DALAI DELIGHT.

Byline: CATHERINE JONES ECHO Reporter

WELL-WISHERS gathered outside Liverpool Town Hall to catch a glimpse of the Dalai Lama.

And it was a magical moment for stroke victim Bill Davis when the Tibetan spiritual leader broke through the security cordon to talk to him.

He walked to the retired lorry driver,from Everton, who uses an electric scooter, and hugged him.

Mr Davis said: ``It was a magical moment for me,one I'llnever forget, a really beautiful moment in my life.''

The Dalai, who earlier gave a Roscoe Citizenship lecture at Liverpool Cathedral,had a warm welcome from more than 150 people waiting in Castle Street.

A town hall reception for 80 guests included members of the Merseyside Council of Faiths. Children from Blessed Sacrament primary in Aintree sang.

And there was a surprise for Mary Ann Small,PA to council leader Mike Storey and former RLPO harpist.

She was playing the harp when the Dalai walked up and asked to have a go himself.

Professor Michael Brown, vice-chancellor of John Moores university which conferred an honorary fellowship on the Dalai, said it was a ``privilege'' to bring him to Liverpool.

``He had a ball. From the moment he walked in to the cathedral,he captivated people.''

Prof Brown said he was supposed to relieve the Dalai of his fellowship scroll and hat before his lecture,but left him wearing the hat because it suited him so much.

The Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev James Jones, said:``He won the hearts of everybody.''

Shiv Pande, Hindu representative on the Council of Faiths, said the Dalai was considering being patron of a UK Ministry of Peace.

CAPTION(S):

IN HARMONY: The Dalai Lama delights young John Murt and his fellow members of the Blessed Sacrament school choir from Aintree who sang at a town hall reception and