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I'm mates with Stewart Lee.
I also worked in football for years and met loads of 'stars' - with very few notable exceptions, almost all are dull as ditch water.
most of the famous folk i want to meet these days are a) dead b) live in japan
Having a beer in my local and spotted Richie Porte, bought him a beer for helping Wiggins win the TdF the had more beer then went chasing more beer around town with him before he headed back to Monaco. Really nice bloke but can't handle his ale 🙂
Did a race in Victoria this summer, spent a out 40mins chatting with Curtis Keene about bikes and stuff while hiding from the sun, took set up tips from Cedric Gracia and said hello to jarred graves. Had dinner that night with CG and Chris Ball from ews. All top guys as we took the piss out of CG for scraping the mayo of his sandwich so he didn't get fat.
On holiday, this year, met Hannah Barnes
me, (having never met the woman) "so, Hannah, do you cycle at all"?
Hannah Barnes (pro-cyclist and brand ambassador for Specialised) "Yeah, a bit..." She was lovely, which is why she has a Bazillion followers on twitter and FB, no doubt...
On the same day, at supper, sat next to Tracey Moseley, I know who she is ...
Another one I remember fondly was Julia Carling - who brought her pet dog to the local hospital to cheer patients up (yes, it was an official thing).
I'd seen her in the papers being cheated on by Will Carling, but she was far more beautiful in real life. I remember that interview took much longer than most, with lots of pointless questions about her dog.
About 2/3 of the names mentioned in this thread I have never heard of, having a piss next to somebody who was the drummer in an 80's band who had 1 top ten hit is obviously a big deal in the shires.
Met loads of famous people through work, I guess the most notable was photographing Cherie Blaire (I don't mean snapping her in the street but a studio shoot for an ad campaign) funniest was Ozzy Osbourne, he's a wrongun 😯
Oh, famous by proxy...my father tells a story of meeting Prince Phillip (twice) the first on the occasion of the Queen's visit to Hong Kong in the 70's my dad was there with an unruly bunch of cubs (to which Phillip made a bee-line) and chatted with many of them regarding badges and such. Met him gain some 10 years later in a line of folk at a building being opened by Phil. My father is introduced, Phil looks at him closely...
Phil "Have we met before?"
Dad "with some cubs, your highn..."
Phil, "ah yes (interupping) in Hong Kong, bloody hell, what a mob they were (laughs)
Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew came up to see my etchings.
I got along well enough with Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Holly Johnson. He asked me to paint his portrait. I duly did and MCA used it for an album cover.
Wayne Sleep came for dinner at the Towers of Moont.
I was once in a chain gang with the brownlee brothers, i was giving it full beans and ended up on the front when my legs were starting to scream. I though i cant die now so gave it my all to stay in front when mercifully the lights changed to red and i got a break. Then the words that shattered my illusions were uttered by Johnny b "right shall we start from here"! Thats right,they were warming up while i was at full gas,suffice to say i only rode with them for about the next 12 seconds!
nickc - MemberOh, famous by proxy...my father tells a story of meeting Prince Phillip
My grandad helped make the royal wedding cake, he was a proper full on royalist and freaked out every time one of the family dropped in to see how it was going... But King George VI being apparently an all round nice bloke always made the effort and finally got my grandad to engage him in conversation, at which point while trying to make a joke he fumbled it and sorta kinda accidentally told him he was a disgrace to the country and the crown for smoking himself to death. He literally never told another soul for about 40 years and to his grave he was still mortally embarassed about it but I always thought, that's exactly the sort of thing I'd do too.
Him on the left, pre-treason:
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Chatted to a fair few musicians that are famous through working in industry. Went on tour with The Fratelis (cool guys) Jim Davies formerly of The Prodigy (seriously nice guy!) Static X (no surprise when Wayne OD'd sadly) Used to teach Harry Styles, met John Bishop through work.
Was on a snowboarding holiday with Wayne Bridge and his wife in April.....they were both really nice and down to earth......Wayne was a great guy actually. They're just people at the end of the day!
As always on these type of threads though, my fav ever stw famous person story is the guy who's mate 'took Dierdre from Corrie up the reverend' 😆
Met Mike Mcshane last week at the festival, he was doing a show with a pal's cousin. There was conversation going on while I stared in awe at the legend. Fortunately there wasn't a suitable break so I could blurt "iusedtowatchyouonwhoselineisitanyway25YEARSAGO!!!".
Diedre backdoor Barlow
Oh, and also met Dave Mcleod (famous climberist) in an easy jet queue years ago. We were going climbing so had helmets on our bags, he was just flying home. We said hi, so asked where we're off to (Sardinia), he said he'd never climbed there..... Then 2 hours of awkward queuing stood next to him. The chats I've had with him in my head since!
Chris Bonnington in Booths Keswick. lovely gentleman.
Sir Jackie Stewart at the Monza GP about 2 years ago, again lovely.
Took the Pi$$ out of Damon Hill at said event, he took it well
My neighbour is a loyalties manager in the music industry. Often has "famous"*** people with him. ( I often have no idea who these people are, so looooong conversations follow afterwards.) The only person I met who I recognised was Moby.
Once met David Coulthard at Silverstone at a test day. Had a little chat whilst I got him to pose for a photo with one of my work customers who I'd taken along. Very gracious and decent guy.
We were staying nearby and on checking out of the hotel , Michael Schumacher stood next to me. I was far too star struck to talk but my colleague did jokingly ask him about taking about Jacques Villeneuve on that incident. He took it quite well.
I've been near quite a few but I've either acted as though they are anyone else or just looked through them. I held open a door for Giggs in town once as he was walking behind me. It'd felt abit 'daft' to say something so I just said 'no problem'.
In London, in certain parts you see loads. Saying this if it was someone I thought was a legend/great I'd probably say something stupid and regret it.
If I saw Lewis or Damon I'd ask for a photo of it was convenient.
We're on page 3 now so I guess I can weigh in with my mega tenuous brushes the rich and famous.
I've met Rhodri Morgan a couple of times, he'd often be going one way marching along some green lanes as I was going the other on my bike - quiet an intense, smart guy, but nice to talk to, he doesn't 'chat'.
One night in some flashy (for me) bar/club thing we shared a table with Goldie Lookin' Chain, Dirty Sanchez and Danniel Beddingfield - I know, I know - Hello hasn't stopped calling me for a scoop ever since.
Oh and although we've never met in person, my wife's cousin lives with Meatloaf, she's his PA / tour manager / link to the outside world. We chat on social media a lot, she 'likes' my pics of the Alps and a hundred pics of my kids doing stuff, I like her pics of her backstage in Vegas and having dinner with Kiefer Sutherland and his stuffed rabbit toy and dancing with Jeff Bridges. It's fantastic voyerisum.
If I met Shirley Manson I'd ask her out.. Well, she can only say no 😀
My mate sublet his apartment out for a patsy kensit movie as the green room.
Sundayevening having been partying for two days I found myself talking to a man in a kilt. I must have looked a state having not slept for days.
At some.point in the conversation he asked.me.if I recognised him. I didn't . He told.me he was the bad guy from the fight scene in MI2 on the beach.
My response was less than flattering - Was that the shit mission impossible?
Mortified friends told me to call it a night at that point.
I introduced Barry Mcguigan to Tony Hawk !!
Now that was a strange conversation
I put Chris Bonington's crampon back on for him about 15 years ago when climbing a route on Beinn an Dothaidh. We were climbing a route next to him and his partner. He hadn't attached the toe clamp properly.
I,asked John Peel to play something at a Portsmouth Poly gig he was djing at. He said "OK!" Can't remember what I asked for or if he played it.
Best one was Joe Strummer at a gig in Portsmouth. Lovely little venue, the Wedgewood Rooms... Pulp were playing supported by Elastica. I saw Joe there and had to go and speak to him, had a little chat and shook his (very small) hand.
Went something like " Hi Joe", "Hi", "Just wanted to say thanks" "Cool, man" I was floating on a cloud 🙂
1993!
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Roger Lloyd Pack (trigger from Only Fools...) i never realised he lived just down the road from us in Norfolk before he died, he played peek-a-boo with my then 3 year old daughter in Waitrose cafe in Swaffham.
I was flown back as a medical emergency from Bolivia following a nasty MTB accident and flight where went via Miami, i was placed in first class with BA and was put next to Sophie Ellis Bexter in weird bed/ chairs, i was in a sling with large amount of skin missing off arm and face and on very strong pain killers, needless to say after the two glasses of the red wine i lost my nervousness and talked endlessly at her before passing out! She was really nice and gave me her email asking me to let her know how i was.
Got stuck in a really bad traffic jam in one of the tunnels at top of M25 and there were 3-4 Ferrari and other exotic cars in lane next to me, as we were in a tunnel i asked the driver of the nearest Ferrari to "give it a rev" and he did making a deafening sound, i then tried to convince him to swap his red car for my red Berlingo van as mine would be more practical, but he wasn;t having it. It was only after he went that my mate in passenger seat told me i had been speaking to Nick Mason from Pink Floyd!
Met and spoke to most of the class of 92 in the Barton Arms in Worsley back in the day.
Asked David Beckham if he was ok after my mate put him in a head lock in the same pub while we were standing at the bar, he said he was fine and looked a little scared, we had been out on an all dayer 😀
Ben Thornley (of said class of 92) was my brothers best mate at school seen and spoken to him a few times since I think he is on sky now and again or MUTV cannot remember which. Decent lad always asks how our kid is doing.
Met and took pheasent's off Ian Botham at a shoot "Shall I take them sir", "Yes that would be great" when I was keepering in Hereford decent bloke made a point of coming over and thanking all the beaters for there help on the day and then shot his mates hat (not off his head obviously!).
Spoke to Steve Davis at Latitude a couple of years back, had a p#ss next to Bill Oddie, when he did a talk at work in the 90s, met Bobby George in a pub in St Neots many years ago, Julian Lloyd Weber is a neighbour, and the Duke of Kent was in my lab a couple of years ago, never met any of Led Zeppelin, which is a shame as I have most of their albums
I went to a talk by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston a couple of years ago, sponsored by Benromach. The evening ended getting drunk on the whisky, whilst smoking cigars chatting to Sir R. Fascinating Bloke.
Lennox Lewis used to come find me or my mate pat at work to borrow our darts and have a game in our mess room when he was waiting for a train.
He's a big big bloke.
Sold t-shirts for Blast First merch desk for Dinosaur Jr one night in Embra (told that Stphen Pastel to get his nose out of the box...). I liked them, Lou especially.
Also manned the merch table for BF for Sonic Youth on first three dates of Daydream Nation tour which necessitated spending time with Susanne Sasic (Cool Rock Chick & SY's then lighting person) and Dan Peters (Mudhoney drummer). Blew all cred with Susanne when the Vase-lines strolled in to the Glasgow gig (not only did I not recognise them, I'd never heard of them....). But she still told me how to make glitter jeans. Thurston Moore is a ****-ing giant, I might have said something along those things... 😳 also managed to piss off Kim Gordon 😳 😳 which broke my heart as I was complete awe of her 😳
Had that Johnny Dawes call up on the phone at work once, very bizarre.
More recent spoke with Meg Baird after her set in Glasgow last year. A very interesting and pleasant person, unsurprisingly we spoke about music (Arvo Part, Tim Buckley, the fate of Espers amongst other things). She put up with two half drunk Scottish mannies yabbling at her for half an hour... Didn't even buy any merch as I already had everything (and she hadn't even considered t-shirts).
I suppose the one person I've met on a number of occasions who's closest to being famous, if not a celebrity, is the lovely Eddi Reader, once of Fairground Attraction, who I've seen a bunch of times, and met three or four, the last time at Komedia in Bath, when she turned to me after chatting to someone else and said, "hello, we've met before, haven't we!", which was nice. Thea Gilmore is another singer/songwriter who I know well enough to chat to and be greeted with a "hello, how are you?" by Thea and Nigel, her husband, the same with Sarah Howells, of Paper Aeroplanes and Bryde, her solo project; I saw her set at Green Man, and when she finished and came round the side of the stage to flog some merchandise I got a big smile, a hug and a kiss, and greeted with a "lovely to see you, really glad you could make it" as well, which made my day.
Had a chat with Sir Bill of Bragg before his gig at the Cheese & Grain in Frome, and again afterwards, lovely bloke as well.
Mid-70's, I sat next to and talked with Emmylou Harris on a first-class flight between New York and Los Angeles (my company was paying, I couldn't afford first class). A most lovely woman indeed!!
My first real job was with TWA in Los Angeles (about 1966 or so) and I talked with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton while completing a report on their lost baggage for a flight to Catalina Island. Another most lovely woman!!
My least tenuous would have to be a most bizzare lunch at the Scottsdale, AZ branch of California Pizza Kitchen with the bass player from Megadeath.
I was visiting my mate who was living there at the time and he had other friends over one of whom was a tour manager for various rock bands.
Not being a big 'death fan I had no idea how famous this wee guy from Minnesota was, nice guy though and his heavily pregnant wife was a good laugh and a touch scary when she started talking about the guns she owned.
Was at school with Smeeks from the Exploited still in touch with him.
Also I have never met any of Led Zep.
On a flight from LA to Detroit, had the pleasure of sitting next to Scott Wilson (Hershel from the Walking Dead).
Wonderful guy and we talked for a few hours. He is extremely active in supporting the Screen Actor's Guild and has been involved in many legal disputes with studios fighting cases. Warner Brothers and Netflix being interesting ones. Had plenty of other tidbits and we had a great conversation around acting in general.
He also said that Andrew Lincoln was extremely dedicated to his role and plays a huge part in being the leader behind the scenes and keeping up the family atmosphere and camaraderie on the set of the Walking Dead. Top bloke apparently.
He also gave me his 'tip of the day'. Never put anything you care about in a plane's seat-back pocket. Scientifically proven to be one of the most disgusting places on earth apparently.
No members of Led Zep were on the plane.
Did Hershel have enough leg room:-)
Herbie Hancock (I was apologising for accidentally falling against his tour bus at Glastonbury - very nice chap)
Michael Cain (I served him while working at Harrods year ago - very charming person)
Bootsie Collins (bumped into him in a carpark after a Funkadelic concert, can't remember what we talked about)
And if you like old hiphop, I spent the day with Busy Bee Starski 😉
Ooh, just remembered. I nearly bumped into Don Whillans in the Vaynol. Good thing I managed not to!
I spent a day in Pembroke climbing next to Dick Renshaw. It was only after we'd spent all evening drinking and talking with him in the pub after that my mate pointed out who it was.
Also a mate of mine, until recently, played a particularly nasty bloke in Game of Thrones.
Had a works Christmas dinner with Steve Bull at his restaurant, along with another 15 or so workmates. He immediately took the piss out of my height.
Sat at same table with him, where he told many stories, the funniest always seemed to involve Paul Gascoigne for some reason!
Afterwards a night at the horses, thoroughly nice bloke.
Can't really compete with your tales of indie hobnobbing metalheart, but I did once get directions off deb goodge of mbv in the royal Albert hall, and nagged her to hurry up with the next album.
Must have worked as it only took them another 17 years.
My son James really loves the first Suede album and also Bernard Butlers first solo album. I'd love to say that at 9 he had discovered them himself, but as with most children his music taste is currently informed by mum and dad.
I went to see a gig by the Ben Watt (Formerly of Everything but the Girl) and Bernard had recorded his last two albums with him and was part of his touring band. After the gig Bernard walks past munching on a chocolate digestive and I overcame my natural state of awe and asked him if he would do me a massive favour and say Happy Birthday in a video to my son who was 9 in a couple of weeks and was a big fan. He was simply lovely about it - really friendly and charming. Then recorded a lovely personal message for me and was willing to do it again if it wasn't quite right. It was perfect and James was massively chuffed! I was also chuffed as he was as nice in real life as he always seemed from a distance in interviews etc... Made my week. Thanks Bernard!
So many great stories on this thread. Fantastic to see that many are still 'normal'. Some make me very jealous - Emmylou Harris above being one of them!
Had a part-time job in a local theatre way back where a lot of comedians used to turn up at for pre-tour shows so chatted to a lot of them. Also got a few up-and-coming ones through there too, Rhod Gilbert, Russell Howard, that kind of time. Lee Evans was the nicest, bought the staff drinks afterwards and was great to talk to. Might have sightly fallen for Lucy Porter one evening there too, such a lovely sense of humour... 😳
My old local pub is a magnet for famous people to stay at too, mainly theatre types but the odd music star. Had to ask JK to move one of his Ferrari's to let me out of the car park (more than once), had Robbie Williams join me and a few friends for drinks one evening, he was hiding from all the screaming teenagers outside. Bumped into the old Top Gear trio a few times in there too.
One of my sister's friends worked at Rockfield studios for a bit so she met loads of musicians, occasionally she'd turn up with them in her local. It took me a while to realise I'd been talking to Dave Grohl for 20 minutes one evening 
No Robert Plant story though.
I wouldn't even recognise Robert Plant, I must confess.
I forgot my proxy Robert Plant story!
My aunt walked in to a small pub near Borth, there were only 3 other people in there, one of which was..................you guessed it! it was Robert Plant!
He was celebrating his birthday and insisted my aunt join them and all the drinks were on him.