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.
GT85 to Gary Wilmott
he was doing chitty chitty bang bang at the hippodrome at the time - I also rebuilt the wheel from the hair cutting machine \m/
I used to have a petrol station years ago, one day & Range Rover came in & I was trying to place the face/voice of the driver. When he gave me his credit card it was 'The RH Norman Tebbit' on the front, very nice chap.
Bumped into Jonathan Edwards at Newcastle Airport. I said 'hiya' & he said 'Hi, how ya doing?'
Thats about it for famous folk.
Manchester International festival a few years ago me and mrs Ed go to see John Hegley, with his band, free gig
at the end he says 'are there any sax players in the audience' Mrs Ed puts hand up and says 'he does' after a short silence when she realises that no one else is and I'm not saying anything. I get on the stage and a saxophone is thrust into my hands, the guy says 'blues in D for a guitar, do you know what to play?' I say yes. do a bit of soloing, then more then go for it properly, get a round of applause.
We chat with Hegley afterwards and he's buying us beers, turns out someone who he knew was supposed to be in the audience (didn't make it) and was somewhat relieved that someone else said yes. said he really liked my playing, not heard about the other gigs he promised (didn't expect the bit of paper to be kept, seemed a bit disorganised rather than a cynic) but nice bloke all the same
[b]Griff Rhys Jones: [/b]Worked in an architects in Soho we used to get a few tv types in. (he was a bit grumpy, just gave me a look like: don't you dare recognise me!)
[b]
Jenny Agutter:[/b] She came in the architects once too and everyone crowded round...she was just lovely!
[b]Yngwie Malmsteen: (guitarist) [/b] Went to an aftershow party and met him after a gig. Despite his rep he was nice enough...
[b]Joe Lynn Turner:[/b] (singer in Rainbow) At the party above (we were gatecrashing) he came over and introduced himself. Really nice bloke!
[b]Ed Wynne[/b] (from the Ozric Tentacles) I saw him with his face pressed up against the glass looking at pedals in a totenham court road music shop window. He seemed quite surprised to be recognised but was very nice.
Saw Steve Leonard (TV Vet) on the landegla trail. He was really friendly even stopped for a picture.
He is human after all, a few of us done him on the climb... 🙂
and his mum picked him up from the trail centre.. arghhhh
Saw that Jimmy bloke 'jimmy's Farm' tucking into the most un-organic, mass processed food in a hotel in newport pagnell.
John Hegley; met him too. Think I may have bought him a pint after a gig. My friend sees him all the time where she lives. He's a little odd, but a nice enough feller.
My Boss is Sir Robin Knox-Johnston...
Moved Andre Agassi's piano for him. He was very interested in how two guys were going to handle something so heavy. While we worked, his wife Steffi Graf scrubbed grout in tiles near the front door. Whatever the cook was making for lunch smelled great.
Smoked a joint with Jerry Garcia in the '70s, rode MTBs with Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir in the '90s and [url= http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/weir_page_1.htm ]wrote a story about[/url] it for Dirt Rag, and Grateful Dead bass player Phil Lesh has me move his pianos for him.
My parents know Julie Goodyear pretty well and in the mid 80's she used to drive a black MG. If she ever passed me on my way home from school she used to stop to give me a lift home. I grew up in a pub just outside Rochdale and she would also pull pints behind the bar from time to time.
Let me get this right...Bet Lynch from Coronation St would pull up in her sports car and give you a lift home from school ? Awesome !
Yep. Happened probably half a dozen times 😀
Pete Postlethwaite in that pizza place at the end of the high street in peebles, seemed a really nice bloke. Jarvis Cocker at St Pancras, we were very drunk but polite, and he was really good with us. David Gedge at the indie tracks festival, and again smashing bloke, had a chat about a couple of the bands. Simon Groom and Goldie (the dog, not the jungle superstar) at a roller disco at Ripley lesuire center when I was about 12, so I'm a bit vague on the detail. But so far I'm good with the famous folk I've met.
Met Prince andrew, who was stuck up and cherie blair who seemed pleasent enough
A few years ago I worked in a busy pub in Cornwall where Phil Mitchell [Steve MacFaddon] was a Saturday night regular. Never struck up a conversation with him, but it was very surreal being behind a chunck of mahagony serving Phil. He's polite enough but it's very difficult to tear oneself away from the screen persona.
A mate of mine is now his weekly taxi driver on the basis that he's the quickest driver leaving more time for Sunday bevvies before heading up to London.
Jet from Gladiators - gorgeous
Shaun Ryder, seb fontaine, Jay Kay, all in Ibiza at various points and all were sound.
On Saturday night i shared the lift with the King of Benin, his protection officer told me who he was so i shook his hand and said nice to meet you blah blah, I should have know as he was dressed in robes and stuff with gold hanging off him, i had just been in the hotel Gym and was sweating like a fat bloke in a pie factory and i think the protection officer realised that as i walked into the lift the officer had not stood between me and him so was flapping a bit. Seemed a nice bloke the King did LOL
Mind you the hotel (corinthia Libya) had 200 African Union guests in over EID so i probably bumped into a few Royals etc, i saw Madam Sarkosy here last year, not close up as when she went to the gym her protection team whould not let anyone else in,cockheads, i did see here walking up some stairs and she had stunning legs.
Met Rod Stewart at Number one in the Balmoral, anongwith Gordon Strachan and various other Scottish footballing legends.
And Penny Lancaster got her norks out. Only to breast feed her little'un who's christening they were out for, but it still counts. 🙂
Get to meet and interview quite a few celebs through work...
Brad Pitt - met him a couple of times, quite funny. Disappointed he didn't have Anglelina with him!
Juan Pablo Montoya - came across as a bit of a knob
Katie Stamm - Miss America 2009, very pleasant but can't sing to save her life!
Jay Leno - quite funny, despite not sleeping for 36 hours prior to interview!
Sami Hyypia - quite chatty, and very tall!
Matt Le Blanc - quite chatty, big bike racing fan
Pamela Anderson - also quite chatty and very polite
Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes - he is very, very short!
Nigel Mansell - couldn't stop staring at his moustache
Mark Webber - bit boring
King of Spain - he knew someone I worked with. Seemed pleasant enough
Keith Flint off of the Prodigy - met him a few times, really nice guy and not what you would expect at all
When I was in the Army Dick Strawbridge was my adjutant and I used to play (and drink) alongside him in the Regimental Rugby Team!
not really no.. I'm aware that I have although I've never noticed until being told later to be honest..
Although I was at a party a couple of weeks back and one of the guests looked very familiar indeed in an 70s/80s musician kind of way.. maybe elvis costelloish.. he was quite off his face and the couple he arrived with acted more like indulgent smothering grandparents than mates.. I didn't make any attempt to satisfy my curiosity.. although I noticed on the dancefloor later that the guy had zero sense of rythym so maybe not..
I offered to help a lost looking hugh fearnley wittingstall outside Exeter central station once.. he just looked at me like I was an alligator and started screaming down his phone for his PA to get him the hell out of there.. I was gutted
