I'm enjoying the comments on Sunday's post about sightings of famous people. Regarding Lucille's Michael Palin claim, as I've mentioned here before, I not only saw him in a restaurant in London but spoke to him. This was an uncharacteristic act of boldness on my part and I still don't know what came over me as I'm the world's worst at pushing myself forward, but I spotted him across the room, wrote a quick note of appreciation which I asked the waitress to deliver, he gave me a wave in reply, and then I stopped for a quick word on my way out - he was, as you would expect, just lovely.
I once stood a few feet from the Queen at the Badminton Horse Trials, waited behind Dave Allen in a baker's shop in Henley, had dinner at the table next to Sean Connery's, on one occasion, Richard Attenborough's on another, and the Princess Royal's, at a ball. Tom Stoppard sat in front of me at an Edinburgh Festival performance of one of his plays, and I saw Richard Briers at a bus stop near my house when he was appearing here too, but as to meeting the great and the good, it's writers I've notched up most, interviewing them in person or by phone, being introduced at publishing events and book launches.
It's said that you should never meet your heroes for disappointment surely follows. I've not yet been in a position to put that to the test (though there are one or two people I'd be willing to take the chance with); how about you?
Re. the pictures, click here.
I don't tend to have "heroes" and I have not met that many people whom you would consider famous. I have met, at a veriety of events and venues, David Attenborough, Derek Jacobi, Bill Owens, Benjamin Zephaniah, Fay Weldon, Michael Palin and a number of others that I can't quickly bring to mind. Of course living as I do in London one sees well known faces all the time. I don't think I have ever been tempted to go up to someone "cold", but none of the above have disappointed me!
Posted by: Dark Puss | 25 January 2017 at 08:11 AM
That's quite an impressive list! I think I would dare approach someone I really admired,that has not yet happened... My list is very short, Kevin Bacon and his wife in a street in NY and a rapid glimpse of Alec Baldwin in a shop in the same city. Mustn't forget Rod Stewart when I was about 18 years old !
Posted by: Kathleen | 25 January 2017 at 12:01 PM
Only half concentrating I once stopped to have a conversation in the supermarket with (the now late) Pete Postlethwaite - he looked so familiar that I thought he was someone I knew... oops! I can't recall what he or I said but I can remember the feeling of intense embarrassment as I realised my error a moment too late...
Posted by: Lotta | 25 January 2017 at 02:13 PM
That's good to hear.
Posted by: Cornflower | 28 January 2017 at 05:22 PM
Re. Rod Stewart, I forgot to mention that I once encountered Freddie Mercury in the lobby of an Edinburgh hotel. He was on the phone and was cross (travel or performing arrangements had been found lacking!).
Posted by: Cornflower | 28 January 2017 at 05:26 PM
Oh no!
Posted by: Cornflower | 28 January 2017 at 05:27 PM