My holiday romance with Spice Girl Mel B

AN artist from East Lancashire has told how he enjoyed a teenage holiday romance with Spice Girl Mel B.

Max Bretherton, who lives in the Nelson area, dated international millionaire pop star Scary Spice when she was plain and simple Melanie Brown, an aspiring 15-year-old from Leeds.

But even then she had "girl power" and dreams of being a star, said Max, 23, a concept artist who uses video and digital images in his work.

"I was going on 16 and she was 15 when we met during a holiday in Los Gigantes in Tenerife," he said. "I was there with my parents and she was there with a friend and her family.

"She'd been at performing school since she was four and was really into being on stage. That's what she wanted to do with her life. She loved dancing and you could tell she was going to make something of it. She was really dedicated and determined. "We were hanging around together like teenagers do and in the end we spent the holiday going around together. She was a really nice girl. We swapped telephone numbers and when we got back home I gave her a phone call and we kept in touch for a while.

"I caught the National Express over to Leeds a couple of times and she came over to my house a few times. In the end it just fizzled out like teenage romances do. There was no particular reason. The distance was a problem and we just moved on."

When Max spotted Mel five years later he did not immediately recognise that the star-gazing teenager had changed into a singer on the brink of becoming one of the biggest pop sensations of all time.

"I was watching MTV and I saw this girl and thought 'she's gorgeous'," said Max. "They were performing 'I'll tell you what I want'. It didn't click with me at first but then about halfway through the song I suddenly realised who she was.

"I just thought 'well done, you've got what you always wanted'. "I've never got in touch with her again. It's not something I would do. It was all about seven years ago and we were only going out for about two months including the holiday. It's a long time ago and it's not something that I'm going to go around shouting about."

Rap back on the map

COLOSSAL rap artist Coolio will join bands like The Wannadies and Gold Blade for a feast of music which starts in Preston on Friday.

And Pulse has learned that the opening day of the PrestFest will also feature a supposedly top secret gig involving Liverpool band Cast at the University of Central Lancashire Students Union.

PrestFest features 69 gigs at 19 venues throughout the town with local talent rubbing shoulders with the stars on stage.

The event has been organised by Propeller, a non-profit making organisation aiming to bring the best live acts to Lancashire, to boost local talent and to put Preston back on the musical map.

Propeller chair David Evans, entertainments manager at the University of Central Lancashire, said: "Preston has a thriving music scene, with dozens of quality local bands.

"We want to make Preston as synonymous with music as Liverpool, Manchester or Sheffield are. "By raising the town's profile we will help the bands in the town as well as bringing in top national acts to play here."

Q, recently featured in Pulse, and Rossendale Elvis impersonator Steve Preston, are among members of the local scene to take part in the event which runs until Sunday, October 12.

It is sponsored by Grolsch Premium Lager and The University of Central Lancashire.

For the past five years, Preston has staged an outdoor music festival in the summer which has attracted thousands of people and seen scores of bands playing, including early appearances by the Spice Girls and Oasis.

However, David Evans added: "This year that festival was cancelled for financial reasons, ripping the heart out of the town's musical calendar.

"Propeller was formed to get that heart beating again and to keep the festival spirit alive in Preston. "This new style of festival doesn't have the huge costs of a single outdoor show because each venue books and promotes its own gigs and sets its own door prices.

"But by encouraging the venues to work together we have produced a unique 10 day event which really does have something for everybody."

Venues taking part include the Charter Theatre, Adelphi, The Lamb, UCLSU and The Unicorn.

For further information ring 01772 258382 or the credit card hotline on 0115 912 9198.

Selected Pulse highlights are Coolio & The Forty Thieves, UCLSU, Tuesday, October 7; The Wannadies, UCLSU, Sunday, October 5; Hurricane 1, UCLSU, Monday, October 6.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.