Had a pint with the lovely Alice Roberts.

Lucky ba5tard!

Met Lesley Crowther at Crawley train station c 1990. Very decent chap.

Bumped into Savo Milosevic and Arthur Daley at Heathrow in 1997/98.

Had a pint with Craig Charles at Euston in 2001-ish.

Most recently saw Chris Tarrant drinking in a pub (can't remember the name, but it had a slightly gothic interior) near the west end. Was in a very dour mood, so much so that we all figured he'd been on the end of some bad news.

A mate sold a copy of Encyclopaedia Britannica to Paul Daniels in 97.

My mate fingered a bird who looked a bit like susan tully (she of grange hill and eastenders fame) when we were about 18.

East Bay Ray – chatted on and off for half an hour by the merchandise stall after the DKs played Manchester Academy a couple of years ago.

Gene Krantz – famous for his 'Gentlemen, failure is not an option' quote when in charge of the failed Apollo 13 mission to the moon (character played by Ed Harris in the film). He was stood next to the Apollo spacecraft at Kennedy Space Centre.

The original Wailers (of Bob Marley and the… fame) – stayed in the same hotel as us in Whitley Bay after playing at the Fish Quay Festival in Tynemouth several years ago. Partied all night.

Recently stayed at the same chalet in St Jean d'Aulps as Chris Kovarik, Matti Lehikoinen & Claire Boucher. At various times Brendan Fairclough, Matt Simmonds, Andrew Neethling and Nigel Page were also around.

Used to chat to ex-Hudds Town footballers Steve Kindon and Keiron O'Regan in the garage opposite where I used to work.

Bumped into Mike Tindall in Waitrose – deceivingly big bloke. Brick shithouse, dressed like a sporty tramp.

At the Cycle Show last year I saw all the celebs being mobbed to varying degrees.
Contador – scrum 10 deep. Very popular.
Pendleton – Only viewed from the stage – probably best for her safety.
Shanaze Reade – nobody knew who she was – left her alone.
Eddie Mercx – Middle aged men reduced to gibbering idiots.

Met Grant Hart (Ex Husker Du) in a bar in San Francisco – he seemed surprised that I recognised him and that someone would come to the US just to ride trails – nice guy though – bought me a beer.

Also met Niall Quinn in a London bar and reminisced about his days at Msn City – top bloke although I would not like to get in a drinking contest with him.

Met Claire Goose when I was working on The Bill site – thought she was cute in causulty and she still looked pretty good.

Bear Grylls at a posh record attempt dinner….

Stood next to him in the buffet queue and sarcastically said to him that as a Paramedic Ive seen more born survivors on the streets of Brighton.

Don't think he heard ( or was in disbelief) what Id said….which was lucky as the grub was great and I didn't want to spoil that!

Peter Mandelson was on the same flight as me from Edinburgh to London last week

portlyone – Member

Jewel Staite, Morena Baccarin, Gina Torres

lucky git

Oh, and Summer Glau of course. And Nathan Fillion, can't think why they slipped my mind on the original list. Anyway. (Very poor) pictures here if you're interested.

Met Jude Law playing cricket against him. Knocked him for 6 then he bowled me next ball. I take him out for a ride now and again – get some great double takes when you roll up to the group you are going to ride with!

Oh, and Summer Glau of course

'wimper'

I stayed in a hotel in New York and shared a lift with Sigourney Weaver, She was very polite when my wife said something about her shoes – talked away about them.. really nice lady.

Paul Weller. At a service station on the M1 very late one night, he was standing having a coffee, scowling as he does. Approached v. nervously, told him how much I liked "That's entertainment" he was pleasant and chatty, and i was relived…

The teacher who used to direct plays at my school knew a bloke at the props dept at Elstree, and we'd go down in the school van to 'borrow' bits every now and again. Doing "The importance of being Ernest" i was carrying this huge overstuffed type chair on my head, weighted nowt, but awkward, so was having difficulty opening doors, this American woman comes behind me asks if I need help, I said yes, trying to get to the car park, she says that's where she's going. so we chat as we walk, this that, nothing really, get to the car park, put down chair…Sigourny Weaver wishes me good luck with your play…

Looking over these posts reminded me of someone else I met.
Long time back (around 1990 or so), but had a beer (several actually) with Ozzie Ozborne and his drummer Randy Castillo (also played with Motley Crue and died in 2002) at a hotel bar here in Albuquerque. Randy was from Albuquerque and the bartender, whom I knew, said Ozzie was in town visiting Randy and doing a little drying out (not that one could surmise that based on the number of beers consumed). We stayed in the bar after it closed for a couple of hours. Nice guy, seemed pretty normal and much different than his stage presence.

Spotted Tom Baker in the Racing Page in Richmond, one of my mates said quite loudly, "Look it's Tom Baker!", to which he replied, **** OFF just as loudly. Made my day that did….

A season of working in Courchevel 1850 we regularly saw:

Eddie Jordan
Jacques Villenvue (sp?)
Kylie
Robbie Williams
Andrea Corr
Pierce Brosnan

Shared the cable car with Villenvue and Brosnan. Very pleasant.

Also met various pro surfers like Nat Young, Beau Young, Gary Elkerton and Shane Dorian who have all been here for the surf…although Elkerton was more interested in beer 😆 All really nice people.

To keep it on a cylcing theme…:

Was at the MTB World Champs in Chateaux D'Oex in Switzerland in 1997 and ended up renting an apartment beneath John Tomac's. Said hello to him a few times and he seemed pleasant enough. My mate managed to get a couple of his cast-off tyres out of the bin in the basement. Nowt wrong with them.

Also took a pi$$ beside Gary Fisher at the same event. Said hello to each other, but it was pretty awkward to be honest.

Went along on the road ride with Lance Armstrong from Paisley last year. Managed to hange on to his 'group' going up the climb from Howood to Bowfield, where the other 250-odd in the peleton were jettisoned out the back. He ended up chatting to the 40 or so riders who were left going over the Glennifer Braes. Top bloke. My mate and I had a wee chat about the weather and what to eat on a ride, for some reason. There was even a bit of banter when he tried to jump a red light. I'm not sure he fully understood the Glaswegian sense of humour however…

Im surprised Lance understood glaswegian at all tbh!!

met Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers – complete bell end

the guy from Crystal Maze Richard O'Brien – top chap

I often see Bob from Emmerdale out jogging when I'm out on my bike, keep meaning to get a photo

Cycling ones?

Shared a lift with Peat and his mechanic in Les Gets for the worlds when he crashed within sight of the finish…2005?) Did a pre-lap of the Bontranger 24/12 with the man himself (didn't realise it was him till afterwards) really nice guy.

You mentioned Bonty?
Took him out over Exmoor, a real gent.
Some guy called Chipps was with us, is he famous too? Kept following us all day.

Said hello to Mark McManus one morning, standing on the tenement stairs in his dressing gown with a cup of coffee and a sheepdog.
There hadn't been a murrrderrrr.

Cycling..

Gee and Dan Atherton, bought a bike off Gee, there were both sound as a pound although Dan was easier to communicate with as he didn't use the words Rad and Gnarly as often.

Danny Hart as he lives in the same town, rode with him when he was about 13 and he didn't have the balls to ride down the really steep stuff on his XC bike, smoked him on my Turner 6pack… don't think I'd stand a chance now! He's an arrogant little **** and I still get the urge to knock him off when he's in the local skate park.

noteeth – Member
Had a pint with the lovely Alice Roberts.

– lucky, lucky git!

I think I saw Katie Humble yesterday out on my bike. If it was her she gave us a big cheery hello. Probably one of my biggest brushes with fame.

Jamie Theakson, coming off a tube train at Edgeware road. Barged into me on an otherwise empty platform & flounced off. Tool.

Oh and Reginald D Hunter, backstage at a gig the night Miachael Jackson died. Very funny (unsurprisingly) and had a great fondness for blondes with big boobs.

I've served tea/food to people in the green room on an episode of the BBC's Big Questions. Not many big names apart from the singer from the Undertones. Seemed alright. Nicky Campbell didn't want a cup of tea but wasn't rude about it! Apparently he was a knob to some of the other runners though.

I PDIed a bike for Liam Gallagher's son, I showed my dislike my working slightly slower than usual. That showed him.
Also PDIed a bike for Stephen Mangan (greenwing actor). I worked at normal pace for him, I was indifferent although I do like the greenwing.
PDIed a bike for Dan Patterson (Who's line is it anyway creator).
Did a service on some DJ's bike who the other mech was getting excited about and another producer who my manger was getting excited about.
Never got to meet any of these guys just peer at them from my cage.

Bumped into Nicolas Crane coming out of Sainsbury's, wish I'd got his autograph because someone I actually respect.
Saw Reg from the Bill in a tea room in Lymington.
Was given directions by Siobhan Hayes on a bus. That all took some googling to work out their names!

when I worked in a record shop I served Beth Orton, nice, but very quiet (I was too, I quite fancied her) also the non-gallagher Oasis lads came in, Gem, andy bell and alan. nice lads, were going to buy a DVD but weren't sure if the tour bus would take US DVDs so didn't.
Josh Rouse (alt country singer) played an acoustic set in the shop too. very nice guy, I bummed cigarettes off him and went for a couple of drinks with him afterwards.

Our dog Jasper goes in kennels run by a mate/relative of Steve Peat, met the great one at an open day there when he was in plaster just before the Worlds 2 years ago, nice bloke. Met Colin McRae in slightly hurried circumstances during the World Champs rally in Keilder Forest in 1995, helped him change a puncture on the longest stage of the rally, he went on to win the rally by 40 seconds and thereby win the world championship. There was only myself Colin, Derek Ringer and 2 others to do the wheel change, did it in under 2 minutes.

I once had to meet Whitney Houston and her entourage at heathrow and direct them to their gate where a Saudi 747 was waiting for her. I was v excited and thought she was going to be normal and nice, in fact she was a biatch..

Michael Parkinson! 😀
Martin Johnson
Kate Bush
Steve Rider
All of the above, i have met in Salcombe
Steve Peat held the hotel door open for me at the Fort William 2006 world cup, seemed very nice.
Rachel Atherton was on the table next to us at Coed-y-Brenin in July
I also see Nick Craig fairly often, either at fell races or out on his bike.

Struggle to understand the whole autograph/photo thing or approaching celebs to say something unless if you have a sensible reason to talk to them. Why bother them?

In the early 90's I was out riding on my own just S of Machynlleth in a place called Artist's Valley, came down a track to a farm gate, a bloke was sitting in the garden by the gate, he had a very "lived in face" but I couldn't place him. We passed the time of day, he was quite interested in where I had been etc, a few weeks lated saw him being interviewed on TV, it was Jimmy Page. 🙄

Mani from the Stone Roses/Primal Scream used to drink in the Broadway in Moston – very funny bloke, always got his round in.

Steve Coogan used to drink in the Boar's Head in Middleton – he went to school with a few of my mates. Quite pleasant, although he had a bit of a reputation with the ladies.
His brother Brendan is much nicer.

Nick Nolte at the big Irish pub/hotel on Powell in San Fransisco. Got chatting to him outside whilst having a fag and he was a real gent – ended up having a few drinks with him.

All of Faith No More, backstage at the International in Manchester – mate's brother was a photographer for Kerrang and had met them on their first UK tour. We nicked their beer, Jim Martin showed my mate a few guitar licks & Mike Patton wanted to swap his Vision Streetware T shirt for my Judge Dredd one – I refused, idiot.

Dan Walsh ('Bike' journo and author). Stopped him to say Hello on Deansgate and ended up getting hammered with him in Mulligans. Lovely bloke, tells some great stories.

Mark E Smith – mate went out with an ex of his – not the nicest of blokes.

Nobby Stiles, his mum was mates with my mum.

Used to live across the road from Bernard Manning when I was little – he
always said hello and asked after my family.

Far too many members of old hippy/punk bands to mention, even if I could remember all of them. Dave Brock's a bit of a knob though.

Oh, and been blessed by the Pope too – JP2, not the Nazi
paedopoligist.

Some famous surfers.
Eric Clapton
David Essex
Fiona Bruce (two weeks ago)
Had a bit of action with some Corrie actress – one of the okay ones
Rick Stein a few times
Nigel Havers (he's tiny!)
Hugh Grant (Polzeath regular) and Jemima Khan
Andrew Ridgely many times
Suggs

And some others I'll remember at some stage.

All seemed pretty cool really.

Dad had a proper chat with David Cameron in a pub in Port Isaac just before his baby arrived. Apparently a pretty decent chap and had just done a well known and rather arduous coastal hike.

Briefly worked with Tim Piggot-Smith in the early 90's. One of the nicest people I've ever met. Also had Quentin Blake as a tutor for a couple of years. A really nice guy and surprisingly cool! Briefly met David Hockney and Peter Blake (he made the cover of Sgnt Peppper). Both came across as pleasant people, but quite quiet and reserved. Oh, and stood next to the then president of Coca Cola. Very charismatic and seemed very nice! 😀

Rusty Lee in the Tesco Express on Bewdley Hill, Kidderminster. I think she was buying peanut butter.

Beat that.

Heh I knew AWESOME would have quite a list.

On the bicycle related front, I overhauled a 10 speed belonging to the lead singer of the Dead Kennedys.

My former boss hired bikes to Ronnie Corbett.

Micheal Barrymore came into the bike shop that I used to work at years ago, he asked where the model shop was, I like a tit said allwight in Barrymore voice, he wasn't impressed.

Oh and Jez Avery (with beers) Richard Johnson (more beers) and bought my bike off of a Mr Warner 🙂

Rusty Lee in the Tesco Express on Bewdley Hill, Kidderminster. I think she was buying peanut butter.

Beat that.

I think selling GT85 to Gary Wilmott does, actually. Still impressive mind.

Living in that London, I do of course see loads of celebs. Sat in a pub once with me mum, and Josie Lawrence and some friends sat next to us. She was really lovely, and we had a nice chat about regional accents.

Normally, I'm not too bothered about seeing famous people; they just do a job, and are entitled to a bit of peace and quiet. If I meet someone who has done something I admire, I will tell them so, if it's an appropriate moment. Olympic Gold Medal winner Christine Ohurugu trains at the leisure centre where I swim, and I passed her once and said it was nice to have an Olympic champion from the same home town as me. She was very gracious about it. I think if you've achieved something of real note, then you deserve praise.

I've promised a pint to John Power of The La's and Cast, as he did the Fields of Anfield Road for the Hillsborough 20th Anniversary last year. He drinks in one of the pubs I do, Nice bloke, met him a few times but I don't know him so I don't expect him to 'be my mate'. I just appreciate something he's done.

I'm really not bothered about the vast majority of other celebs, as mostly they haven't' done something I'm that bothered about.

Would love to have met Henri Cartier Bresson, John Peel and of course, Fred Dibnah. RIP.