Who's the most famous person you've met, and what were they like?

Quite a lot of politicians of whom Paddy Ashdown was the most prominent. Victoria Wood twice. The first time she was receiving an honorary degree at Manchester University at the same time as a friend of mine; the second time she was directing a tour of Acorn Antiques in which cousin or mine was performing. The first time she was in a hurry to get home to a sick child. Next time she was rushing around to give cast members her comments on the night's performance, so she never seemed to have time to stop and chat.

Brian Johnson from AC/DC
We were in a lock together on the Grand Union Canal

Interesting about Paul Daniels, NanKate. Many years ago we had a weekend break in London and stayed in a hotel where some contestants in a game show were also staying. I can't remember the show but we got chatting to a couple who were game show veterans. They said out of all the hosts they'd encountered Paul Daniels was the nicest - charming, funny and put everyone at their ease. Bob Monkhouse was the worst.

Talking of village fetes, I once made a ham sandwich for the actress who plays Shula in The Archers. She opened the fete and helped judge the dog show.

One good experience, one not so good.

In the 1960s I had gone to see Rudolph Nureyev dance at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, where I lived. The next day he was passing our house and I dashed outside with my programme for an autograph and the rest of the family in full pursuit. He was so pleasant an unaffected, he said 'have you brought your entire family with you?'

In the late 1970s Paul Daniels came to open the Fete at my DS's school. He sent out instructions before his arrival what he would and would not eat and drink. He was teetotal. Fortunately I did not have to host the refreshments part of the day but from what I was told he was very prima donaish. This was before he met Debbie Magee, I think she tamed him.

I forgot to say how friendly and gracious Richard Osman was. And of course he is very tall, so I stood on an up-ended crate for the photo

(Edgar was very chatty - but had very BIG HAIR and took up a lot of floor space!)

Ooh Maggie, we must be kindred spirits!

After a show locally, Wayne Sleep approached us and asked if we could point out a good pub.
Eddie Mair (radio 4 news anchor) was my pupil when he was 10. A bright and engaging boy.

Amanda Burton when she starred in a depressing TV drama called The Gift, back in the nineties. It was filmed in our old house so I was invited to watch a day's filming by Lucy Gannon, the writer. It also starred the bloke who played 'No, no, no, Yes!' Jim from The Vicar of Dibley.

Lucy was friendly and charming and insisted on making me coffee. La Burton was cold and unfriendly. When she smiled you could tell it was false.

Around 1970 DH and I spent several weeks designing a record store for the Moody Blues and went to a charity football match they were playing in. Sadly I wasn't a fan so I wasn't as overwhelmed as I might have been. Their drummer was very nice to talk to.

When I was cooking in a theatre I met quite a few people. Dame Hilda Brackett was great fun, so was Kenny Ball. I spent some time with ChumbWumba (the ones who poured a bucket of water over John Prescott's wife) They were actually really nice people and so were the Levellers who spent a day with us.

BBbevan I am so jealous of you! I thought Quentin Crisp was wonderful, so funny and intelligent!

I can't say who, for obvious reasons, but it's often very weird talking to famous people at parents' evening about their child. What they don't realise is what their little darlings come out with at school about their family life!

I have swam with Duncan Goodhew.
Not a race I might add

I've heard of them! I've seen them, at the same local venue. Not slept with them though (or next to them, even)

Diana Princess of Wales, just a handshake and a dozen sentences i also met the Sarah Duchess of York and she was stunning her skin looked like fresh peaches ! myself and a neighbour stood in the stairwell of a block of flats with her for about 15 minutes on a bloody freezing cold February morning, just the three of us(her aide and security were having a cuppa. Just 3 Mums chatting

Your post has just reminded me that I slept in the same room (on the floor) as members of the Edgar Broughton Band in the late 60's - probably no one else has ever heard of them!

(no funny business went on at all, I hasten to say...)

Jo Brand lives near me but she's not very friendly. Jenny Eclair lives around here too and she is friendly and we had a nice chat in Sainsburys, a while ago, about her being on the after show for The Apprentice.

I'm just a very respectable sort of groupie, really.

I saw Marc Bolan perform at a small local venue when his T-Rex was still Tyrannosaurus Rex. They hit the big time a couple of months later. He and the other member of the duo, Steve Took, came over and chatted to my friend and me - in our matching homemade purple hot pants - during the interval and bought us the It girl drink of the time, brandy and Babycham. They were both charming and I was very upset when I heard of his death in his 20s.

I once berated a member of Whitesnake for pushing in at a bar, and he apologised, which impressed my DSIL no end .

And as my boss once announced to a packed staff room, I once slept next to Justin Timberlake - he was in the next suite to mine at the Manchester Lowry when I was at a conference, and I had to be sent packing by his bodyguard when I tried to get into his room (purely by accident, you understand). Just move away from the door please, Ma'am.....

Quentin Crisp

He was one of our life models when I was at art school. A highly intelligent, funny,serious and likeable man He could do the Times Crossword faster than anyone else I knew

George Best.

He had a shop in the town where I lived in the 60's (of course he played football as well!) and my friend and I used to go there every Saturday. He was lovely, very charming!

Way back in the 60s I was on my boat and a couple wanted to ask me some questions about the general area. So I invited them onboard for coffee ( not recognising them).
It was only after they had gone that my neighbour told me it was Glenda Jackson and Richard Green ( Robin Hood). They were both charming.
The other one, you wouldn't know his face but you'll know his work. If you've ever seen the film, Cliff Hanger. He was the pilot of the helicopter taking Stallone off the mountain. It's also his company that does all the stunt work on the bond films.
I know him because he bought one of our boats and stayed with us for a few days while the survey was being done, and while he was with us he took a call from Steven Spielberg and jimmy carter ( he wasn't president then) I nearly wet myself with excitement

Danced with one of the Drifters in Las Vegas when they asked for a volunteer from the audience, we did the Twist!

On another occasion chatted to Will Young in a queue in Boots at a motorway services, he was so lovely, and very tall.

In the late 60s, I was sent to interview Frankie Vaughan for a local student magazine....he was a charming man.

Used to hang about with Delia. Then she became famous.

I was taken backstage, and introduced to Brian Rix. The man I was with knew him. Mr. Rix was very charming.