Chance Encounters With The Famous

[Bill]

When I went to see Elton John at the Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday, as I paid a visit to the Gents, I felt highly privileged to witness Elvis Costello going in straight in front of me. I then went left as he went right. It's wonderful to see your heroes, but I didn't feel the need to see what happened next.

One of my favourite moments was playing cricket once, when I was facing the slow left arm spin of Mike D'Abo, ex-lead singer of Manfred Mann and the now very rich man who wrote Handbags And Gladrags, sung by Rod Stewart, The Stereophonic and on the theme of The Office. I danced down the wicket, and hit the ball over mid-off, only to see Tim Rice jump up and snaffle the catch in mid-air. So I was c. Rice b. D'Abo.

Might not mean much to non-cricket fans, but it gives me pleasure.

[Darkstar]

Huh, I can beat that, ;) although it's more a claim to fame than a chance encounter, but a number of years ago when staying in my last flat, my next door neighbour's sister was Scotty from Star Trek's wife's manicurist.

Six degrees of difference of what!

:rolleyes:

[Harriet]

A couple of weeks ago I saw Charlie from Busted filming a TV show on E4 in Virgin Megastores on Oxford Street.

[My Friend Jack]

Around about 1977 I worked in the same office as a relative of J R R Tolkien. Her name was Mrs Jane Tolkien (related by marriage, then) and she was one of the most beautiful women I have ever met - reminded me of Grace Kelly. Oddly enough, I didn't fancy her!

[Opal]

I worked as a tour guide during last summer holidays at a local attraction. Apparently, way back before I was born some parts of Dr Who were filmed there, so my employers decided to have a "Dr Who day", where lots of past actors would come and do signings and stuff. Consequently I got to meet Colin Baker (doctor number six...?), some of the "assistants" (who i'd never heard of!), and most importantly, I got to see a Tardis! :D

[My Friend Jack]

I can remember a real police box just around the corner from where I lived when I was a boy.

[Just RY]

I got on a plane once, and there in front of a seat in first class was Lassie. The dog wasn't crated or anything. In case you didn't know, Lassie is actually male, and in this case, it was the 8th dog to star in movies - a direct descendant of the original Lassie. He was exceptionally well behaved.

Incidentally, at the destination, Lassie and his owner were picked up by a huge stretched Limo. Tough life for some eh?

[Dream Weaver]

How did he communicate that he was the 8th dog to play Lassie? Was it by barking to get your attention and then cuffing you gently eight times with his paw?

[Just RY]

Quite simple really. The conversation went something like this:

RY: Lassie bark once for "yes", twice for "no". Understand?
Lassie: Woof.
RY: are you the original Lassie?
Lassie: Woof woof
RY: Are you the second Lassie?
Lassie: Woof woof
.
.
.... so on and so forth.........
.
.
.
.
Until......

RY: Are you the 8th Lassie?
Lassie: Woof

;)

Or...

Alternatively, Lassie's personal assistant (honest) was there handing out autographs (paw prints) and answering questions.....

[My Friend Jack]

I saw Phill Jupitus buying a sandwich in M&S in Oxford Street (about an hour before he was due on-air on Radio 2) a couple of years ago.

[tinminer]

When I went to see Elton John at the Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday, as I paid a visit to the Gents, I felt highly privileged to witness Elvis Costello going in straight in front of me. I then went left as he went right. It's wonderful to see your heroes, but I didn't feel the need to see what happened next.

One of my favourite moments was playing cricket once, when I was facing the slow left arm spin of Mike D'Abo, ex-lead singer of Manfred Mann and the now very rich man who wrote Handbags And Gladrags, sung by Rod Stewart, The Stereophonic and on the theme of The Office. I danced down the wicket, and hit the ball over mid-off, only to see Tim Rice jump up and snaffle the catch in mid-air. So I was c. Rice b. D'Abo.

Might not mean much to non-cricket fans, but it gives me pleasure.
when BBC Radio Gloucestershire started in the mid-1980s, Mike D'Abo was one of their main presenters. He was certainly still going strong into the 90s. Don't know what he is up to these days, though I understand that he still resides in the Gloucestershire area.

[tinminer]

We have lots of celebs that come into my store....most have 2nd homes in the area. Brian May, Pete Townsend, Steve McFadden + at least 10 others. To be honest, out of the peak tourist season, no one bats an eyelid, as they are so used to seeing them around the town. However, a member of the teeny-band S Club 8 ( a younger version of S Club 7) came in (with his mum, aww, bless him!) and caused a mass stamped of young girls from all around teh town into my store. Never seen anything like it!

However, my 'claim to fame' was meeting Sir William Golding in 1992. I was working in a record store in Truro, and he used to order a lot of Classical CDs and Spoken Word tapes. When I first started, I hadn't really 'clicked' who he was. I rang up and spoke to his wife, to say that his order had come in.
When he came in to collect the CD, I plucked up the courage to sign my battered copy of 'Lord of the Flies'.

Sadly, a few weeks later, and only two days after he last came into our store, William Golding passed away. I still have the book, of course.

[Slowreader]

Golding, now that's really impressive :cool:

Lets see....

Kevin Rowland of Dexys fame at the top of the escalators at New Street station - he look like he had one on him so I gave him a wide berth

Bryn Terfel, on a beach near Carnaerfon... nearly tripped over his big feet

Nigel Kennedy.... on the Holte End a few rows down

Rikki Fulton... in a Glasgow pub....a genuine funny man..RIP

[Harriet]

Oh, I saw Lawence Llewlyn Bowen (How hard is his name to spell??!) on a beach in Cornwall. He was there with his daughter, she was playing in the sea and trying to get him to come in but he was just standing there in his leather trousers and shirt with the big floaty cuffs!

[Granny weatherwax]

I often see professor Stephen Hawking in Cambridge, I once saw him in dolland and Aitchison opticains which was very funny because he was in an advert for vision express at the time :D

I saw Terry Waite once and met Fred Dibnah at the technology museum also in Cambridge. And I once met Adam-hart davies (the tv presenter) he was really nice. :)

[Fred Ricketts]

I was sitting on a train at Cambridge Railway station, waiting for it to pull out when a flustered Clement Freud leapt on. As he battled his way to a seat he caught his foot in the strap of a bag that was lying on the floor and sort of fell into his seat. I sat there gritting my teeth so that I wouldn't say to him, 'That was a bit of a Freudian slip, eh!'

[tinminer]

Oh, I saw Lawence Llewlyn Bowen (How hard is his name to spell??!) on a beach in Cornwall. He was there with his daughter, she was playing in the sea and trying to get him to come in but he was just standing there in his leather trousers and shirt with the big floaty cuffs!

Lawrence lives in North Cornwall - just outside Padstow. He is another regular in my store too!
However, I can't quite forgive him for some of his makeovers, especially the Christams special in Boscastle. They were truly tatty, and the village locals are singularly unimpressed. :(

[tinminer]

I was sitting on a train at Cambridge Railway station, waiting for it to pull out when a flustered Clement Freud leapt on. As he battled his way to a seat he caught his foot in the strap of a bag that was lying on the floor and sort of fell into his seat. I sat there gritting my teeth so that I wouldn't say to him, 'That was a bit of a Freudian slip, eh!'

That's actually very funny
:D
I'm sure he would have found that amusing!

[Fred Ricketts]

Yeah, but I suspect it wouldn't have been the first time. Have you seen the episode of Father Ted where Dougal says to Father Ted that he should go up to Richard Wilson (Victor Meldrew) and shout 'I don't Believe it!' Well, I took my own advice and shut up.

While I'm here, I'd have to say my best chance encounter was the day in 1983 that me and a mate spent drinking in London and ended up at The Camden Palace (when it was very hip). We were on the dance floor, hicks from the sticks throwing some shapes, and not 10 yards (oh, alright, metres) away were George Michael and Jeffery Daniels (out of Shalamar) also bopping away.

I must stop using (all these) brackets.

[My Friend Jack]

I seem to recall my Dad saying that he had stood next to (comedian) Ted Ray in the Gents at Highbury once.

Other people I've spotted in London's Oxford Street... Alexei Sayle... Dennis Norden... and Paul Gambaccini buying some CDs in HMV (I assumed he would always get freebies, but I guess not).

My best one (not that it will mean much to everyone) was last year. I took the family to the Ardingly showground (in West Sussex, just up the road from home) for the Spring Show (sort of agricultural / rural / craft event). As I parked, I noticed that 2 men and 2 women (all in their 20s) got out of the car I was parked next to. I have to confess that my attention was more on the women. I did notice that one of the men was giving an odd look at my Reading FC mini-kit in the back window. For some reason, I thought he looked familiar, but the chance to speak to him had passed by the time I realised that he was Steve Sidwell and had scored Reading's winner the previous day against West Brom.

[My Friend Jack]

I stood next to Phill Jupitus in the basement of HMV last week, as we browsed through the rock'n'roll section. That's 3 times I've seen him now, all within a hundred yards in the last 3 years. He obviously gets around as much as I do.

[Dream Weaver]

I've seen him on Oxford Street after he's finished his daily 6 Music breakfast show.

[My Friend Jack]

In that case, DW... who knows... we might have spotted each other without knowing it. I will be descending into Oxford Circus tube station in about 15 minutes from now - I'll be the one with the green coat over a white shirt with a predominantly green and blue tie (no - it works - really!).

[Dream Weaver]

Damn, missed you! :D

[Royal Rother]

I met Mike Read (Reid?) the DJ at a wedding reception in the 80s. Had a long chat about music (of course).

He said at the time that he had thought Slade would be as successful as the Beatles at one stage of their career. Seems odd now!

Seemed like a nice guy but unable to make proper eye contact during the whole 20min conversation. Maybe I bored him rigid. I suspect he is just naturally very shy!

[Harriet]

My friend's dad worked with Elton John, doing shipping of some sort, and he got me an autograph (!!!!!!!!!!!!!) that says: 'To Harriet, with love Elton John'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I immediatly framed it and it's currently on my bedroom wall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

[Royal Rother]

Oh and Stephen Tomkinson drinks in my local pub. He usually says "goodnight" to me, but I've never had a conversation with him!

Too many hangers on.

He can't get near enough to me!

[Royal Rother]

Coincidentally I'm currently about 1/2 mile away from Elton John's home, in The Jolly Gardeners, waiting to collect a curry from his favourite take-away. His signed photo is on the wall of the curry house.

Mind you, I've never met him. I just don't return his calls.

[Harriet]

Wow that's so cool!!!

But in this case, the signed photo is on my bedroom wall :D:D:D

[Royal Rother]

He'd rather be on my bedroom wall. :D :D :D

[Tess]

I saw and spoke to Robbie Williams a few years ago at a Pitchshifter gig in London. Here's how the conversation went

Tess: "Did you enjoy the gig Robbie?"
Robbie: "Yes, I love to watch the kids bounce!"
Tess: "I'm sure they don't do that at your gigs!" (Pitchshifter are a metal band, so the "bouncing" was really moshing!)
Robbie: puffing out his chest "They do whatever I tell them to do"

hehe

[Rootytootytoo]

In a similar yet less entertaining vein:

Conversation with Jaqueline Wilson:

ME: That will be £30 please

JW: There you are

ME: Thankyou very much

JW: Thankyou.

I was working for the day at a childrens book fair. She bought stacks of the competition....

[Jassie]

A few years ago walking down the steps towards the basement in Television Centre

Goldie (the rapper not the blue peter dog): Where are the toilets?

Me: That way (pointing down corridor)

*thought to self* hope he finds them this is a circular corridor, he could be going round for ages!

[winterwren]

Well, I am old. But I was was born in Memphis, Tn. and I have been to Graceland when Elvis actually lived there. It was in the late 60's. There were lots of fans outside the gates of Graceland. I guess the word was out and people were hoping to catch a glimpse of the King. Suddenly they opened the gates and let everyone in to the yard. They told us that we had to stay down front and not approach the house. It was a really big yard with lots of trees and a winding driveway.

I was there with some friends. Pretty soon Elvis rode down the winding driveway on his golf cart with several of his Memphis Mafia buddies. They parked the golf cart and ladies proceeded to line up to get a kiss from Elvis. I stayed out of the line but several of my friends gave Elvis the best kisses they could muster up. I guess just so they could say that they kissed the King. Looked to me like a lotta ladies were kissing the King.

I will say he really was gorgeous! He had a nice tan and was wearig a cornflower blue shirt that REALLY set off those blue eyes. He had on black jeans with a belt with a huge buckle that said TCB. It was late afternoon when they had let us in the gates and Elvis stayed there dolling out kisses until twilight.Then they got on the golf cart, turned on the light, and headed back up the driveway. I kept wondering where Priscilla was and if this sort of behavior made her steamed.

That is probably the BIGGEST up close and personal STAR sighting that I have had.

I was in an airport sitting right next to Jonny Mathis one time. I moved to make room for the other guys in his band and group. They were all very nice and after he left to board the plane, I told one of the gentlemen how much we had always enjoyed Mr. Mathis's music.

I was at the museum in Los Angeles one day when Richard Dreyfus and his wife and child were there. I was at the theater and saw Zsa Zsa Gabor in the lobby during intermission. I worked at an accounting firm once where Donovan was a client and came to the office one day.

I have seen quite a few televison stars both in Tennesse and in California. Mostly I just smile and leave them alone - I figure it is the kindest thing to do. But sometimes I have to resist the urge to applaud!!!

[My Friend Jack]

I believe that one of our members has been on stage with Des O'Connor...

[lizzie_odd]

I guess these are chance encounters that aren't really setups? Well, I saw Jamie Oliver in the street outside the Australia shop in Covent Garden (looking very grumpy), Noel Gallagher in Manchester, and an actor from Hollyoaks the same day, Jeremy Clarkson at the opening of a regimental museum, Emma Forbes (when she was still on tv) chatting on her mobile phone by Agnes B shop in London, the chap who plays Pascoe from the tv show Dalziel and Pascoe in New Street station, I have signed copy of a Wendy Cope book, but really don't remember the meeting, we did see the chap who wrote 'Percy the Parkkeeper' (finally - one that is book related!), but that was at a signing, erm... I don't think I have any more.

[Harriet]

I saw......the guy from Eastenders......Dot's son...the evil one, I can't remember his name..anyway I saw him walking into a cinema screen in Kingston. Wait, not literally a SCREEN, you know the room that you watch the film in.

[Grammath]

These aren't encounters as such, but the year below me at secondary school contained Sacha Baron-Cohen (a.k.a. Ali G/Borat) and in the year below that was Matt Lucas of "Little Britain" fame - distinctive as he'd already lost his hair.

Alongside the soon-to-be-Staines massive was William Sutcliffe who's subsequently had several best selling novels published by Penguin. His debut "New Boy" was a thinly veiled account of his school days and prompted winces and giggles of recognition in equal measure from this reader. His finest hour was the follow up "Are You Experienced?" a satire on gap year culture.

Onto university where I went to history lectures also attended by a couple of spoddy looking chaps who went on to be self styled superstar DJs The Chemical Brothers.

[Top Cat]

Not my own encounters, but there was a period in the Nineties, when Pulp were at the height of their popularity, that friends of mine couldn't go anywhere without bumping into Jarvis Cocker. First a friend who worshipped Cocker crossed paths with him whilst walking in the most remote part of the Lake District (you can imagine her face, as she saw his lanky figure coming towards her - the first other human she had seen for two days, apart from her bfriend, who she was camping with - and asked herself "Can it be? No! Oh"). What do you say in that situation? A year or so later, he followed my ex-girlfriend around Soho with a ghetto blaster. Either that or they both liked exactly the same shops. She didn't seem to think it was a coincidence.

Oh, and I once had to travel in a lift with Brian Wilson. I didn't say anything to him, although, having listened to Smile and seen him interviewed, I suppose "carrot trellis whippet conundrum loophole breath" might have been a good conversation starter.

[Lei-Lei Jayenne]

Well, Grace Jones asked me if i wanted to go for a drink with her last summer. I stupidly didn't, i think i was a little scared :rolleyes:

[Deinonychus]

I went clubbing with Chan 'Cat Power' Marshall a while back and she bought me a pizza. (Not that she's all that famous, like...)

[Top Cat]

I once saw Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen as well, Harriet. He was walking up the hill to Greenwich observatory, pushing a heavy push chair, his brood milling around him. Then a man shouted "Look, it's that man of the telly!" at him in an extreme Nottingham accent, and he looked even more tired and irritated. It would have been embarrassing and sad to witness if it was a stranger doing the shouting; that it was actually my dad made it more so.

[Mad Dog and Glory]

When did you see Harriet?

[megustaleer]

Ken Dodd in a queue at a motorway service station shop. Wendy Craig in a dentist's waiting room, Frank Finlay crossing the road somewhere in the West End, and I served coffee to Griff Rhys-Jones at a charity event,

That's not counting actors & singers encountered in my 'hanging round stage doors' period

[Slowreader]

Ken Dodd in a queue at a motorway service station shop.

were you tempted?

[Obskua]

Deliberate - Terry Pratchett (book signing)

Accidental - George Melly, Christopher Lee, Bill Oddie, C.P.Lee & Jimmy Hibbert (Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias) & Princess Anne (whose chauffeur got annoyed because I refused to move so he could drive her car over the pavement - I was in a bus queue at the time).

[Mad Dog and Glory]

On Saturday, we were on a River Thames towpath near Isleworth, and John Stapleton and Lynn Faulds Wood (TV presenter or stage direction?) went by hand in hand. It was rather a sweet sight.

I was at Paddington just now, and was passed by Jennifer Saunders heading for the taxi rank.

[megustaleer]

Have just remembered being in a scarcely populated folk club in Birmingham in the 60's, and sitting just a couple of tables away was Kenneth Cope. Remember, him in the white suit in 'Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'? At the time he was playing Minnie Caldewell's lodger 'Sonny Boy' in Coronation Street,

This was so long ago that it might all have been a dream!

[My Friend Jack]

Does being in Emmerdale count as famous? The guy who tried to bump off Malandra Burrows' character about 5 years ago used to take his toddler to the same Tumble Tots group that our boy went to. No idea what his name was, though!

[Slowreader]

Benny of Crossroads fame / infamy
Gary Shaw (ex Villa goal-god)
Reg Harcourt (Central TV presenter)
Don Maclean (thinks he's a comedian)
Rikki Fulton (he was definitely a comedian)

[My Friend Jack]

Don Maclean a comedian? I never saw the funny side of American Pie, and as for Vincent...

Ah, you mean the one who does Good Morning Sunday on Radio 2, I guess. Thinking about it, perhaps the Vincent guy was funny after all!

[belinda]

Life has gone down hill since I was a student ........

Danced with William Boyd as a teenager in Nigeria
Made WH Auden a cup of coffee when 'The Dog Beneath the Skin' was being put on at the Oxford Playhouse
Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor again at Oxford
Dinner with Andrew Motion - he was very pretty in those days which is why I remembered him and I had never met a poet before

Since then - life has gone a bit down hill

Eddie the Eagle in a newsagents in Shepherds Bush

Oh, oh, just remembered walked into a waiting room at Buckingham Palce (shameless place dropping) and there was Rowan Atkinson - immaculate Savile Row suit etc, one of those ones where if he hadn't been famous would have talked to him .... a great line on such occasions

[Abbynormal92243]

hmmm

I had lunch with Jill Marie Landis at a writer's conference.

Smoked a cig with Nora Roberts.

Corresponded briefly with Catherine Coulter and Suzanne Forster, years ago.

Writers at conferences are amazingly accessible.


a friend of mine got personal phone calls from Tony Robbins about a year ago. (I was amazed--and envious. *sigh*)

[megustaleer]

I've never heard of any of those people.

[Cathy]

How about the rubbishest (I know its not a word, let it go!) celebs you've ever met? I quite often see the Scottish guy who does the weather on the North East local news, in the pub, and I saw Anna the lesbian nun off Big Brother 1 walking down a street in central Leeds.

Best celebrity would be selling tickets to the writer of the Postman Pat books over the phone, I was quite star struck!!!!!!

Seems like London wins out in terms of proper celebrity spotting though...

[Abbynormal92243]

I've never heard of any of those people.


they're authors.

Tony Robbins is world-wide famous for his life-changing books and seminars; Awaken the Giant Within is my personal favorite.

[Deinonychus]

Authors you want? My mother got me Margaret Drabble's autograph when I was about nine. It doesn't get much more glamorous than that, folks...

[Mad Dog and Glory]

Authors you want? My mother got me Margaret Drabble's autograph when I was about nine. It doesn't get much more glamorous than that, folks...

Margaret Forster made me a cup of tea once. (It's true, I was interviewing Hunter Davies for a radio show at the time.)

[BrumB]

Authors you want? My mother got me Margaret Drabble's autograph when I was about nine. It doesn't get much more glamorous than that, folks...

If that's a challenge - my mum got me Paul Robeson's autograph!

[Deinonychus]

Well, it wasn't obviously - but that's pretty gosh-darned impressive!

[Mad Dog and Glory]

What, more impressive than being made a cup of tea by Margaret Forster?

[Opal]

I mentioned before that during the holidays I work as a tour guide... Well over the Easter holidays I had Jonathon Ross and his family on my tour! Very excitng for me, although I didn't twig til the end of the tour who he was! Now for the exciting bit... Anyone out there listen to his radio show? Well today he talked about what he'd done with his kids over the holidays and mentioned the caves I work at and his "lovely young lady" tour guide! That was me!!! :D

[nospacesallowed]

on the 26th nov 04 i saw charlie from busted in the virgin megastore in London filming a prog for E4.
(I'm Harriet's brother)

[Harriet]

(I'm Harriet's brother)

Thanks for announcing that to the world.

[Mad Dog and Glory]

Now can you guess who is the older, Harriet or apple juice rules?

[Royal Rother]

I mentioned before that during the holidays I work as a tour guide... Well over the Easter holidays I had Jonathon Ross and his family on my tour! Very excitng for me, although I didn't twig til the end of the tour who he was! Now for the exciting bit... Anyone out there listen to his radio show? Well today he talked about what he'd done with his kids over the holidays and mentioned the caves I work at and his "lovely young lady" tour guide! That was me!!! :D

Excellent!

[Royal Rother]

Now can you guess who is the older, Harriet or apple juice rules?

I would imagine that Harriet is 2 years 3 months and 11 days older?

[My Friend Jack]

That would make Harriet about 11. Surely that can't be right? ;)

[lucyb]

I would imagine that Harriet is 2 years 3 months and 11 days older?

Someone's been peeking at the profiles!

[Mad Dog and Glory]

RR and MFJ, you're both off the mark. If you came up with that figure from their public profiles, RR, then I hope you leave the number-crunching to others at work. :cool:

I mentioned before that during the holidays I work as a tour guide... Well over the Easter holidays I had Jonathon Ross and his family on my tour! Very excitng for me, although I didn't twig til the end of the tour who he was! Now for the exciting bit... Anyone out there listen to his radio show? Well today he talked about what he'd done with his kids over the holidays and mentioned the caves I work at and his "lovely young lady" tour guide! That was me!!! :D

Do I deduce that you were a guide at Wookey Hole? My first job was as a tour guide at Cox's Cave in Cheddar, which is of course just up the road and were owned by the same people as Wookey Hole. Which gives me the idea for a new thread...

[Opal]

Do I deduce that you were a guide at Wookey Hole? My first job was as a tour guide at Cox's Cave in Cheddar, which is of course just up the road and were owned by the same people as Wookey Hole. Which gives me the idea for a new thread...

Good deduction! :p I take you must have grown up somewhere near Cheddar then? And when were Cheddar and WHC owned by the same people??? As far as I'm aware Cheddar is currently owned by Lord Bath, and I wasn't aware WHC had ever been owned by him... :confused:

[Mad Dog and Glory]

This was in 1980, and I thought they were both owned by Lord Bath, although I'm prepared to be wrong. Of course it was a different Lord Bath then, not the one with loads of wifelets. He was the Earl Of Avon back then, IIRC.

I went to school in Cheddar - Kings Of Wessex - but lived a couple of miles away in a <strike>dump</strike> historical town called Axbridge.

Now I remember. Wookey Hole was owned by Madame Tussauds, and it was where they got rid of all the crap ones they had no use for in London. People like Mike and Bernie Winters, and Reginald Maudling. Are they still there?

[Opal]

I'm fairly certain Tussauds owned the place at that time (could be wrong though), but they're long gone now, its currently owned by an ex-circus family (who are making great improvements to the place btw! :D) although if you look carefully there's a fair amount of Tussauds stuff still lying around the place!

And I know Axbridge... kind of... I've driven through there a fair amount anyway! I wasn't aware there was anything historical there though... Historical sheep farms maybe? :p

[Harriet]

That would make Harriet about 11. Surely that can't be right? ;)

Not really, no. I'm.....4 years older? I think so. Well I'm 15 and he's 11. So yeah, 4 years older.

[Nonfictionreader]

on the 26th nov 04 i saw charlie from busted in the virgin megastore in London filming a prog for E4.
(I'm Harriet's brother)

I think I understand your name now. It's like an alcohol-free version of a book by John Irving, isn't it? ;)

[Mad Dog and Glory]

Very clever, nfr. :D The truth is, he really really likes apple juice.

[Royal Rother]

RR and MFJ, you're both off the mark. If you came up with that figure from their public profiles, RR, then I hope you leave the number-crunching to others at work. :cool: ...

I am the FD actually! But naturally in that role I have to have total integrity and never even thought of looking at public profiles to help...

[My Friend Jack]

MD&G - we could have met all those years ago! I worked at EMI (which I believe it is still known as by the locals) in Wells from 1980. When I started there, I was entitled to a staff discount on entry to Wookey Hole - not sure whether this meant that EMI owned Tussauds at the time?

[Mad Dog and Glory]

And there I at the time was thinking I was the only living Reading fan in Somerset, little knowing that a hop away on a 126 bus, there was another who shared my faith.

[My Friend Jack]

When did you leave Somerset, MD&G?

[Mad Dog and Glory]

1975 - Family moved to Axbridge, when I was 14.
1979 - Went to University in Manchester, came back to Somerset for holidays
1983 - Left University, moved to London.
2005 - Mother still living in Axbridge, still have to return for visits. Can't stand the place.

[My Friend Jack]

That's OK, then, there weren't too many opportunities for us to have shared transport to Elm Park.

[Mad Dog and Glory]

I didn't get many opportunities to go at all between moving to Somerset and moving to London.

What were your dates?

[My Friend Jack]

September 1980 - started work in Wells, lived in digs.

May 1980 - bought a house in Shepton Mallet.

December 1983 - moved to Street.

April 1988 - moved to Wells.

Moved away in 1996.

[My Friend Jack]

Back to topic - twice in the last month I've seen Jim Lea.

[Deinonychus]

You astound me! What do you do, stalk Slade or something?!

[My Friend Jack]

:d

[Deinonychus]

Whatever that means, it sounds illegal...

[My Friend Jack]

Mmm, it was supposed to be :D

I must admit, I often spot people in London and think, "That was... oh... someone I've seen on the telly... I think," but there are a few people who you recognise instantly. Jim is one, I guess.

[Elfstar]

Blimey, I had a friend who lived in Axbridge in the late 70's early 80's and i visited there often...maybe i saw you MDG in a previous incarnation!

[Elfstar]

Sorry quick stop to have my D drive replaced! And I used to visit Wells and Street :eek:
More famously i once walked into Terence Stamp in Fortnum and Masons. And I've stood under Tommy Walshs arm. I saw terry Pratchett too, but the queue was too long :(

[megustaleer]

[QUOTE=elfstar And I've stood under Tommy Walshs arm. [/QUOTE]

No sign of Tommy, but I did come across Monty Don twice at the Gardeners World Live Show yesterday.

Last years show was better for meeting 'celebrities', I bought plants off Joe Swift and Carol Klein, both of whom are presenters in the current series of Gardeners World, and also from Geoffrey Hughes (Onslow in Keeping Up Appearences), who was doing a stint on some wildlife(?) charity stall.

[Deinonychus]

(*Frantically looks up definition of word 'celebrity'..!*)

[Obskua]

'Current usage' appears to imply anybody who's been on television more than twice ...

[Deinonychus]

Wow. I'm a celebrity.

[lucyb]

don't tell me... you were on Trisha last week - you know, the guy (or girl) who disrupted the wedding reception because the D J kept getting the song titles wrong... ;)

[Dr. Strangelove]

You know, I think I saw that episode ;)

[Bill]

don't tell me... you were on Trisha last week - you know, the guy (or girl) who disrupted the wedding reception because the D J kept getting the song titles wrong... ;)

:D

You appear to have Deino sussed.

[Deinonychus]

Quite right. I'll admit it wasn't quite up there with the usual 'you're the drunken father of my daughter's cross-dressing baby' stuff - but I do try to entertain..!

[lucyb]

Knew this thread was around somewhere. Finally met someone (who used to be) famous.

I was having my hair done at Andrew Collinge yesterday and one of the guys in the shop looked vaguely familiar. And so he should have been - being Andrew Collinge and all... He looked like he'd had a really bad day.

[tagesmann]

In the early 80s I went to see Dizzy Gillespie at Ronny Scott's Jazz Club. I had been in London doing a Chemistry A level practical exam and had popped round to see my aunt on the off chance and ended up tagging along to Ronny Scott's.

Anyway, after the show, at about 3am, we got invited back stage and I met the man himself and even shared a joint with him! (I didn't inhale, of course). ;)

[David]

I've only been to Ronnie Scott's once, but there were no Dizzy Gillespies or joints.

Well, there probably were some joints but not at my table. Definitely no Dizzys, though...

Still, I did pass Des Lynam waiting with his little dog to picked up outside my Waitrose this morning. Frankly that takes some beating.

[Minxminnie]

I was in an airport once - I think it was Luton - and there were two very good looking glamorous blokes attracting a lot of attention. From their demeanour and looks I took them to be footballers, but I had no idea who they were.
I ended up in security alone with them, and I could easily have got chatting to them and got their autographs. I could have started,
"Excuse me, but I'm the only person in this airport who doesn't know who you are - can you tell me?"
I've always wondered.

[Jen]

Still, I did pass Des Lynam waiting with his little dog to picked up outside my Waitrose this morning. Frankly that takes some beating.OK, I see your Des and I raise you...
I saw Tom Baker walking down Oxford St last time I was in London AND I was on a flight to Barcelona with Patrick Kielty recently!
I think I win...

[Twelvetrees]

Going to a lot of classical concerts and opera as I do, I can hardly move for slebs. Among the list are; Rowan Williams, Ian McEwan, John Nettles, Jack Straw, The Lovely Hannah Gordon (to give her her full title), David Mellor, Anna Massey and Cecil Parkinson. Random passings in the street include Denis Norden, Mike Atherton, Phill Jupitus, Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen, Helen Mirren, Harold Pinter, Barry Cryer...the list gets boring, but it would be an interesting dinner party.

Work gets me into contact with various politicians, well-known and otherwise, so I did meet Jeffrey Archer once. How to describe him? Charming, but what's a word for someone who thrown things...rhymes with 'dosser'?

[David]

I ended up in security alone with them
That sounds like a story in itself! ;)

I saw Tom Baker walking down Oxford St last time I was in London AND I was on a flight to Barcelona with Patrick Kielty recently!
Oooh, I've spotted Tom in London too. He made me completely lose focus when I was supervising a school trip! Needless to say he would have been cited in any insurance claim.

As for Patrick, I would imagine that was a flight that would have felt very much like a long haul...

[David]

I did meet Jeffrey Archer once. How to describe him? Charming, but what's a word for someone who thrown things...rhymes with 'dosser'?
But then if you're as wealthy as Archer you could be a complete dosser, banker and pass-hole to boot and you wouldn't really care, would you...?

[Radders]

I saw Mark Lamarr...hmm...how can I put it.....relieving himself in a bush at the Glastonbury Festival once (probably about 15 years ago now!). I can't do any better than that I'm afraid.

[lucyb]

But then if you're as wealthy as Archer you could be a complete dosser, banker and pass-hole to boot and you wouldn't really care, would you...?

I have refer you to the Churchill Dog at this point...

[lipstick_librarian]

Robert Plant and Jeremy Clarkson live close to us (but not together.. I don't think), and we occasionally see them. MOH sees Clarkson quite regularly in the pasty shop. Hubby does tend to go on rather a lot about the times he a)saw Vanessa Feltz in Sainsbury's on the Marylebone Road, and b)when he sat at the next table to Shami Chakrabarti in Pizza Express. Neither of these compare with me spending a short time in the back of a van with the Stone Roses...

[lucyb]

:scared:

[Royal Rother]

Dennis Wise sat next to me the other day during our kids' swimming lessons. Complete with (what I assumed to be his) wife and very new baby.

[Radders]

Not sure if he counts as famous anymore but I used to see Russ Abbot a lot as he lived not too far from us - most recently I saw him waiting for a prescription in the pharmacy!

[blithe_spirit]

I was in a restaurant in Ballater last summer where I saw Billy Connolly with some of his family at a nearby table (apparently he has an estate near there).

[megustaleer]

On the last day of our holiday (was that only Friday? - sigh!) we had lunch with my sister-in-law, family and friends, including Antonio ?? (didn't catch the surname) - a guest of her daughter. He is, I was informed, a famous actor from a popular Spanish soap-opera.

After the meal I asked my SiL for his full name, at which point she admitted that, not being a 'soap' fan, she didn't know - only that his first name is Antonio :rolleyes:
She didn't even know the name of the programme :mad:

[MarkC]

At "Making Music" - Steve Reich (October 2006, Zankel Hall at the Carnegie) in the row in front and three seats to my right was David Byrne of Talking Heads.

[brightphoebus]

Phil Jupitus and Mackenzie Crook right next to me at the Hold Steady gig in Koko, Camden, March of this year.

[Diruo]

Not such an encounter but my fathers second cousin is Jeremy Spencer who (I'm told) was a guitarist for Fleetwood Mac back in their early days

[nonsuch]

Way back in the Seventies when I was teaching at the University of Maine there was a student called Stephen King, whom we all knew about because he wrote a column in the student newspaper under the title 'King's Garbage Truck.' From what I remember this was mainly a send-up of various Faculty members in the Department of English. I'd like to claim that I actually taught said radical lad, but in fact it was my colleague Professor Wicks who had that pleasure. Of course he wasn't famous beyond the reaches of the campus in those days.

[nospacesallowed]

I go to school with Bill Milner, you may not know him by name, but he was in the film named 'The Son Of Rambow' and played William. He's just got back from filming an adaptation of Skellig. :)

Keira Knightley also went to my school.

[MisterHobgoblin]

I have shared an education with many, many famous people. But the thing tht makes me feel really old, is that one of my school peers is now an ex-Blue Peter presenter.

[David]

But the thing tht makes me feel really old, is that one of my school peers is now an ex-Blue Peter presenter.
I hope he's properly got over the passing of Shep by now.

[MisterHobgoblin]

You know what makes me feel even older? Hanging around in cyberspace with people who make Shep jokes.

[Freydis]

My childhood ballet teacher was well connected, so I got to appear on stage with some pretty well-known guest artists, including Dame Alicia Markova (she narrated one of our performances). Biggest thrill was being the understudy thrown in to dance with Kevin McKenzie in a production of Sleeping Beauty when I was 20 - he's now artistic director of American Ballet Theatre. (I'm sure he remembers :rolleyes: ) And I'm old enough to have had my picture taken with Jose Ferrer when he appeared as our Dr. Coppelius.

[Lady Lazarus]

Some of my random encounters with the rich and famous are:

- I once walked past Martin Gore of Depeche Mode in Charing Cross Road (he was wearing a lot of black leather)

- Whilst as a waitress, I spilled a pina colada over Jonathon Ross's American friend's very expensive suit, AND he was just about to get on a plane, AND the nice Mr Ross still gave me £30 tip :)

- I once sold Jack Dee a pair of boxer shorts

- Sinitta (of 1980s 'So Macho' fame) once bought a pair of trainers in the shop I worked in, and left her old ones which were covered in doggy-doo :angry: :angry:

[Squirls]

I once bumped into Kiki Dee in a sandwich shop near the Palace Theatre in Manchester in the early 80s. I knew her face but couldn't place her, so I said hi and asked her something along the lines of if she worked in purchasing on the 4th floor. It wasn't til I got outside and saw her pic outside the theatre that I realised it was her.

I was once backstage with a band called the Quire Boys because a friend of ours knew the singer well. When my other half left the room to go to the loo he was met by a gaggle of screaming girls trying to get through security, who all screamed "aaaahhhh" followed by a rather deflated "oh" as he left the room - not good for the ego huh!

I was once stood in the reception of a hotel complaining about a rather disgusting room we'd been allocated, when Jeremy Beadle walked past - apparentlly he was staying there too. It was a surreal moment

If you are really famous yourself, I wonder what would happen if you found yourself in a lift with another really famous person. Would you chat to each other as if you knew each other (cos you kinda might feel like you do) or do you just stare at the ceiling and pretend not to notice?

[Radders]

I saw Micky from the Bill in Marks and Spencers, Simply Food just before Christmas, does that count?

[Grammath]

I went to see the Rothko exhibition at Tate Modern this weekend, which I can thoroughly recommend to all art lovers. On reaching the final room, I found Jeremy Hardy intently studying the little guide booklet all visitors are handed. He's quite short.

[Ruth]

Years ago, I met Billy Bragg. He was a truly lovely man, very friendly and happy to chat.

I also used to do dance and drama classes with Suzi Perry (sports presenter, and now presenting The Gadget Show) when we were both teenagers.

[Grammath]

Lady Lazarus and I attended a preview performance of the West End revival of Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge", which is excellent, by the way. Among our fellow theatregoers was Ian Hislop.