Lurkers' Week: Have you ever met a famous person?

I spent my early years at The Cavern every tea-time and meet all the groups of that era and of course all The Beatles/Searchers/Jerry & Pacemakers etc I used to baby sit for Mike Pinder (searchers) as they lived close to my mum I am still friends with them to this day.
When I sold new properties on Liverpool Docklands I meet all the cast of Brookside and football players from Man United/Liverpool & Everton far too many to remember.

Frank Ifield shopping in Bungay Suffolk 1960s.
Lulu promoting her skin care products in a department store in Norwich a couple of years ago .Lulu’s answer to my question “what’s her couldn’t do without item”. Her exfoliator she looked amazing.

Princess Alexandra at a reception at the British High Commission in Singapore. DH and I had just got engaged and she congratulated us. She was lovely.

Saw Johnny Dankworth and Cleo Laine in our local shopping centre.

Sat opposite Arthur Bostrom (the French policeman in Hallo Hallo) at a yacht club dinner; we'd been chatting to him and his wife in the bar beforehand and all went into dinner together. Had no idea who he was; DH did, and didn't tell me till we were driving home!

Marjorie Wallace (Miss World)in about 1972 she had the shinier hair I had ever seen and was stunning.George Best who was lovely.Robert Lindsay who was in a bar i was in after appearing in a play in Manchester,lots of the Cornonation St cast.

The first famous person I remember seeing up close and personal, I was aged about 13, rummaging around at a low level in "Chelsea Girl" I got up suddenly to be confronted with a pair of really scary gnashers belonging to Bob from "On the Buses" and if the teeth weren't bad enough he appeared to be wearing something that looked akin to a safari suit I felt sorry for the poor woman with him!

Moving on to adult years, in my local pharmacy with my 3 year old who was grizzling due to an ear infection, the late Rick Parfitt of Status Quo was at the counter and said something like "what's the matter mate are your ears playing up?" his sympathy unfortunately set my son off from low level moaning to high pitched bawling, at which point RP skeddadled

I often took my kids to a local park on their roller blades saw, Richard E Grant come in on his in line blades with his daughter, also Jane Horrocks with her children, not on blades on another occasion. Philip Glennister in a local department store, Jennifer Saunders in Pizza Express with her kids. Colin Firth with his wife at a Christmas Eve mass a few years ago, everyone was craning their necks to get a better look at him, Helen Baxendale walking along with one of her children in a pushchair, Georgia May Jagger in the pub next door to the house the Jaggers lived in on the top of Richmond Hill, the late Jill Dando in a nearby Marks and Spencers, Keeley Hawes and Matthew McFadden holding hands crossing the road in front of our car as we were approaching a roundabout, A couple of months ago Rob Brydon walking through our high street with a couple of his children. Came out of a restaurant in the West End passed James McAvoy standing outside a theatre nearby, talking on his mobile phone. A couple of years ago, again at another Pizza Express, John Terry came in to pick up a takeaway, my husband nudged me and said "John Terry" footballer, didn't mean a thing to me at the time, I'm glad to say! At the airport when we were flying to Boston saw Gerry Halliwell as she was then with her baby in a highly coveted baby sling that anyone who had a baby and a bob or two wore. Also at the airport flying to Ireland a golfer called Padraig Harrington, but like John Terry hadn't got a clue who he was, but my husband being a keen golfer was well aware of him. Paul Gambaccini was on a New York flight that we were on he was very nice, chatting to everyone.

Finally my son went to the same school as a famous actress, she was the year above. I remember he came home when he was about 12 saying something along the lines of "there's a girl at our school who has just been to America to film Star Wars" to which I replied "sounds like utter rubbish".................but she had apparently, an early role, Natalie Portman's decoy. I was to find out later it was Keira Knightly.

Met David Essex at the churchill theatre about 14 years ago he was my teenage idol

Heading to America around 20yrs ago BA upgraded us and as we were checking our baggage through Roger Moore and his wife were beside us. He was just as good looking in the flesh as in his movies and a real gentleman. He was offered assistance with his rather large suitcases but politely refused and did all the handling himself.

When I was a Social Worker in Kensington & Chelsea, we quite often saw well known people, as our office was on the Kings Road.
I recall one occasion walking back to the office after a visit and seeing a tall man sitting at a table in a cafe, with his long legs stretched out across the pavement. I was thinking ‘hmm, look at him, stretched out like that ... blocking the pavement ... what if a mum with a buggy or a blind person needs to get by ... selfish so-and-so.’

Then I realised it was Bob Geldof, who I loved, so I immediately mentally forgave him and I ducked into the nearest shop doorway and secretly watched him for about 5 minutes (swoon).

Many moons ago Tommy Steele’s mum occupied the bed next to my mum when she was in hospital for a minor operation.......

Chatted to David Beckham in the Trafford Centre 19y ago outside ‘Next’ where Victoria was buying clothes (how times change eh?). He had Brooklyn with him in a buggy ... who was 21y last week. No security with him in those days although other shoppers had ‘clocked’ him walking past!

Ozzy Osbourne

I met Brian Johnson (AC/DC) on the Grand Union Canal in 2008. We were queueing up to go through a lock & I was standing on the towpath, talking to his wife who told me her husband was from the Newcastle area, although he was talking (loudly) with an American accent. They were with friends in a hire boat and were obvious novices on the waterways.

I said to him 'Are you the one from Newcastle?'
He looked at me & said 'Why aye pet how ya gannin?' & continued in this vein for some time

I met Duke Ellington, when I was a child living in Sri Lanka in the early 1960s. I just remember him being really kind and giving my sister and I the flower garlands he and the band members had received

When DD2 was 11 and in the pony club she was competing in a show jumping competition. International horse trials were also taking place at the same venue, Highclere Castle aka Downton Abbey. Everyone was parked up as and when they arrived. We rocked up in our old 4x4 Mitsubishi Pajero and old trailer and parked next to Pippa Funnel in her magnificent horse box with about 4 horses and sideways hydraulic suspension opening out into living accommodation for her and her grooms ???.

Met Angharad Rees (original Poldark series) when I was little, she was my dad's neice. She had a friendly manner. Shared history lessons with Cerise Matthews (who I think hides her real age , she missed a lot of lessons because she was ill for months. By missing school she had few friends, but I was friendly toward her and she to me. She was lovely.
Met Catherine (Zeta) Jones, before she stole her grandmother's name as she went to school with my niece. She was a bit of a flighty child.
Met Bonny Tyler when she was standing at the door of her nightclub vetting the girls hoping to go in and refusing entry to all the pretty ones. Not nice at all.
Met Lemmy when I went to a Motorhead gig, he invited me on stage and gave me a kiss. Unlike his reputation, he was a gent'.
Met the Tom Robinson Band when I was invited to their after gig party. They were all down-to-earth and sensible.
Met Screaming Lord Dutch who handed my partner and me a million pound note, unfortunately not spendable when we went to his gig. He was a friendly cheeky chap.
Met the Blockheads at a festival (it was after Ian Dury died) when Phil Jupitus was singing. He and the band came to greet and chat to the early arrivals, which me and my partner were. They were all very welcoming and Phil Jupitus was very bubbly.
The strangest meeting My partner and I had was when we were travelling back from Kings College Hospital and stopped at a service station to grab something to eat. Walking behind us was a gentleman I had to double take of and then some. I looked at him and he looked at me and so this went on several times. He looked like he expected me to say something but I couldn't. I was struck, as was my partner! We went into the station, the only place open was McDonald's. We waited And waited (no service), eventually service but when it arrived on the shelf the staff member disappeared and we waited and waited. The gentleman in question had not even been served. He looked at me and my partner and said one thing only "this is ridiculous" rolled his eyes, walked away, turned his head to look back and Ed. The man was Michael Caine! One of my and my partner's all time fav's

I met Jimmy Nail on a flight from Gatwick to Newcastle

I met Tony Christie who became famous for he Avenues and Alleyways hit when l was just 14, l lined up after theshow to get his Autograph and he was Horrible, he gave me a sloppy wet on the mouth Kiss, and l was still a Child and hated it.
More recently, my 10year old Grandaughter who loves playing Junior league football proudly led The Derby County team out onto the pitch at the start of their Game last Sunday, she met Wayne Rooney and all of the team, including the Mascot Rammy!

Started autocorrect... Not my Dad's niece my Doctor's niece!

Roger Moore - I passed him on a staircase as he was coming down. He made a point of saying hello and passing the time of day. A lovely charming man.

Cilla Black - a really lovely lady.

William G Stewart when I was a contestant on Fifteen to One in 1997, he was a really nice man.
My daughter got Charlie Williams autograph when he came to Tesco in Rochdale for some reason.
Another daughter chatted to Craig Revel Horwood last month, they were staying at the same hotel, and met in the hotel bar. She says he`s really nice.
Daughter 2 met Nick Berry many years ago, had her photo taken with him.

Oh, and although I obviously don`t remember it, I was cuddled by George Formby when we bumped into him on the seafront at Morecambe, I was only 6 weeks old.

Oh, and Fanny Craddock in John Lewis in Oxford Street, 1960s. I was having some fabric measured out and she came in with her PA, stood right next to me, and wanted material for her 'pinnies'.

We sat on the next table to Stephen Fry at Greenwich Village, New York. He had boiled eggs with soldiers.
I walked past the late great Ginger Baker from Cream once.
We saw Jools Holland at Newcastle Airport ages ago.
As a child I saw Jayne Mansfield go past our house on a pink cadilac.

Many years ago I worked as Cabin Crew, just short haul in the UK mainly but we had many famous passengers. Patrick Stewart was a regular and was lovely, Nicky Campbell was also a regular for a while, and had a habit of boarding first, sitting in the first or second row but he would always stand for ages putting bags in the overhead lockers so no passengers could get past him. Every single time. He would delay the whole planeload of passengers from boarding, used to drive me bonkers!