Elvis Has Left The Country

In his stride…

hen Alan jumped on the ferry to Holyhead five weeks ago it was simply because, he says, he had no particular place to go that day.

More significantly, he was tired of going home to Newcastle, and to his room, and had long been hoping and praying for a place of his own.

That the man who would be The King ended up in Chester with, he claims, the promise of just that – a place of his own – is a little less conversation and a lot more action than anyone expected though.

It’s not the first time that Greystones’ no.1 food critic has just upped and left us, having turned up in Cork unannounced three months ago, much to the surprise of everyone, including Alan. “Not sure how I got there,” he says of his few days in The People’s Republic, “or even why, but, gotta say, they feckin’ loved me down in that place…”

And it would seem that Elvis has now put another city under his spell. “I’m having a great time here in Chester,” Alan told us on one of our weekly calls to the man. “And they’re treating me really well. They’re spoiling me, in fact, and have told me now that I’ll have my own place soon…”

We haven’t been able to confirm this news, but, suffice to say, it would be sad to see Elvis gone for good. His fans are here, as well as his favourite restaurants, and, of course, his family.

Calls to the Chester hospital – after Alan’s mobile went AWOL last week – and to Newcastle hasn’t shone on any real light on the situation, the latter merely stating that, “Alan is going to be alright”. We’ll hopefully find out more over the coming days.

Since that Sunday phone call, we were sent a shot from Facebook page Shit London, showing Alan walking along Green Park that morning. And sitting at St Pancreas station last Friday. And sitting with the pigeons at Victoria on the Thursday. The man doesn’t look all that happy to be there, but his sister, Hazel, has since assured us that Alan has been discharged from Chester, and is feeling healthy and happy in his new Graceland.

In the meantime, if you need your Elvis fix, our boy made his big-screen debut recently, in the fine Irish documentary feature Under The Clock. Charting the many love stories that began at this once ubiquitous Dublin meeting spot, you can catch The King in action on RTE1 on Monday night, at 9.35pm.

A Greystones Film Club hit, you won’t regret it, as this wild and wonderful clip of Alan in full flight of fancy demonstrates…

You can pull up a chair for My Lunches With Elvis right about here.