Famous people that you’ve met: What were they like?

Met Margaret Thatcher. Had Requested to visit us informally. Wore blue suit, hem unpressed, so it could be let up or down according to fashion. Was about 5ft 4ins. Lovely skin. Hooded eyes and hair colour better than seen on tv. Husband with her. He patted her hip with back of hand to get her to move faster. She was not amused. Later we all had tea in refectory.

Jane Asher is a good person.

I cooked a couple of suppers for Dame Hilda Bracket when he was appearing in Cornwall. Lovely and very clever. Made breakfast for The Levellers and also for Chumbawumba (the ones who threw water over Mrs Prescott) They were really nice actually. Met Twiggy at a book signing and she was just so nice and normal. Very tiny though, she'd never have made a catwalk model. I once found myself serving tea to Tony Robinson and asked him if I could have an autograph for my son. He was very sweet and did a lovely squiggly Baldrick signature. I got so many Brownie points for that one!

When DH was a minicab driver in London he met all sorts. He wasn't keen on Lulu but he used to go and collect fish and chips for Olivia Newton John who he adored. He took Jane Seymour to her screen test for Live And Let Die and he drove Peter Cook a lot. He and Peter seemed to get on very well and Peter wrote him into a sketch for his new show.

Which Mike Reid? The Eastenders one or the DJ ?

My brother is godfather to Chris Martin (of Coldplay). Also, when I worked in a hotel in Devon, I ironed Maurice Gibb (BeeGees) 's shirt before their gig. At the same hotel I used to make scrambled egg most evenings for Diana Rigg who was in a play in a nearby theatre. I also worked as a 'security guard' when Colin Firth (lovely!) was filming 'Mercy' in Devon.

Stayed in the same hotel, many years ago, as pop group Wham. George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley were in the next room to us.
They were utterly charming and handsome. Both signed autographs for my son which he lost not long after.

Neen, do tell, the goodies and the baddies.
i'm guessing many will have passed away by now, so there's no worry about legal action !

In the 70s I worked in a large hotel when Oliver Reed was staying there. He came down to dinner one night but was refused entry to the dining room because he wasn't wearing a tie, he went back to his room and returned wearing a tie............
and his pyjamas!

I met Sy King in the days before he was a Hairy Biker - he was full of himself and immeditely cracked a nasty joke at my expense.

My Dad also met Ronnie Corbett at the Bunny Club in Manchester. He had to advise Mr. Corbett that should he continue to try to touch the Bunny Girl waitresses, he would be asked to leave.

I met Jenni Murray once on a cruise ship where she was a lecturer and was meant to be friendly and mix with with the guests occasionally. She was incredibly standoffish and not at all friendly. As far as I could see she sat in a corner of the deck smoking with a large glass of red wine. Have no idea why she went on the ship….she didn’t look very happy and it was a fabulous trip.

Many (many!) moons ago when I worked with horses and taught (riding) at a riding school in Sussex, Dec Cluskey (remember him?) used to send his lovely mum along with his two young children, Oliver and Victoria. Victoria had riding lessons and Oliver, who was a toddler at that time, stayed in his push chair. After a few weeks Dec decided to join in the fun and booked himself in. We rode the horses out around the fields on many occasions, but, gosh, he was so tall we had to lengthen the stirrup leathers right down for him. He laughed when we first mentioned it and said “if you think I’m tall, you should meet my brother!” Now Dec was about 6’ 2”, so I dread to think how tall Con was! Dec was a truly lovely man - they were a lovely family - and rode regularly with us for about a year, maybe more, before they moved house.

tictacnana

Which Mike Reid? The Eastenders one or the DJ ?

The eastenders one.
Please don't tell me he's a family member.

I worked as a second secretary at the BBC in Light Entertainment in 1974, and was lucky enough to see lots of celebrities around the building and as they went into my boss's office. My best memory is Morecambe and Wise who 'danced' in to the office - probably the thought of the money their show had made them!

Over the three years I did have short chats with Michael Bentine, Bing Crosby, Ronnie Barker, and Kenneth Williams, and gave a coffee to David Essex. I stood in the lift with Dustin Hoffman but didn't say anything, he did smile at me Happy days, wish I was 17 again.

songstress60

I have never met anyone famous and what's more I don't really want to as they are all up themselves, and fond of dodging the tax system.

That is a rather unfair and sweeping statement, Songstress60

Vanessa Feltz and Margot Robbie.
Both very brief encounters, but neither of them were my cup of tea. Both very ‘up themselves’ as they say.
However, Tim Weeks from Bargain Hunt - another brief encounter - was an absolute delight!

Vanessa Feltz and Margot Robbie. Both very brief encounters, but neither of them were my cup of tea. Both very ‘up themselves’ as they say.
Tim Weeks from Bargain Hunt however, another brief encounter, was an absolute delight!

Brenda Blethyn, absolutely lovely.
Michael York, ditto.
Joan Collins quite unpleasant.
Bob Geldof, very rude.
Jane Merrow, charming.

I’m so sorry for posting twice.

Tony Hadley - right up himself. Seemed to look down on the fans as if we were a joke and he was better than us. Maybe just a bad day but I’ve not ‘followed’ him since.

MissAdventure

Mike Reid- lecherous and unpleasantly over friendly.

Oh I forgot about him! He used to come into the pub near my school, his daughter too. He was vile, all sneering and leering and she was scary.

Just to clear things up on behalf of the Mikes:

Mike Reid - radio DJ, still with us, blameless apart from odd UKIP connections

Mike Read - late comedian and Eastenders actor

Mike Reid

Mike Read

A million years ago when I was in the sixth form, a group of us went to see Derek Jacobi in a Shakespeare play and then hung around at the stage door. Richard Burton and Suzy Hunt turned up all dressed up for the night out. He chatted for a while and then asked us if we wanted his autograph. I regret to say that I declined and explained we were waiting for Derek Jacobi.

When our idol came out, it was clear they were all going out to dinner - he came up to them and greeted them. Richard Burton introduced us to him and said that dinner could wait a little because we deserved a chat and autographs after waiting so long.

Derek Jacobi was lovely and very professional, but Richard Burton was an utterly charming gentleman to us girls, and oh, that voice!

anyway fanny I am still impressed Frank Skinner was your teacher!