Have you ever had a meal or drink when a personality is also in the building

Alan Minter in 1980 in a hotel in Jersey . I was on a business trip.

Michael Caine and his beautiful wife in his own restaurant Langan’s Brasserie . We were there celebrating my husband’s birthday.

Robbie Coltrane was dining in The Ivy in Covent Garden years ago when it was an ‘in’ place for celebrities. We were the guests of a friend who is a theatrical agent .

Chris Evans was holding court in the bar in a Midhurst Hotel we were staying . Chris had been a compère at an Eric Clapton charity gig we had been to at Cowdray Park .

Not really famous but he was to me . Matt Mills ex Reading Football Club captain having his lunch in Nando’s in Reading . ( Grilled chicken, rice and water )

I once had a good laugh with Frank Carson when I was at Liverpool airport. He first asked if " I was going or had I already been ?" We had a drink while waiting for our flights.

As a treat a few years ago, my husband and I booked a weekend break at a posh country hotel. At dinner, and again at breakfast we were in the company of members of The Time Team who were conducting a dig nearby.
We never saw Tony Robinson though.

We were privileged to sit at the next table to Desmond Tutu when he came to talk at a local pilgrimage. Lovely unassuming man.

I did forget someone in a pub in Oxford , which is no longer down Friars Walk .
I had just got off the bus from Brackley ,and stood outside the pub was Phil Tufnell smoking away .
Whilst having a few beers , I sat down , Phil Tufnell and TV film crew were at other end anyway I was in screen view but one of the crew came down and told me to stay put .
They were filming for the One show , with Phil Tufnell interviewing two different people.
I just sat there relaxed whilst others I knew stared in amazement instead acting naturally or being themselves

Years ago on one of our many trips to Rome, we were sitting outside our usual restaurant watching the world go by, when the waiters started flapping and moving all the diners, apart from us, into the inside salon of the restaurant.
Then I noticed some very handsome gentlemen in sharp suits hovering next to us and eyeing us up. It was when I caught sight of the gun inside of one of the men's jacket, that I knew someone important was about to arrive.

The next thing a group of about ten men in suits came and sat next to us.
One of the waiters sidled up to me and whispered that it was the Italian Finance Minister, a very important man, according to him.
He said we hadn't been asked to move, as they had known us for years and we weren't deemed a risk.

We sat fascinated by the whole palaver! It certainly made our evening.

B9exchange

We were privileged to sit at the next table to Desmond Tutu when he came to talk at a local pilgrimage. Lovely unassuming man.

Yes, I met him too when I was very young but probably didn't appreciate it at the time. It would have been when he was at Cambridge.
Strangely enough, a friend we made many years later was at university with him in the 1960s.

Tracey Barlow off Corrie in Nando's, Michael Palin in the cafe at the Wallace Collection, Sue Pollard in the V and A.

2017 Took stepmother to her doctors in Padstow, Cornwall. Sat in the waiting room with us was Rick Stein.

2007. Queuing at the gate at St Pancras station for my train to Sheffield, I was stood behind Jarvis Cocker.

1986. Cadgwith, Cornwall. We were sat outside the pub having lunch and at the next table was Rodney Bewes having a drink with friends. He lived in the village.

I don’t think I have but I most probably wouldn’t recognise them out of character I have a job recognising people I know sometimes when there not where they re suppose to be ?

Stephanie Cole in same bookshop as me in Stratford-on-Avon

We were once sat next to Alan Davies, the comedian, in The Grand Hotel in Brighton and I wanted to say how much I enjoyed his work and how much he made me laugh but he was obviously relaxing after a performance so I resisted. Unfortunately someone who had had a bit too much to drink made a beeline for him, Alan was very gracious and fortunately the chaps other half made apologies and pulled him away.

A couple of years ago, daughter 3 and I had been to the last show of the Strictly tour, at the O2 arena. We were staying at the O2 International next door to the O2. When we arrived back at the hotel after the show, a gaggle of girls rushed past us and up the stairs, they were some of the professional dancers. Later, in the bar, my daughter said "don`t look now, but Craig Revel Horwood is 2 tables away", of course, I looked! Then as we were leaving the bar, Aljas Skorjanek and his wife Janette Manrara were just arriving, along with a few others from the Strictly crowd. Apparently, they were all staying in the hotel.

A long time ago we were on holiday in Ibiza with our 2 sons. We had heard about a little cove that took some finding. It was gorgeous with a little beach shack selling food and drinks. A big private yacht came into the bay. A dingy with 4 men aboard came onto the beach, did a sweep of the bar and beach, spoke into walkie talkies and went back to the yacht. We were agog wondering who was coming to the beach. Would it be a famous rock star or an actor? Same 4 men + 2 others landed and headed to the bar. Sorry to disappoint but we were miffed to find that we didn't have a clue who they were!

Sat in a cafe at Liverpool airport years ago, with jockey Ruby Walsh and his family at the next table. Various other racing celebrities wandering around too. It was the evening after the Grand National. My then boyfriend and l were having a huge row about something trivial!

Oh, I forgot some famous folk on our flights to/from Aberdeen. One time, a familiar face was on the same flight as us, a couple of rows in front. I thought it was someone who worked at the local surgery or chemist shop. It was only when we disembarked and I saw her again, carrying some flowers, that I realised it was the Camilla.

We were also seated two or three rows behind Prince Edward’s wife, Sophie, and their children on another flight. They were very well behaved for young children, as they then were.

We walked into a local pub many years ago and Michael Bentine was in there having a good laugh with the bar staff. Also seen James Grout locally ( Insp. Morse superior officer).
In a cafe in Bath I saw the Norwegian girl vet who was famous for not being able to inject a kitten ( forgotten her name) with a group of friends.
More recently saw Frances de la Tour at an Italian airport getting very impatient with security.

I would never even notice.?
Also, there are so many look alikes out there it’s impossible to really know ( without any other evidence).
Our DS used to be stopped many times because ( in his 20’s)he looked like an actor in a popular ‘soap’.

We saw Brendan O'Carroll (Mrs Brown) having a cuppa at a service station. We parked next to his tour minibus.

I have seen several personalities over the years.

But the only ones I remember with any clarity are David Dimbleby (eating his lunch) and Frank Gardner (at Heathrow Airport and not a happy chap at that time - for good reason!).

Oh, and Kate Humble dog walking.
Or should I say Teg? She had her own programme on TV.

Fern Brittan- many times in a little village near Padstow during summer holidays. She used to ride her bike everywhere.

In the 1960s during the pantomime season, Ken Dodd lived in the flat above ours. Visitors first words at the door were generally “You will never guess who was in the lift with me!” During that time we didn’t see him once. Does not seeing someone count?

Not on this thread although it may have won a prize on the other thread!

Janet Ellis lived down the road from us so presumably Sophie Ellis Bextor did too but I can't remember them at all.

Bill Roach (Ken Barlow) and his family used to dine at the same restaurant as us. Their children were "lively"!