PRESTWICK woman Ann Murphy was the envy of all her schoolmates when she made a mercy sprint to the airport to see the world’s most iconic singer.

She was given inside information that Elvis Presley was flying into Prestwick Airport on March 3, 1960 and pulled out all the stops to ensure that she got there as the King dropped in while his aircraft was re-fuelled.

He was completing his military service in Germany, which proved to the inspiration for movie GI Blues.

It was to be the only time he would ever be on UK soil as he toured most of the time in the United States.

And as fan club the Elvis Touch marked the 60th anniversary of his only visit to the UK, Ann recalled her memories.

The then 16-year-old admitted the novelty of the occasion was not lost and history was being made.

Ann (now 76) said: “This is a memory that will never leave me.

“My mother worked at the American base in Monkton and I was an office girl in Ayr so Sergeant Phelps told her that Elvis was coming in and I should go on the bike and she would have my tea ready when I came home.

“She had to go out and call me from a phone box as we didn’t have a phone in the house then.

“Muriel, a friend wanted to come and she got on the back seat of the bike.

“We fell off and the pedal came off so we left it at someone’s house and ran from Prestwick Toll to the Airport to get there in a time, it was a fair distance.

“The airport was smaller and we had to cross the runway.

“I thought we would miss him.

“The base was at the top of Tarbolton Road and I thought we would miss it and there were barriers.

“The plane was next to the base and there were two cars at the foot of the stairs.

“ But at the top of the stairs we saw Elvis and he had such a smile, he was really handsome.

“He said: ‘where am I and we shouted Prestwick.

“He said he would be back but sadly he never was.

“Muriel jumped the barrier and spread eagled herself on the front of a car thinking Elvis would be in it, but he wasn’t and a big military policeman scraped her off the bonnet but asked her if she was okay afterwards.

“I can’t believe Elvis wold have turned 85 on January 8.

“The 50s and 60s were a great time to grow up and the music was so good.

Seeing Elvis up close is an unforgettable experience which I will remember as long as as I live.”

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