Whilst out on your travels locally, at some point or another, you may have had to stop and take a second look after seeing a man with a kilt on and dashing hair blowing in the wind. The first time I saw ‘Kiltman’ was sitting outside Stanley’s Cask in New Brighton with his husky and after seeing him several times since, my intrigue grew stronger — who is the famous Kiltman?
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I decided to meet this legendary figure at Stanley’s Cask to find out who he really is and ask some of the questions we’ve all been wanting the answers to. As we enjoyed a few Famous Grouse whiskies together he told me: “Basically I’m a born again Highlander. I had an epiphany in 2015 and since that day I’ve worn a kilt every day of my life for 5 years. I wear it to work, to restaurants, at hotels — everywhere!”
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He continued: “My Father’s family were from Scotland and associated with the Mackenzies clan. When the Campbells conspired with the English and drove them out, they fled to Ireland but were persecuted there too so ironically ended up settling in Northern England and the Wirral. Unfortunately, the family heritage and traditions got forgotten about through the generations but in 2015 something happened to me and I realised who I was and who I’m meant to be.”
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In 2015, Chris McEneany visited his wife’s friends estate in Moffat, Scotland. As soon as he stepped on Scottish soil he felt a certain magic and belonging — a strong affinity in his being — and upon his return he began to research his family history. He began to educate himself on the tradition of wearing a kilt (a Scandinavian custom that was adopted by the Scots) and decided to wear a kilt every day from then on. He has since acquired 63 different kilts, ranging from £60 to £600 a piece.
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He told me: “At first, my family and friends thought I was crazy, like it was a midlife crisis or something, but they soon came to understand it’s who I am and I’m representing my family’s heritage. My Dad is now very proud of me. All my kilts are hand made in Scotland and I have two custom ones, including two ‘Great Kilts’. I wear them every day, even to work, and never have any bother — people respect it. Nobody tackles a man who doesn’t hide his tackle. Nobody f***s with a man in a kilt!”
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I was eager to learn more about Chris’ life before Kiltman. He told me that he served in The Royal Marines in the 90s and following his four year service he got into martial arts, before becoming a male stripper. Since then, he has held various confidential roles within the government and has had two books published — as well as being a movie reviewer in his spare time.
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He explained: “After The Marines I was at a loss as to what to do. I got into martial arts but soon realised I needed a job. I attended a doo with my wife and there was this awful male stripper so I declared to my wife that I could do a better job. She challenged me, so I got a job as a stripper — being Bob The Builder, a fireman, a cowboy, a gladiator and other roles.”
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He continued: “Life as a stripper was tough and I had to have a bodyguard with me. During my first gig I had my cowboy guns stolen and I came to realise that 1 in 10 gigs go wrong. On one occasion, I went to a private gig due to being invited there a couple of weeks after a successful party in a pub. When I got there, the girls’ jealous boyfriend and his mates were waiting for me with baseball bats so I had to jump through the window and escape.”
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Chris came to realise that being a male stripper wasn’t the life for him and decided to work a ‘normal’ job whilst pursuing his writing. He explained: “I was always a good writer and very good at English, ironically. I entered a short story competition and won the Shell Research Prize for Literature ahead of top novelists — this led to me publishing two horror books. I’ve since been doing movie reviews in my spare time, interviewing top international Directors. My hero is Kurt Russell and I have his original outfits from movies — I attend Comic-Com events in the outfits.”
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I was keen to learn about how people react to him, particularly whilst out drinking, and he joked: “Well I’ve nearly caused car crashes when people stop to look! There’s a famous picture of me that does the rounds, when I’m walking back from Asda with my shopping wearing my kilt. People are used to it when I’m drinking here at Stanley’s Cask but when I go out after work in Liverpool people go crazy for it — particularly in Mathew Street.”
He continued: “As you can imagine, the women go wild and some of them even try to lift up my kilt and take pictures. I actually don’t mind as it’s just a bit of fun, but on a serious note it’s actually sexual assault! I mean, could you imagine what would happen if a bloke lifted a girl’s skirt and tried to take photos? I love entertaining people and making them laugh but as long as they remain respectful in certain environments — it can be a bit awkward when I’m out with my wife and there are kids around etc.”
Kiltman has been happily married to his wife, Janet, for almost 30 years and they have two children aged 13 and 19. His wife, Janet, told us: “I’m proud of what Chris has done to embrace and celebrate his heritage. It was a bit weird at first but we all love Kiltman and he’s become a local legend. He does a lot for charity with his personality too and he has helped raise money for Wirral Copper Jar and other charities. He makes people happy and I love him for that.”
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The next time you’re out and about and see this enigmatic figure, stop and say hello! He’s a hell of a guy with a hell of a story. It’s always worth reminding yourself of who you are and where you come from — our roots and traditions are something to celebrate and embrace. I really enjoyed drinking whiskey with this local legend and finally discover who Kiltman is!
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