Me, my Wife and Father-in-law met Joe Gilgun at Rivington. He was on a Cannondale of some description proper going for it.

Talking to him about the best routes round there until my missus clicked and asked him was he off the telly!

He said yes, but I’ll let you figure out where from. Nice guy 🙂

Seen him a few time since in passing (usually quite fast!).

Mid 90’s and I’m out on the mountain bike, lovely day in the woods near Machynlleth. Came down a track in a place called Artist’s Valley and had to get off to negotiate a couple of gates in a farm yard. Chap sat in a garden by the trail, had a chat about the weather, where I’d come from, where I was going etc. I’m thought the bloke looked a bit “lived in” even for a farmer with black long curly hair. Few weeks later I’m watching a rockumentary, seems I’d been chatting to Jimmy Page. Led Zep recorded a lot of their work at a farm near Mach and Robert Plant has/ had a house there.

Once interviewed Hot Chocolate for the BBC. Every bit as cool as you’d imagine them to be.

They were bottom of the bill below Lemar and a ABBA tribute band, Lemar was so up his own arse he wouldn’t talk to anyone, and Bjorn Again were so up their arse we wish we’d not tried.

Rob Warner’s dad whilst out on the bike, seemed genuinely surprised that I’d heard of his son.

Tom Baker, or Dr WHO rang up (OK he mis-dialled) and we chatted for about 45mins.

Hate to be the one to break it to you mate but that was just a voice text from BT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4665254.stm

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFsOhJgCSpw[/video]

Drunken chat with Armin Schwartz in a night club after the Spanish round of the wrc several years ago, bet he was glad when we went back to the bar lol.

sat next to Elle Macpherson in a private box at the O2 listening to the Eagles !

I think I win….

@g1galus 🙂 quality. Was at a Save the Children charity event where Princess Anne was guest of honour, she was a great sport particulary as her speech followed a Rory Bremner warm up which had more than one cose to the wire joke about her brothers.

@piston excellent

Led Zep recorded a lot of their work at a farm near Mach

Owner told me they trashed the place.

also chatted with Ross Kemp.

well shouted “alright bruv” at him in Brighton.

told Alan Parsons to fetch some boards for the stage (which he duly did) thinking he was one of the stage hands. this was at the DIVA awards a few years back in Munich. only realised that he perhaps wasn’t one of the stage hands when he started to rehearse.

have pic of David Attenborough holding me in his arms. i was about 4, i think.

Had to make idle chit chat while face scanning:

Gary oldman, Gillian Anderson, Mark hamill, John Rhys Davies, Mark strong, rhona mitre and a load more who I can’t talk about…

Worked on numerous concert tours and dozens of tv shows and movies.
The conversations that go on at 3am on a roof top between takes whilst waiting for some muppet director to sort his shit out cannot be repeated lest the stars get into trouble!
Only ever had a couple who were total arses – Colin Farrel being one. Out of his skull on set, screaming abuse at everyone until his GF at the time (who was the star) sparked him out…

Oooh.

Andrew Motion (He was in town to deliver a lecture and I got the job of taking him to the pub afterwards – we talked about Tennyson and Philip Larkin)
Prince Philip (Gold DofE award ceremony)
Ali Brownlee (“sorry mate you can’t come into transition without your number”)
Robert Plant (“Got a light mate? Cheers”)
Christopher Eccleston (in the theatre bar after his performance of Hamlet)
Willy Russell (interviewed him for a radio programme)
Malcolm McDowell – at adjacent urinals (“not often you find yourself having a piss next to Caligula”)
Kazuo Ishiguro (“could you sign it to John please? Thanks”)
Bradley Wiggins (“could you sign it to John please? Thanks. Good luck in Rio”)
Graeme Obree (lovely guy – couldn’t get rid of the bloke – he gave me his address and everything)
Chris Boardman (nice chat about cycling advocacy and Graeme Obree)

Walking through the door of the kings head in Bishops Castle. Came face to face with a bare chested rock god.
Me, alright Bob.
Robert Plant, yes young man and you?

I was 43, young!?

he is a all round nice bloke.

I spoke with a former Prime Minister of Canada twice, and had an extended conversation with a retired Archbishop of Canterbury just a few weeks ago.

OK, has anybody NOT met Robert Plant?

I sold Marc Beaumont some Stan’s tape once…
Pfft.
I sold David “Kid” Jenson some padded pants. Oh, and sold Scary Spice a bike as well.

I sold Robbie Earle a mahogany dining table and chairs. At full price too 8)

Lots of the bripop bands of the 90s, as I helped to set up the stage at our university. They seemed to endlessly there at one point.
The current PM.

William Hague at the urinals in a welsh hotel (so to speak) – surprised to find him to be an OK guy

I interviewed a number of MPs and ministers in my newspaper days and the big majority were very charming and pleasant, even the Tories. That’s how they got where they were.

The other famous folks that stick in my memory…

Charlotte Church – When she was 12 or 13. So precocious, funny and charismatic – as well as being a talented singer obvs.

Phill Jupitus – Not the most famous, but hands down the nicest celeb I ever had to deal with. Could hardly get off the phone to him when doing an interview for a 400-word pre-piece for his live show. Really chatty and genuine.

Beryl Bainbridge – A writer I now consider one of Britain’s best novelists, but wasn’t really aware of when I was sent to interview her. She was almost apologetic for my embarrassing lack of preparation.

Harry Hill – Nice enough, but he wasn’t that impressed with my comparison of his TV show (of which I was a big fan) with The Muppet Show.

John Craven – Bit grumpy.

Douglas Hurd – Very grumpy.

David Seaman: “Hi, can you leave that gate open”
Me: “Sure”.

<Dave drives through gate and I shut it afterwards>

TRUSTORY!

Kelly Brook: “That was amazing”
Me: “Yeah, I know”
Rocky: “Respect dude”
Me: “Whatever”
SpongeBob: “I’m scared”

Lot of drugs that night.

Met Rory McCann in the local pub, recognised him from the tv and the porage adds, bought him a pint and asked him if he was keeping busy, said he was between work at that time but was about to start a new role, turned out to be The Hound in Game of Thrones, seemed a decent chap.

Most recent was at dartmoor zoo chatting to a guy by the enclosure where they have 2 new tigers,really nice guy happy to talk about all sorts…….turns out it was Benjamin Mee of the ‘We bought a zoo” story.

Ronnie Barker:” This is Mr Barker of xxxxxx lane. I’d like to cancel my newspapers for 2 weeks whilst I’m on holiday please”.

Me : “certainly Mr Barker I can do that for you.”

sat next to Elle Macpherson in a private box at the O2 listening to the Eagles !

I’ve met a man who wrote, or co-wrote some of the Eagle’s greatest hits, like New Kid In Town, Best Of My Love, Heartache Tonight, has a recurring part in Nashville, dated Stevie Nicks and Linda Ronstadt, and is the nicest bloke you could meet, he was chuffed to bits I’d brought along a copy of one of his earlies albums on vinyl.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._D._Souther

My Mrs had a couple of fairly lengthy conversations with this former Radio Caroline and Piccadilly Radio DJ.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Teret

Okay, so they were on tape and under caution but they all count! 🙂

Plenty, including some pillow time….However Sir Alec Guiness was a friend of my Auntie and had a chat as a lad at a party she hosted at her place in London. Queen Mother gave me a hug and chatted away when I was six. My Great Uncle played for the West Indies and was responsible for the first ever tied test (vs Aus in 1961) this got me into the WI dressing room many times during the Richards era and the anniversary test at the Gabba in 2001.

Had a bacon roll and a long chat with Euan Thomas from the One Show. Then helped him stalk a gardiner who was dressed in camo gear so he could send a tweet comparing him to Steven Seagal. 1 days filming for my 30 seconds of fame on the show.

Wiggo – sound as a pound

Cav – depends on the day, can be fine, can be grumpy,

Luke Rowe – genuine nice bloke.

OK real people off the telly not cyclists.

Joe Pasqualle – ” are you joe Pasqualle ” him in trademark squeaky voice ” yeah mate ”

That really annoying guy off Flog It, Paul Martin think he’s called, tried to have a laugh with him at a antiques fair and he looked at me as if I was something he had stood in.

If anyone is old enough to remember the Houghton Weavers, they had their own BBC 1 show in the 70’s and were massive at the time. The lead singer lives not far from me and his aunt used to babysit me. Speak to him quite often.

Lots of politicians through work. Not very exciting

Had a discussion with Dr Alice Roberts about Metallica who she was about to see at Glastonbury.

Working for a web-design company in a converted shop in Fitzrovia, as the new bod I got shunted into the spare room, which also turned out to be the only place available to use as a changing room when Bill Oddie arrived and needed to put on a Santa Claus costume for an advert or promotion of some kind they were shooting downstairs…

Naturally as he stripped down to his white Y-fronts I asked him if he was heading anywhere exotic for birdwatching in the near future. As it happened he was soon to be flying to New Jersey, which surprised me as I thought it was rather industrial, but he assured me there were wetlands with excellent migratory birdlife.

Apparently he’s often a grumpy sod but he was quite nice at that time.

Walked past Christoph Waltz at Pinewood , had eye contact, and in my best bristolian accent said “alright mate” .

He just looked at me funny

At the tender age of 10, my dad left me chatting to Angela Ripon (off the news) at The Usher Hall.

More recently I had to ask Mark Lanegan and his entourage to please shift out of shot whilst shooting a wedding at The Sage.

Used to sit and play with Cathal McConnell, Aly Bain et al at the impromptu sessions at the Edinburgh festival.

Oh, and went for coffee with Alan Spence (Scottish writer) in Edinburgh.

Fully appreciate most folk won’t have heard of any of the above 🙂

An ex-Python had a very noisy poo in our office toilet.

Not so much conversation but regularly had Kevid McKidd’s arm between my legs on Wednesday’s and Saturday’s.

I had to ask Mark Lanegan and his entourage to please shift out of shot whilst shooting a wedding at The Sage.

Most excellent!

Dr David Owen, the least said about it the better.
Former Home Sec Jacqui Smith taught me a level economics.
Had a night out in that London with that blokes whats married to Billie Piper.

Spent a wonderful few hours on a train journey north with Claire Grogan of Altered Images, she was delightful and I was very much in love at our parting.
Also met Lucy Pinder, model, very pretty and charming but her minders were just thugs.

Met Jamie Baulch and Darren Campbell in Australia. Really nice guys, Jamie give my wife a pair of sunglasses as she’d lost hers earlier in the day.
Mick Talbot, had a chat backstage at a Galliano gig once. Clearly loves his music.
Damon Hill, was having dinner with his son at the table next to me. Not a chat but a polite hello and such.
Billy Connelly at the Mardi Gras in Sydney. I was have an open discussion with both the marchers and the protesting religious factions 😀 Billy came over and said how much fun it was.
I’ve also met a bunch of rappers you’ve probably never heard of!