'Celebrity' Spotting

[point blank]

Ive seen quite a few while ive been working on the railway but the one that stuck out for always being willing spend a bit of his time have a laugh with you was the late Frank Carson RIP.  A gentleman right to the end.

[Mustermark]

I saw Rod Hull alighting from a train at Paddington as i walked down the platform. I think he was trying to be last off the train to avoid the crowd. He had a huge suitcase in his hand. I wonder what or who could have been in there?

Michael Palin on a BA flight from Heathrow to Brussels. He was sitting near the front and i think he must have had to smile or say hello to just about everyone who got on and walked past him.

Roselyn Sanchez (from Without a Trace) shoe shopping in Saks in New York.

Quentin Blake (children's author) at a book signing in Waterstones. I took all my old books along and he was delighted to sign them all including an old out of print one that he hadnt seen in years.

Victoria Wood and Eddie Izzard in similar signing circumstances, so not sure if they count. Victoria is painfully shy and Eddie is the opposite, he chatted for ages.

Ian Gillan used to live next door to one of my mates at school, and i once caught a glimpse of him going in his front door.

[moogle]

Ive seen quite a few while ive been working on the railway but the one that stuck out for always being willing spend a bit of his time have a laugh with you was the late Frank Carson RIP.  A gentleman right to the end.

I saw Frank a few times out shopping when I lived in Layton. Never spoke to him though.
A great comic that will be missed.

Saw Pete Waterman at the Wigan show a few years back.

Shared the Sandown cliff lift on the I.O.W with Little and Large.
Stood behind Stu 'Ooh I could crush a grape' Francis in a supermarket in Ventor, I.O.W (altogether now "CRACKERJACK!") and stood next to beside Barry Foster (actor in Van der Valk etc) whilst getting tickets at Manchester Piccadilly station once.

Best one though was at my parents house in Kent back in the 1990's.
The BBC were filming an episode of a series (I forget which one) across the road from us and the BBC mobile canteen was parked outside our house.

George Cole was a main character of the show and he spoke to me as he leant against our front garden wall drinking his tea when I popped out to the shops.
I spoke to him and then went off to the shops, he was filming when I got back.
Never asked for an autograph but the memory is worth more than that!

[steam-driven boy]

Hi,
Back in the '80s before my freelancing exploits I was with Pelling and Cross at Aston in Brum, I recall an involved conversation with Tony Soper on the underestimated qualities of Minolta SLR camera gear at the time (we were almost exclusively Nikon in 35mm, Hasselblad and Sinar in larger film formats) and Mike Harding's enthusiasm when talking photography.
And a slightly guilty schadenfreude moment, although he clearly didn't intend to visit us I remember Patrick Moore – in my book one of our greatest living national treasures - getting away from his 'minder' while she paid the taxi driver and becoming just a little trapped between the outer and inner entrance pairs of doors (they were a bit tricky at times it must be said) to our showroom until she rescued him, we were adjacent to BRMB local radio at the time and he obviously had a spot booked with them 

Regards, Gerry.

[buckle247]

Will add Pete Waterman to my list as well. Saw him at Tyseley buying a loco/doing a nameplate handover. Saw him again at a model show somewhere, possibly at Donington exhibition hall.

[MattJ]

I've seen Justin Lee Collins once in Sainsbury's with his ex, and a couple of times in the street.  Pillock.

[Oldman]

I purposely left off  the celebs I have met at motor racing circuits. Ex RAC MSA Official so got to loads of area's the public did not.
Nick Mason, Barry Mcguigan(sp?) plus the professional racing drivers who are or were well known.

[Trainfish]

I could also add loads of people to my list who going by the responses I'm seeing would be celebrities. I wouldn't class them as that though, I think the term has become a little 'loose' these days. Some of those named I've never heard of so in my eyes they're not celebrities. Ho hum.

[Malc]

After 40 years working in TV, I have been within spitting distance of many celebrities, but managed to restrain myself.

[Sprintex]

Too many to list individually, but one encounter sticks in my mind.

I was delivering to the Tesco Metro store a few years ago in Maida Vale when David Essex wandered across the road. As I stood on the tail-lift I started whistling "Hold Me Close" - he gave me a wry smile which grew into a beaming grin as he went past


Paul

[Agrippa]

It was only a winter's tail lift ...............

[H]

I remember Patrick Moore – in my book one of our greatest living national treasures - getting away from his 'minder'

I've met Patrick Moore - was invited to a garden party at his house in Selsey.

Played football with and against lots of ex-pro footballers - one former Chelsea first team player was in the team I played for. Also played golf and cricket with John Edridge and met lots of famous international cricketers. Fred Trueman was the only person who was ever allowed to smoke in my car and I once faced Allan Donald (South African who was the fastest bowler in the world at the time) and hit him for a four. But was bowled for 1 by England fast bowler Gladstone Small (pearl) who wizzed one down.

H.

[Pengi]

I've met Patrick Moore - was invited to a garden party at his house in Selsey.

H.

Envious of this, H. Located his house several years ago but did not get to see him

Met this guy yesterday


Mo Farah by J_X_S, on Flickr

[Claude Dreyfus]

Talking of Olympians, I have seen Duncan Goodhew by the cash machine at the HSBC in Petworth.

On a non-Olympian note, I just missed out seeing Patrick Moore about 20 years ago. He was the patron of that august body of musicians known as the Chichester Symphony orchestra (full of great musicians...problem was most of them were deaf!), and performed a solo xylophone with the orchestra in about 1992/93; just before I joined.
 
I have also seen a rather fed-up looking Hugh Scully at Bristol Temple Meads...he clearly did not share my enthusiasm for watching a Waterman livered 47/7 being shunted around Bath Road depot by the resident 08.