Encounters with celebrities

Oh yes, and the reference to Sienna Miller above has reminded me! I was her nanny for about a year when she was very young. Nice child. Older sister and the rest of the family were nuts tho.

Lemmy from Motorhead. He was in the private hospital I was an administrator at. He wandered round in grey underpants and had a locked dosset box of drugs. I wasn't super impressed not being a heavy metal fan, until he had to go to the local NHS hospital for scans and the crowd parted for him like Moses and the Red Sea.

When Sir Peter Ustinov was Rector at Durham Uni, I sat at the next table to him in a local hotel.
Saw Alan Bennett having tea in Betty’s in Harrogate.
Private dinner with the Duchess of Devonshire at Chatsworth with DH on Kennel Club business.
Had I seen Bryan Ferry in Durham Cathedral, I’d have thought I’d died and gone to Heaven!

Kenny Baker (R2D2) many times, as he lived very near me and our paths used to cross on our daily walks. My wee niece was mighty impressed that I was friends with R2D2

shysal

When I was a child I encountered Billy Cotton in a tea room in Burford.
Also, as a teenager, my friend and I met The Shadows and Frank Ifield in Oxford and were invited to the cinema (wives were present).

Yes, lots of celebs in my job as a cabin service director with British Airways. Part of my role was to visit each passenger separately in the First Class cabin and welcome them on board. Too many celebrities therefore to name, but I am pleased to report that the vast majority were delightful. Especially the very talented ones.
One of my favourites for sheer dottiness and a love to chat about all things to do with my forthcoming wedding was Mariah Carey, who was super-friendly and really wanted a good chat. Other ones who chatted for hours with the crew were Suzi Quattro (terrified of flying) and Sienna Miller.
Pearce Brosnan I’ve always thought seemed nice, but I was never a massive fan, however he was charm personified - kissing my hand both at the beginning and end of the flight!! James Corden who has been in the news recently for alleged boorish-type behaviour, again, was absolutely charming and fun and insisted on doing selfies with the crew etc. Also, all the Beckhams universally liked by everybody. I sadly missed Victoria, who all the crew said was very funny and nice, but met David B years’ ago and again, very charming and pleasant. So….. it’s always fun seeing celebs right in front of you but in general, most are delightful and often up for a little chat.

My sister and I have the ability to ignore celebrities! (Accidently of course). We were in a shop and the assistant was being all coy as she served the man in front of us. He smiled at us and we just looked at him, as he left the assistant said it was Orlando Bloom! Another time we were waiting to go into ITV studios for a show recording and Olly Murs came out and the people next to us took a selfie. He left them and came to us and we just stood there until he walked off. Again we had no idea who he was!

Can’t remember meeting any myself but the funniest story was when my Dad spoke to Ronnie Barker outside a hotel in the Cotswolds. He used to do weddings in his vintage car and had his head under the bonnet tinkering as he always did - He was chatting to Ronnie Barker about his car but didn’t really look up to take much notice of his face - it wasn’t until he left the doorman said to my Dad - do you realise who you were just talking to? 🤣

Thank you all for making this thread so interesting, I have so enjoyed reading all your encounters😀

John Dankworth and Cleo Laine shopping in Northampton (when we had decent shops). Patrick Moore at the Officers Mess ball in Cyprus - he was doing a lecture tour.
Sat opposite Arthur Bostrom and his wife at a sailing club dinner - he played the French policeman in 'All 'Allo.
Saw Judi Dench walking her dog on Brighton seafront.
Chatted with Princess Alexandra at a British High Commission reception in Singapore.
Sat behind Rory Bremner on a holiday flight to Crete; he kept reclining his seat back which annoyed DH no end. He sat behind us on the return flight, so DH got his own back!

I used to host book signings so too many to mention but favs were Sir David Jason and Charley Boorman not forgetting Al Murray (pub landlord) and the fire alarm went off on a wet and windy day,! He was happy to have lots of selfies done and Suggs was lovely too. most scared of, Nigella.

My husband has met a few whilst doing his job, Angela Rippon gave him her personal phone number as did David Bailey’s wife and Micheal Gambon popped out through a bush and offered to help him roll up his heavy hose pipes.
I have seen Jenny Agutter at out local garden centre and in Sainsburys.
The headmistress at the school where we worked was mortified that I had shown a famous footballer and his family around the school as she was unavailable at the time. I did not know the footballer and can’t even recollect his name now, he still enrolled his child at the school so he did not mind whether a teaching assistant or the headteacher did the job so status does not matter either way.

I have met both Katy ainsworth (little mo) and Jake wood (max branning) from eastenders in my local Waitrose they were both lovely, also I have met Adrian Scarborough (Pete sutcliffe) out of Gavin n Stacey he was really nice too

Seen a few
Denise van outen
David jason
Tony Hadley
Lorraine Kelly
Ulrika Johnson
Christopher Dean
Andy Sumner (police)
Jay kay
Chris Evans
John jenkins
Jean (from eastenders)
Steve macfaddon
Shane Richie

That's lovely Nell8. I'm jealous. I love John Betjemans poetry .

In 2013 I was on my way to work on our local bus when who should I spot walking down the high street but Mick Fleetwood. He dresses in such a way that you couldn't mistake him. I got off of the bus and ran back to the high street. I approached him and said "Please could I have your autograph Mr Fleetwood". He signed my chequebook and a woman who was with him took a photo of us which ended up in the local paper. It made it more special as I was going to the O2 to see Fleetwood Mac a few days later. I saw him again about a year later and it turned out that he had been staying in a converted stable holiday let in my town. I always hope that he will come back again one day.

One summer, back in the sixties, I worked as a hotel chambermaid. One of the guests was the poet laureate, John Betjeman. I had the chance to meet (and dust!) his two lifelong companions, Archie (Archibald Ormsby-Gore), a teddy, and Jumbo, an elephant.
Archie was the inspiration for Sebastian Flyte's teddy in Brideshead Revisited.
When Sir John died, Archie and Jumbo were in his arms.

Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden checked us for flying a light aircraft we hired at Santa Monica. We didn't recognise this charming well-spoken Englishman, an excellent pilot (as was my late DH).

I met Janis Ian after concerts in 2004 .. in Manchester and Sheffield, then in Liverpool in 2014 .. with Tom Paxton. She was lovely.

I’ve seen Gloria Hunniford in a greengrocer’s in Barnes, Joanna Lumley at Paddington Station, Hilary Mantel having a drink in a club near Green Park, Antonia Fraser at the Old Vic, Brian Sewell at the Coliseum, Keir Starmer at Marylebone Station, June Brown in a restaurant off Baker Street and sat across the aisle from Tom Baker on a plane.

OK, my most e vied poster up to now is kate1950.

Though, I did sit peacefully in a pew in Durham cathedral next to a sexy looking chap. Didn't make eye contact - well I am British. After he moved, DH asked if I had realised that it was Brian Ferry.

Martin Kemp came into my store years ago he was so lovely and I once sold Steve Davis the snooker player a pair of trainers

My only claim to fame was not actually meeting anyone, but waking up in Ibiza (1995ish) to the sound of music on the beach. It was ITV filming the breakfast show, with Anthea Turner, Simon Biagi, Peter André and Mr. Motivator. The beach was packed!
I could only admire Peter André for dancing in the Mediterranean heat in a leather jacket! Our teenager daughter was enthralled by the whole thing. 😎

As a teenager I met Tommy steele, Cliff Richard, Terry Dean, I used to frequent the 2 II's coffee bar. Then in later years when I was an army wife and lived in Germany I shook hands with King Charles III, (Prince Charles at the time) he was Col in chief of the Regiment we were attached to and visited. Something funny re this visit, it was a Welsh Regiment and the mascot was a goat, the goat was paraded into the Officers Mess when King Charles was there and the goat disgraced himself by 'pooping' on the floor. He was arrested, put in jail and had his cigarette ration cancelled for a month as punishment. That was the goat NOT the King. lol

Walking outside Burlington Arcade I saw Christopher Lee. I absolutely beamed at him. He gave me the most glorious smile back 😊

Aged 21 I had to be rescued from Robert Plant's Hotel room. I was v v drunk at the time... He kept saying 'Baby, we would be so good together...' Thank you Sharona for saving me!!!

Greg Lake took me to a Japanese restaurant. He came back to my flat. I went into the kitchen for wine. Coming into the sitting room, he was sat on the sofa with his old chap out. He asked me to touch it. I declined...

I've never bumped into anybody famous - as far as I know. My only claim to fame is that as a very young teenager I had a friend whose claim to fame was that Helen Shapiro had stepped on his foot. Talk about 'I danced with a man who danced with a girl'...I've no idea who most celebrities are now .