Donald the top Trump for Moray duo
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TWO Moray women were well and truly trumped after an incredible chance encounter with one of the world’s most recognisable businessmen in New York.
Sheila Sharp and Eunice Farren, from Keith, also received hundreds of pounds’ worth of gifts from billionaire magnate Donald Trump after chatting with him in a lift to his penthouse at the 68-storey Trump Tower in the Big Apple.
Sheila had travelled to New York with husband Eric for his 65th birthday, along with friends Eunice and her husband, Danny.
At the start of their holiday, the men had treated the women to some items at the world-famous Tiffany’s house of jewellery and fashion, before they all went for a drink in the bar at Trump Tower on 5th Avenue.
Eric, who lives off Land Street, said: "We were sitting in the bar having cocktails when two security guys came through a door, followed by Donald Trump.
"The women said that they were going to go and say ‘hello’ to him."
Danny, of Fife Street, added: "They went round the corner and out of sight.
"I got up and followed them, but by that time they had disappeared. We got the rest of the story when they got back."
Mr Trump, who is worth an estimated $7 billion and is also a well-known television personality, has hinted that he may run for the US presidency in 2016.
He has very strong links to Scotland, and in 2012 opened his controversial Trump International Golf Links course at Balmedie in Aberdeenshire. His mother was born on the Isle of Lewis before emigrating to the US at the age of 20.
Eunice said: "We told the bodyguards we were from near Aberdeen and just wanted to say ‘hello’. Mr Trump said to let us into the lift, and suddenly we were in the lift with his bodyguards, the bellboy and him."
Sheila said: "We started chatting about his golf course. He asked if we played golf and we said yes, and he asked if we had played at his course, and we said we hadn’t yet.
"Eunice told him he was doing a good job, bringing people to the city and bringing in employment, and he said to his security men, ‘See, they do like me in Aberdeen!’
"When the lift stopped and the doors opened, we were in the foyer to his penthouse. Everything was so plush and just gleaming.
"He said to the security men, ‘Make sure these ladies get some fragrances,’ and then he asked if we were married. When we said we were, he said, ‘Make sure their husbands get fragrances as well’.
"He then thanked us for speaking to him, and the doors closed. You could have scraped us off the ceiling.
"One of his security people then said, ‘In all the time I have known him, I have never known him to do that’. He said that usually he doesn’t let anybody near him, far less allow them in the lift.
"It was just a chance in a million. He was really nice."
When they got back to the ground floor, the security guards accompanied them as they picked out Trump perfumes, Trump aftershaves and even Trump teddybears. They later calculated that each set cost around £300.
"We were going to ask for handbags, but we thought that might be pushing it a bit!" joked Eunice.
Eric said that the women shared the story with countless people during the rest of their holiday.
"We were in an Irish bar the next day, and the barman said there is more chance of getting a photo with Obama than with him," he said.
"We will never forget it," said Sheila.
