By DANIEL BACH FANCY a quiet stroll around Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum hours after the doors have been locked for the night? Or perhaps dinner with friends in the privacy of Pollok House?

By DANIEL BACH

FANCY a quiet stroll around Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum hours after the doors have been locked for the night? Or perhaps dinner with friends in the privacy of Pollok House?

While visitors won't discover the exhibits coming to life as in the Ben Stiller movie Night at the Museum, they will get a unique insight into the city's heritage.

A Glasgow company which offers exclusive after-hours access to some of the city's most historic properties is set to expand.

Intermezzo Promotions has been organising private tours, corporate dinners and cocktail parties at Kelvingrove, Pollok House, Holmwood House and the Scotland Street School museum since 2007.

And now the company's founder and director has revealed the Gallery of Modern Art in Royal Exchange Square will be added to its line-up.

Art historian and business entrepreneur Clare McLeod has also started organising events at The historic Trades House in Glassford Street.

Intermezzo can arrange guided day or evening tours of each property paired with lunch or dinner for couples, and private dinners and cocktail functions for from five to 500 people.

Clare's business idea and her inside knowledge of Glasgow's Museums helped Intermezzo win an Excellence in Customer Care award at the Scottish Women in Business event last year, and the Most Enterprising Business award for Glasgow in 2007.

Clare said: "We realise that tours and entrance to these museums is free, but ask how we can help these venues market themselves.

"We saw a gap between these venues and the corporate world."

The success of Intermezzo has seen Claire propelled to the president's seat at the Scottish Women in Business networking club.

Norman Walker, an art historian and tour guide with Intermezzo, said it's important to connect people to the art, and said a tour of Kelvingrove allows visitors to discover the city's heritage.

"Kelvingrove is our pride and joy. We can tailor tours for any group that visits, and connect them with the things housed here that are important.

"We want people to see the messages purveyed in art, the symbolism. Everything tells a story in the museum, and we are opening people's eyes on our tours, and awakening them to art. We invite people to pick our brains, and encourage their curiosity. If they go away not convinced about art then we've failed."