgow Ciry Centre bar, Sloans, owned by Itison and Dada founder, Olly Norman and based near the Scottish Sun’s headquarters.
In Sloans to sort the wedding reception and who do we see?..@rupertmurdoch #random pic.twitter.com/GVZ7AVKgQP
— Karen Barlow (@MissKazzieB) September 13, 2014
Of her surprise encounter, Karen told The Drum: “My partner Bob and I were in Sloans in Glasgow to discuss arrangements for our forthcoming wedding reception that we're holding in their lovely ballroom.
“It was fairly early in the day and the bar wasn't too busy and we noticed an older gentleman in a baseball cap standing at the bar but didn't think anything of it. Then Nicola, Sloans' wedding coordinator, came over to say she would be a wee bit delayed in seeing us as she was currently looking after Rupert Murdoch...the older man in the baseball cap.”
Karen added: “It was a bit weird being six foot away from one of the most powerful men in the world and while I don't necessarily agree with what Mr Murdoch and some of his publications stand for, I did think there was something a bit cool about sharing a bar with such an infamous individual at the same time we were sorting out what our guests were going to be eating on our wedding day.”
She concluded: "It's a pity Murdoch didn't buy us a drink to celebrate our big day."
Rupert Murdoch on Sunday tweeted that his attempt to visit Scotland incognito had failed.
Tried 24 hours incognito Scottish visit (failed!). No politicians, just street and pub talks. Glasgow, Aberdeen, Rosehearty. Great people. — Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) September 13, 2014
On Sunday, the media mogul also discussed the pros and cons of Scottish independence with a seeming admiration for the movement - if not its practicality.
Should remember Scots invented modern world 200 odd years ago with Scottish Enlightenment. Free people, free markets, decent restraints. — Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) September 14, 2014
Scottish economy may or may not be ready for independence, but country is ready emotionally and politically. However....... — Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) September 14, 2014
Murdoch's presence in the country has sparked rumours that the Scottish Sun will declare its support for Yes in the coming week, in a move similar the national newspaper’s last-minute backing of the Tony Blair’s Labour party in 1997.