Following the extremes of the meeting’ Famous people’ and meeting ‘Infamous people’ threads lets dwell on the comfortable middle ground of meetings with people who are hardly famous at all.

I’ve got a little note pinned to the wall in my house in my Gran’s shaky parkinsons disease handwriting.

“Yes the Godfather is my butcher. He remembered you – thought you were looking at him funny”

The note accompanied a signed photo of George Vella – TV-am’s Codfather. He used to do the fishing forecast. That was a thing apparently – can fishing be forecast?

Anyway the benefit of working on breakfast telly is you don’t have to give you your day job so after a hard morning fishing-forecasting to the nation he still had time to get the tube back to Woodford and serve behind the counter in my Gran’s local butchers. Visiting her as a kid I’d accompanied her as around the local shops to discovered the streets of the far north east corner of London really are paved with celebrity gold. I tried to explain to her who the Codfather was – she had absolutely no idea what I was talking about.

Obviously at a later date she had taken him to task on it and I think only half understood what he was talking about. Its possibly the only time he’d ever signed and given away one of his TVam-branded headshot photos.

I met Roger Walker (Eldorado, Rainbow) in a curry house in Headingley. He wasnt very nice.

I met Curly Watts (Corrie) in a pub in Manchester, he was very nice and got the beers in.

I used to hangout with Cy Chadwick (Emmerdale) we were all kids he was ok.

I used to occasionally have a pint in Farsley with Seth ( Emmerdale) he was very nice.

I’ve had a lady who apparently play (or played, it was a while ago) a doctor on ‘Doctors’ of off the telly on the back of my ambulance. Pleasant enough lady. I only found out because I asked what she did for a living; I’ve never seen it, lol. She hid her disappointment well. 😆

I spotted that massive bloke that played ‘The Mountain’ in Game of Thrones at Reykjavik airport. The role wasn’t a stretch for him. Blimmin Mahoosive fella!

I’ve met the lead singers of Shed Seven and Embrace. My FIL used to fix Ken Barlow’s car.

I bought a second hand alternator for a 1988 transit from the commercial parts scrap yard across the road from Winson Green Prison – staffed by Pat Roach who was killed by Harrison Ford in each of the first 3 Indiana Jones movies.

Sat next to the drummer from Slade on a flight to Norway.

Was it Christmas?

Had beers with Ricky from the Kaiser chiefs a few times, shared a hot tub with Daisy Lowe and two ladies who became attracted to each other(that was a good night), done that darn sarf double kiss thing with Amelia Fox after being introduced at a party, Mylene Klass played harp at a friends wedding, she looked hot that day, offered Johnny Hartson an arm wrestle at a mates wedding, he was great value on the stag do, Janine from Eastenders was with us at a mates 40th. Sure theres a few others all met via “london mates”

I gave Brian Glover advice on how to speak “more Yorkshire” for a radio ad he was doing when I was 14 and doing some work experience in a recording studio in London. He took it well.

Oh yes, I once went out with a girl who was a sperm in one of the monty python movies.

I met Alan Titchmarsh when he sat at the table next to me for dinner in a hotel in Manchester, he was a nice bloke

I bumped (literally) into the guy who plays Mr Tumble in Heathrow airport. We took a selfie together and my daughter was extremely impressed but disappointed that I didn’t investigate the contents of his magic bag.

I was at school with Ewan McGregor, he was a lower years oik who would amount to nothing in my opinion, his older brother was a thoroughly nice chap.

Ewan’s dad Jimmy was a teacher at the same school, he was hard as nails and no one messed with him.

I endured a drunken chat with some darts players in a hotel in Exeter. I was told later that some of them were very famous. I like darts, but I know none of the “athletes” names.

I once saw new year in at Brian Burnetts (Radio Scotland presenter) house.

I spent a couple of evenings (working) with Susanne Sasic (of Two Cool Rock Chicks Listening To Neu fame). Holding fort on the merch table while she did the lights.

And a mate was married to a local tv news presenter. I knew her as P, she only really knew me as TT… 😀

When I was nine or ten, early seventies, our primary school (Chartham, Kent) was one hundred years old and as part of the celebrations there was a do on the village green with a marquee and all of us kids were presented with something (I forget what) by Richard Hearne who was apparently famous for his character “Mr Pastry” and had almost got to be Dr Who after John Pertwee.
I had no idea who he was then and I still wouldn’t know today were it not for Wikipedia.
I am under no illusion that this is interesting.

I slept with Susan Boyle.

True story.

LAX to LHR. 62A/B.

I had a pint with Craig Charles at his local in Liverpool in the ’90’s.
He had about 10…

Totally forgot. I might have been a bit mean to Ellen MacArthur whilst at school. Year below me. Didn’t do bad for herself to be fair.

Terry Nutkins shut the door in my face at Tebay services. I was fast approaching a Code Brown the absolute bounder.

Was it Christmas?

No, but I wished it was.

Oh, that was Wizzard.

I used live across rhe road from Vicky Fowler.

Ive also stood next to Patrick Moore whilst have a piss, and watched Daniella Westbrook park her Rangy on a double yellow and come in demanding a bacon roll while i was nursing a hangover.

i was lunchroom prefect to Tom Rowlands who went on to become half of the Chemical Brothers.

I’d like to tell several humorous anecdotes but frankly I don’t remember any.

Threw Sean Hughes down some nightclub stairs. We made up afterwards, he accepted full responsibility.

I was at uni with ‘simon and trev’ who were later featured on the ever popular children’s TV show Going Live. Recall drinking lots of lager and playing pool in a crap ‘modern’ pub on Dickenson Rd in Rusholme, good lads as I recall, a bit of a laugh but no more than anyone else.. Amazing that they are still knocking about together, according to Wikipedia.

Not sure he’s “D LIST” but I went to school with Stephen Backshall – thoroughly nice bloke, always new he’d do well. Grew up on a farm IIRC, used to bring in fresh goats milk in a thermos

I ate goat in almond sauce with Barry Chuckle

Ive just remembered, i was in Nandos nottingham at the same time as the SA cricket team.

I was checking out a recording studio in Bradford, pretty sure Gareth Gates was in the control room. Said hello, he said hello. No stutter

Andrew Eldritch asked me where the toilets were. Or was it Wayne Hussey or Craig Adams? Bradford uni 1984ish

I told Bear Grylls to stop being a penis.He was trying to launch a 8ft inflatable with a 2hp outboard in side offshore 25knots and an 8ft swell to get to ‘his’ island a mile offshore.I was lifeboat crew at the time and explained I could’nt be bothered interrupting my windsurfing session to go out and rescue him because he was being a moron.
I also gave Jamiroquai directions and played fetch with his dogs on the beach (not at the same time as the above).

Stewarded at the World Cup final at Lords back in the 90s. I looked after the hospitality area. Met loads of cricket players and celebs that day, although we were sure Derek Nimmo was one of them only to find out he’d died years earlier!

Dried my plums next to one of the actors in Lock Stock, getting changed at a swimming pool.

Was sat next to the MC from the darts at a wedding. Met the guy who does the voice of the Coco Pops monkey on a stag do.

Stuck next to an Aran jumper wearing Larry Lamb in a traffic jam on the M25. Walked in front of Michael Winner driving his Rolls at a pelican crossing in Derby. Stood in a queue to pay for some stuff in H&M with Eileen from Coronation Street. Was at a school fete with a member of the Top Gear presenting team. Took a photo of Jnr with Dappy and Phazer from Ndubz at an airport.

I’ve met John Inverdale at a client event – he had a bit to say for himself. Nice enough.

Also met Martin Johnson at the same event, he was a man of even fewer words. Way above d-list in my estimation though…

I’m a little surprised by the inclusion of some of the above as D-listers.

I’m a little surprised by the inclusion of some of the above as D-listers.

Maybe the list needs recalibrating. Who should we use as our benchmark?

I was tripped up by Kevin’s Rowlands from Dexys Midnight Runners, on a train heading to Town back in about 89′, walking down the train isle with a coffee, he didn’t apologise either..git.

I spent time in prison with one of Dexy’s Midnight Runners around 1994. On the infamous front Fred West was in there too at time, but we did meet.

Had a chat with lank haired, history-botherer Neil Oliver in the queue for the till in Mountain Warehouse in St.Ives, Cornwall where we were both buying packaway waterproof jackets for our kids due to the sudden and unexpected downpour.

A friend of mine claimed to have had Nik Kershaw as a baby sitter once when he was a kid. That’s pretty tenuous, even I have to admit.

Stood in a queue to pay for some stuff in H&M with Eileen from Coronation Street.

I was tripped up by Kevin’s Rowlands from Dexys Midnight Runners,

If only these two could have happened at the same time. It would have been a moment of beautiful serendipity.

D list you say? hmmm

Queuing for the Padstow-Rock ferry we were in front of an (alleged) footballing legend married to someone of similar celebrity status. Mrs and miss rocket knew them but me and rocket jr had never heard of them. Not Posh & Becks

also Ian Hislop in Polzeath

Not Posh & Becks

Peter Shilton and Paris Hilton?

I’ve taken Natalie Imbruglia’s dog for a walk.

Unfortunately, that is not a euphemism.

I was flown back as a medical emergency following a bike accident in Bolivia first class on BA for the Miami – Heathrow leg, i decided on a diet of Bolivian painkillers to get stuck into the complimentary wine and proceeded to talk non-stop bo**acks to Sophie Ellis=Bexter, she was actually really nice and gave me her email address to update her on how i got on.

Not really D-List, but met Jonny Depp when he was filming in Morocco, he actually was happy to chat, but his minders/friends seemed to have other ideas and whisked him away, he was asking questions about our kitted out truck.