How times have changed. They're giving Gary Wilmot away with GT85 these days.
Oh and a few of us who used to ride in the Chilterns saw Paxman a few times walking his dog. He didn't seem keen to have a chat...
Met Alec Baldwin on a chairlift and ended up skiing with him for a few runs. Nice enough fella.
I let Courtney Love use my phone - she was very sweet & polite
Just remembered a couple
- Met the guy who played the butler in the Fresh Prince of Belair - Geoffrey - when working at LBS. Turns out he's a cyclist (road). Nice guy though sounds exactly the same as on TV which I found quite disconcerting as I had always assumed it was an accent put on for the yank audience.
- Saw Princess Di a couple of days before she died, in Harrods. FWIW, she was actually quite stunning in person - much more so than I'd have ever thought from seeing her pics on TV/etc.
- Was best man at a wedding where Patricia Routledge (Hyacinth Bucket) was a very good friends of the bride's parents. Lovely lady actually. Luckily nothing like her TV character 🙂
"Sold Gary Wilmot some GT85"
Brilliant
I've introduce Barry McGuigan to Tony Hawk.
Barry was super nice, Tony was very quiet and nervous
Judy Simpson (Heptathlete or "Nightshade" as she was at the time on GLADIATOOORRRRSSS) bought a newly-redundant GCSE Maths revision book off me at a car boot sale in the early 90s.
Met Joe Strummer at a Pulp gig in Portsmouth. Shook his hand and said "Thanks". He was cool. Surprisingly small hands.
Shouted a request a John Peel at a gig. Everyone knows he was simply a wonderful man 🙂
i frequently bumped into daily mail cultural Conservative journalist Peter Hitchens, riding a very old bike around Oxford. He's into cycling as an expression of traditionalist politics it seems. Can't see him upgrading to a full suss anytime soon.
Met Johnny Vegas outside a pub in Robin Hoods Bay a couple of years ago. I had walked past him and when I caught up with the family told them who it was. My 8yr old daughter who had never heard of him dragged me back up the hill and ask for a photo. He was pleasant enough. He had a pint of guinness in his hand.
Met Jarvis Cocker at walberswick last summer. He was crabbing with his sister and her family and his bacon fell off the line so I gave him some of ours. Was too star struck to speak to him but my wife took a sneaky photo,
Also met the other significant music person from Sheffield, Phil Oakey in the showroom bar at my mate's leaving do. Said mate's missus is an old school pall of Phil's bird so he was chatting to us quite normal.
I had a wee next to Dick Strawbridge from Scrapheap, at Bristol Airport.
I know he's a bit portly, but I doubt they call him 'big dick'...
its odd the way people feel able to strike up a conversation with a celeb, but not with a normal stranger.
Cliff Richard in then GF's parent's house about 72 - came across as a nice guy
Mike Read - Radio 1 DJ, beat him at table tennis when both of us pissed - nob
Phil Read - motorcycle racing god when he was still racing. Mate and I knocked on this front door. Spent about half an hour showing us his bikes and chatting - top bloke
Jackie Stewart at a business event I was running - very professional, very sharp, very stand offish
Prince Charles at a garden party at his house (Mrs M was florist there for a year) - professional sheen of niceness
Tom Jones in the lounge at Heathrow T5 about 3 weeks ago - porkier and stiffer than seems on TV but genuine bloke
Natasha Bedingfield touched my bum at LAX :-). She has a nice smile.
(I backed into her yanking my suitcase off the luggage carousel)
Howard Donald off his face DJing in Newcastle somewhere (I too may have been, ermm, distracted). He was a bit of a knob TBH.
Wiggo at the Revolution series in Manc - lovely chap 🙂
Met Joe Strummer in the loo's at the 100 Club, seemed nice but I only said "hello, great gig, s**t it's hot in there" I was a bit gobsmacked / speechless (even though it was his gig) as he was always my favourite musician since around 1979 when I was 13 years old.
RIP Joe
Was in a cafeteria (Lord Glasgow's place) and in walked Boris Johnson.
Also Stirling Moss, Peter Duncan, Thatcher, John Major (both whilst PM), and the sister of the girls that played the Alessi twins in neighbours in my old apartment in Putney (OK that's pushing the "celeb" bit a bit far).
OK that's pushing the "celeb" bit a bit far
to push it even further, i went to uni with the cousin of the girl who played zac's love interest in saved by the bell, tiffani amber theissen.
Right...
My uncle's best man was Ian Duncan Smith's brother (they met at Borstal!!! Do the tabloids know that I wonder?)
I had a drink with Johnny Vegas after a radio show I appeared on (Genius with Dave Gorman) - very lovely bloke.
I was in the National MTB champs back in about 1991 at Scarborough and John Leslie was one of my fellow racers. They were filming it for Blue Peter. Later that day was stood behind Helen Sharman (woman astronaut) at the water bowser. I got my self on film on both occasions.
Lance Armstrong in a spar shop in Tenerife, with Sheryl Crow buying coffee and choclate digestives (i have eaten a packet every day since but still not got faster),
LMAO! I've been trying that too, doesn't work! Maybe it's the way we are chewing them or something.
Jackie Stewart, just read his book and I thought he sounded ok when he was younger but a bit too business like and "ooo look at me I have so many famous connections and I'm the best business man in the world" nowadays. Sounds like he's like that in real life too.
Oh met Helen Sharman too. And Patrick Moore.
And bumped in to Prof. Heinz Wolff at Oxford Station once. He's a good guy.
Reminds me - Patrick Moore and Brian May used to stay with my in-laws every now and again (astronomical connections). Not met him myself, but I am assured that Patrick Moore is as mad as a bag of frogs, but perfectly pleasant company!
Judy Dench was having a meal at the next table to ours a couple of weeks ago whilst on holiday.
Also was on a trip to Dublin in mid-90's and was in a great restaurant when in walked the Sinn Fein party having retired from their conference! Jerry, Martyn, Ken, etc.....
first honeymoon in '92 - same small hotel in Tunisia as Johnny Ball - had a few drinks poolside with him and his family most days (unfortunately no Zoe there though 😥 ) nice guy, very entertaining after a few beers
last yr - rode for a couple of hrs round my home patch of lochwinnoch and Howwood with Lance when he did his Paisley ride - top guy, spoke with everyone, very genuine
oh, another one, not me but my Dad - him and my mum and a few friends were having a quiet dinner in a posh restauarant in Howth about 20 yrs ago - bunch of rowdy yanks at the next table who were getting all the waitress attention. My dad eventually got up and told the ringleader to calm down, stop his singing as he was disturbing the place. he recounted the story to me and the GF later that night (we were on holiday with them and had opted to go to the chippy instead) - me 'any idea who it was ' Dad ? 'can't remember, Bruce something... Springburn or somat.....'
yes, it was actually Springsteen and my old man told him to stop singing 😛
John Craven, once in the Peaks filming, once i interviewed him (twice)
Kate Humble - interviewed
Peter Duncan - on a cliff in devon on hoiday
Kris Akabusi (awesome bloke) - interviewed
Ashley the vicar from Emmerdale
Phil Oakey shopping in Crookes, Sheffield
Jarvis Cocker drinking in Sheffield
Drove a remote controlled car into John Leslie's foot
Jonathan Ross twice, once in St Pancras, once in Alton Towers
Lily Cole in St Pancras
erm, i'm sure there's more. I'll have a think.
edit: birthday party in Dublin where the Dubliners were playing
Tim Minchin after a gig. Lovely fella
I once was in a pub in Oxford with friends and noticed that the Levellers were sat on the table behind us. I didn't say anything (despite them being my fave band at the time), cos they were just out for a pint of course - but someone we were with did. They were nice and friendly, but left soon after. Don't blame them tbh.
Also, Pete Postlethwaite sat down opposite me on a train - with a friend. They talked non-stop, and didn't say anything to me apart from asking what stop was next or what time it was or some such.
Also saw Ray Mears filming a piece on the Beacons once whilst out for a walk. Chatted to his producer.
Craig Charles drank in my sister's then local - turned up on Sunday Lunchtime in his roller, had a pint and an orange juice, read his paper and left.
My Dad used to work with Max Boyce.
My mum beat Mary Peters in the All England 110yd hurldes in 1963 or something.
daughter had photo taken with Brad Wiggibns in Manchester, seemed like a top bloke
I have a mate that did quite a bit of freelance work for BBC Scotland and I used to help him out occasionally so I met quite a few scottish celebs and sports people.
Most were pretty cool. Ally McCoist made me a cup of tea while we were filming some stuff at Rugby Park and Dougie Vipond is just one of the nicest blokes you could hope to meet.
Ford Keirnan (the short fat one off Chewin the Fat and Still Game) however is a ****t
I got really drunk with Bruce Dickinson (of Iron Maiden) once. Just he and I in a pub in Chiswick. He was ok.
Got drunk with David Gray once - top chap.
Liam Gallagher at a hotel in London. Good bloke. He was wearing skinny jeans.
I saw Russell Brand go past me yesterday in a taxi. I was very excited as I am aware he and Katy are buying a house in Danbury Common where we ride our bikes... Imagine that Katy Perry walking her poodles in her West Ham kit as I ride past; a bead of my sweat vaporising on to her immaculate lips.
erm. Tony Ben - I saw him Camden High Street. I shook his hand. I think he initially thought I was going attack him.
DJ Shadow - backstage at Brixton. Had a long chat with him. Could not have been nicer.
My mum made curtains for Bruce Forsyth when I was a kid. Bruce waived at me whilst I waited in the car. I think he quite fancied my mum.
I see that bloke from Peep Show constantly (Jez. Not David Mitchel). He lives near my office in London. Once, suffering from a kind of torrets, I shouted that 'he was a Mac' to him from accross the street, in reference to the adverts plastered all over London at the time; he smiled weekly. I then saw him at the cash point a week later. I suggested that he must have 'millions in the bank'; he denied this. He now literally crosses the road when he sees me coming. I will try and take a photo next time this happens and put it on here.
tobyho - You didn't know Jill Dando did you? 😯
badnewz - Member
its odd the way people feel able to strike up a conversation with a celeb, but not with a normal stranger
No its not.
Many people have met me on STW rides and at the BigBikeBash. 😀
I don't do autographs.
And just like the majority of today's "celebrities" you have absolutely no talent 😉
Bumped into literally Oliver Reid, long time ago obviously, a few of us were on leave and staying a the Union Jack club near Waterloo, he insisted on buying us a pint which turned into quite a few.
Met many of the Royals when i was in the mob, Diana was a stunner close up for sure, Princess Anne the dogs gonads, no airs and graces and even had a cup of tea out of a plastic cup with us. Charles is straight down the line, no humour or sense of reality. Queen mum was laugh, very knowledgable even in the last few years.
One of the Geo guys in the office here was at college in California, he went to a thanksgiving meal at his then girlfriends house, knock on the door in walks Cameron Diaz and Justin Trousersnake, Camerons mum lived next door and Cameron grew up with his girlfriend, she forgot to tell him, apparently they were down to earth and were driving a Toyota car.
I also was in a pub in West London once and Jason Donavon came in, he knew the girl i was with and sat down for a chat, actually came across as a decent fella.
Julia Bradbury was in the Cairngorms doing a bit on avalanche forecasting, I was one of the [s]pervs[/s] safety team, lovely lady to follow up a steep hill, nice personality too....
Not me, but my wife and 2 girls were buying ice cream at Wisley last year and behind them in the queue were Ronnie Wood and his then girlfriend - the russian waitress one that was in the tabloids. He spoke briefly to the girls - 'what flavour is nice?' iirc; and seemed nice enough, but sensibly the wife moved away to a safe distance before he started trying to chat my eldest daughter up (she is 6, which is probably well within his range)
Jasper Carrot at a Birmingham home game, vv nice bloke. Also met Karen Brady.
Met Jason Mcroy (RIP) at Bike 94/95, he signed my poster and was great bloke. He was hanging around with Mr Crud who signed my purple(!) Crud catcher, agin top man.
Tiff Nedell at Thruxton, he was a bit of a throbber.
The Beckhams used to live near me. They shopped in our local supermarket and went to my gym.
He was really nice to everyone and signed all the children's autographs. Because of the way they were, most people let them get on with their daily lives.
Although my friend was Victoria's beautitican, they never spoke 'cos 'posh' had her cell phone glued to her ear at every visit.
Les Dawson, I was about 7-8 doing the Manchester to Blackpool vintage car run, he was in the car behind all the way there, we (me and three others roughly the same age) spend the whole journey with us pulling faces at him out of the back window, and he was pulling faces and mucking about back at us. When we got to blackpool he came over to see us and our parents and had a chat. Legend.
More recently, Jimmy Carr in a Starbucks in Manchester, in the queue next to him, he could see I was doing a double take so actually said hi to me first. Came across really well.
Several corrie people and the ginger copper from heartbeat.....
And just like the majority of today's "celebrities" you have absolutely no talent
😆 It's funny because it's true! The 'Paris Hilton' of STW.
Me, earlier:
[img] 
[/img]
Jeez, how could I forget. I guess because I often see her, she's ceased to be a celebrity.
Flavia Cacace. One of the pro dancers off Strictly Come Dancing (no, I'm not gay but with 3 other females in my house I absorb this stuff by osmosis). She lives in the next road to me.
She's very friendly and smiley, and also dead teeney and fit looking. I could carry her around for hours, if she'd let me.
Met Sir Alex Ferguson at a prize giving when I was a kid and Alan Wells at Loch Ness both friendly enough. When I worked in London loads of minor celebs used to hire tools from me at HSS hireshops including
Gaz Topp
Ray Winstone
Warren Mitchell (Alf Garnett) Nice old guy.
The black lassie from Blue Peter .
Where I lived in Muswell Hill was a bit like Stella street and my neighbours were .
Victoria Wood
Tony Hadley
Phill Mitchell
Perry Groves
John Simm
Mandy Smith
Martin kemp.
+1 on Ronnie Wood and his then girlfriend (although this was after he was meant to have left her and supposedly should've been home with the wife!)
waiting in line at heathrow for the posh check-in with a patient who was being escorted out the country, he was behind me and she looked really bored.... they were taken out the line by a friendly member of staff "come this way mr wood"
met steve peat and adelle (croxon) peat outside b&q on penistone road. asked him for an autogaph he asked me if i had a pen i didn't so i said forget about it. nice bloke although not really a celebrity. also my band supported bad maners so we got to meet busta blood vessle. helen sharmen came into my primary school when she'd got back from space.
Dave Moorcroft presented me with a team medal once at the Universities XC champs, spoke to him later and top bloke.
My daughter met Louise Rednapp in the Tesco carpark by us when she and Jamie used to live nearby, very friendly (even more attractive in real life) and unnafected, I hear Jamie is OK too.
See John Barnes, Paul Ince, Sammy Hypia, Rafael Benitez (last 2 moved away recently of course!) all OK from what I have heard/seen.
