Famous people you've met thread

[inkpenspur]

Ken Livingstone, Rowan Atkinson, Jackie Stewart, John Schlesinger, Barry Sheene, Jude Law, Toby Jones, Matt Lucas, David Baddiel, Rachel Weisz, Rubens Barrichello, Niko Rosberg, Stuart Pearce, Mark Knopfler, Edgar Davids, Wills and Kate, Sting, Jack Purviss (leader of the Jawa's in Star Wars), John Conti, George Michael, Hank Marvin, Richard Baker, Steve Bull, George Cohen, Jeremy Vine....

 

[Crawley]

Crawley.

I wasn't famous then though.




Have met loads of players over time.
Used to work with Louise Redknapps mum, and sat a few seats from them one match, so got introduced to Louise and got a crafty kiss.

At Gatwick, have met :
Bruce Forsyth...charming
Ronnie Corbett....arrogant git
Phil Collins....rude
George Michael.....psychotic
Michelle Collins (Eastenders/Corrire)....had a big argument about her checking in a large bag. She wasn't happy.
Sam Fox (80s page 3 girl)...poison dwarf
Martin Clunes....hilarious
Frank Carson......I tried telling him a joke. He didn't get it.
Emlyn Hughes (ex liverpool capt.).....big head

Went to a Virgin Group staff party at Richard Bransons house, in Oxfordshire, and met Richard himself. Had a chat as it happened to be my birthday.

Blimey....loads more I've probably forgotten now.

Loads of golfers from the European tour. Sam Torrence was a laugh.

Oh, had lunch with golf commentator Peter Allis. Wonderful orator. I hardly eat a thing as I was so intrigued by his chat.
Also had lunch in same small dining room as Sky golf team Ewen Murray and david Livingstone. Good bit of banter going on, they were well tinkled.

 

[billyiddo]

Richard Bransons house ?

come on Crawley elaborate on that one !

 

[Crawley]

Richard Bransons house ?

come on Crawley elaborate on that one !

Before the Virgin group got as big as it is now (trains, money, media etc) and when Virgin Atlantic was his pride and joy, he would hold a yearly party for staff at his estate in kidlingtom.
Massive grounds..........loads of entertainment including a full stage with groups playing. Balloon rides, all sorts of stuff....fun fair, you know, that type of stuff.

My missus worked for them, and got tickets, which included tokens for so much free booze and food.

He even opened up his own house and pool to everyone. It was the best of times!!!! Nothing secretive about it, was just a very generous gesture.

 

[mick cooper]

I wasn't famous then though.




Have met loads of players over time.
Used to work with Louise Redknapps mum, and sat a few seats from them one match, so got introduced to Louise and got a crafty kiss.

At Gatwick, have met :
Bruce Forsyth...charming
Ronnie Corbett....arrogant git
Phil Collins....rude
George Michael.....psychotic
Michelle Collins (Eastenders/Corrire)....had a big argument about her checking in a large bag. She wasn't happy.
Sam Fox (80s page 3 girl)...poison dwarf
Martin Clunes....hilarious
Frank Carson......I tried telling him a joke. He didn't get it.
Emlyn Hughes (ex liverpool capt.).....big head

.

Does it really surprise you that people aren't at their best at airports? Particularly if its the end of their journey.

 

[billyiddo]

Before the Virgin group got as big as it is now (trains, money, media etc) and when Virgin Atlantic was his pride and joy, he would hold a yearly party for staff at his estate in kidlingtom.
Massive grounds..........loads of entertainment including a full stage with groups playing. Balloon rides, all sorts of stuff....fun fair, you know, that type of stuff.

My missus worked for them, and got tickets, which included tokens for so much free booze and food.

He even opened up his own house and pool to everyone. It was the best of times!!!! Nothing secretive about it, was just a very generous gesture.

excellent - he does come across as a pretty down to earth guy and seems like he's really out to enjoy his money

 

[Crawley]

Does it really surprise you that people aren't at their best at airports? Particularly if its the end of their journey.

Mick, this is a thread about famous people you've met. There was no qualifying criteria. I've simply commented on how i found them at the time.

And just to point out, all of those mentioned were at the start of their journey, not the end, as i used to work on check-in many years back.

 

[mick cooper]

Mick, this is a thread about famous people you've met. There was no qualifying criteria. I've simply commented on how i found them at the time.

And just to point out, all of those mentioned were at the start of their journey, not the end, as i used to work on check-in many years back.

That wasn't clear. It wasn't a criticism of you, just an observation on your comments.

You don't need to be so touchy about everything I say.

 

[Crawley]

That wasn't clear. It wasn't a criticism of you, just an observation on your comments.

You don't need to be so touchy about everything I say.

er, not touchy Mick.
Merely responding in the same way you , yourself do. Facts and corrections.

 

[mick cooper]

er, not touchy Mick.
Merely responding in the same way you , yourself do. Facts and corrections.

Part of what prompted my question was that I witnessed, first hand, Jeremy Clarkson behaving like a completely arrogant ****, and can't help wondering whether I saw a bad snapshot of him in an uncharacteristic moment, or whether he really is like that all the time.

I don't know of any examples of the behaviour of the people you met, apart from Phil Collins - who I have been told is a really nice guy, friendly to fans etc etc I personally have no knowledge to draw on, as I've never met him.

Like you say, their character wasn't the thrust of the thread, I was just interested that was all

 

[Crawley]

Part of what prompted my question was that I witnessed, first hand, Jeremy Clarkson behaving like a completely arrogant ****, and can't help wondering whether I saw a bad snapshot of him in an uncharacteristic moment, or whether he really is like that all the time.

I don't know of any examples of the behaviour of the people you met, apart from Phil Collins - who I have been told is a really nice guy, friendly to fans etc etc I personally have no knowledge to draw on, as I've never met him.

Like you say, their character wasn't the thrust of the thread, I was just interested that was all

Ok, fair point. A lot of my contacts with the rich and famous are indeed brief and one-offs, so in that respect, some of my comments are indeed first impressions. But I can only comment from what I've seen first hand.
Some of those mentioned above I've met several times though, so the opinion was formed over time.

Re: Phil Collins.......I also heard from others that he is a nice guy, but his behaviour on the day we crossed paths was totally un-warranted. No flight delays, no issues with excess bags or ticket problems....nothing. He was quite simply an arsehole to the staff dealing with him.
Compare him with Bruce Forsyth, who was being hounded by autograph hunters and obviously just wanted to escape. Yet when I spoke to him, he was an absolute gent, and was happy to talk, and thanked me for my assistance.

Just a comparison really.......it doesn't take much to be polite, and a few of these "celebs" should realise this.

 

[mick cooper]

Ok, fair point. A lot of my contacts with the rich and famous are indeed brief and one-offs, so in that respect, some of my comments are indeed first impressions. But I can only comment from what I've seen first hand.
Some of those mentioned above I've met several times though, so the opinion was formed over time.

Re: Phil Collins.......I also heard from others that he is a nice guy, but his behaviour on the day we crossed paths was totally un-warranted. No flight delays, no issues with excess bags or ticket problems....nothing. He was quite simply an arsehole to the staff dealing with him.
Compare him with Bruce Forsyth, who was being hounded by autograph hunters and obviously just wanted to escape. Yet when I spoke to him, he was an absolute gent, and was happy to talk, and thanked me for my assistance.

Just a comparison really.......it doesn't take much to be polite, and a few of these "celebs" should realise this.

couldn't agree more. I was bought up to believe that it costs nothing to be polite, which is why it antagonises me when people don't do it to me.

 

[Park Lane James]

A lot of motorsport folk through my old man:

Barry Sheene (sad to say, arrogant bastard)
David Coulthard (top bloke, was giving me some banter when I was around 12 years old)
Damon Hill (tosser)
Gerhard Berger
Kenny Roberts
Kevin Schwantz
Randy Mamola
Giacomo Agostini
John Surtees

There are more, some of which I cannot remember

Spurs players:

Pat Jennings
Phil Beal (great personality, he's been round for tea at our house and accompanied us on our trip away to Shamrock Rovers!)
Nayim
Marc Falco
Cliff Jones

Oh, and George Lucas

In a few weeks I'll be able to meet Kenny Roberts again, one of my idols when growing up. And I might have the chance to meet Valentino Rossi also, who was/is my favourite sportsman. When you're younger I think that those famous people you meet are like stars, but once you get older you seem to regard them as other human beings that have achieved a lot in their lives. I wouldn't bother them if I saw them walking around in the street, for example.

 

[spurspinter1]

Met Joey Barton at a bar in Liverpool at three in the morning two days ago, considered baiting him to hit me but thought better of it.

 

[Gifter]

Met quite a few, but the one worth mentioning was mother teresa, at mother house in Calcutta. Worked in one of her missions back in 95.

Didn't seek to meet her, but was my first day of volunteering so had asked others when and where they met (to then go to work), to my shock they said 6am (work started at 8am) outside the salvation army hostel, I wouldn't have met them had I known they were going that early as they were all Catholics and it was sunday so they were going to mass at mother house first (Duh, go figure!). So we went to the mass (although I considered myself an atheist at that time) and the mother gave part of it, then they announced that they had a couple of Australian preachers of the calendar method after mass they would like us to hear, at that point I thought 'I'm not interested in this and am really nervous about working, I'll go out and have a fag whilst they do this talk' so I got up and left and she was standing in the doorway, I shook her hand and went completely blank (what do you say?).

It was one of the best days of my life, not really meeting her per se, but phoning home and telling my mum I was working there and met her (it wasn't planned, I just met some folks who worked there when I was on my way to Thailand, then on the way back thought, I'm going to volunteer it seemed like a cool thing to do).

Met her again when I was forced to register (as I hadn't, didn't know I needed to), but this time she was surrounded by other volunteers and I just hung back and let them have their moment/time with her.

She was very very small and wrinkly, but had a presence I've never encountered before or since (though maybe that was just my perception rather than anything real).

 

[paxtonwolf]

Working for a Builders Merchant I dont get much chance to see real celebs. Had a few list 'c' listers come into the various depots I've worked at
Arjan de Zeeuw
Chris Bisson (Emmerdale/Coronation Street)
Sammy McIlroy
Helen Worth (Gail from Coronation Street)
Matthew Corbett (no Sooty though!)

No great shakes i'm afraid

 

[spasm]

dexter and his sister/wife

 

[thfcsteff]

Through my work I have spent 28 years around very famous people, but this story is absolutely the best ever. What a story! What a life experience.
Your comment on presence is 'chicken & egg' mate...very few people have that 'presence' and when you're in and around it, you are both instantly hit with it and then question if it was as real as your thought it was. I think it is. Because I haven't felt it very often, but when I have, it's electric (i.e. most famous people don't have that electricity, only a rare few).

Fantastic story mate, really saw it as I was reading it...

Met quite a few, but the one worth mentioning was mother teresa, at mother house in Calcutta. Worked in one of her missions back in 95.

Didn't seek to meet her, but was my first day of volunteering so had asked others when and where they met (to then go to work), to my shock they said 6am (work started at 8am) outside the salvation army hostel, I wouldn't have met them had I known they were going that early as they were all Catholics and it was sunday so they were going to mass at mother house first (Duh, go figure!). So we went to the mass (although I considered myself an atheist at that time) and the mother gave part of it, then they announced that they had a couple of Australian preachers of the calendar method after mass they would like us to hear, at that point I thought 'I'm not interested in this and am really nervous about working, I'll go out and have a fag whilst they do this talk' so I got up and left and she was standing in the doorway, I shook her hand and went completely blank (what do you say?).

It was one of the best days of my life, not really meeting her per se, but phoning home and telling my mum I was working there and met her (it wasn't planned, I just met some folks who worked there when I was on my way to Thailand, then on the way back thought, I'm going to volunteer it seemed like a cool thing to do).

Met her again when I was forced to register (as I hadn't, didn't know I needed to), but this time she was surrounded by other volunteers and I just hung back and let them have their moment/time with her.

She was very very small and wrinkly, but had a presence I've never encountered before or since (though maybe that was just my perception rather than anything real).

 

[Gifter]

Through my work I have spent 28 years around very famous people, but this story is absolutely the best ever. What a story! What a life experience.
Your comment on presence is 'chicken & egg' mate...very few people have that 'presence' and when you're in and around it, you are both instantly hit with it and then question if it was as real as your thought it was. I think it is. Because I haven't felt it very often, but when I have, it's electric (i.e. most famous people don't have that electricity, only a rare few).

Fantastic story mate, really saw it as I was reading it...

Thanks Steff. The real life experience was the actual work though. It was giving care to sick and dyeing destitutes, which was just beautiful, in a strange way. It made me realise that (to my mind) we have sold a big chunk of our souls down the river for living the way we do in the west. The patients, who were only admitted to die, had such a bright spirit to them, it really was profound and life changing.

I rarely ever meet westerners who have what they had, the glint in the eye, the positivity which they exuded, yet they were dyeing in destitution. Conversely we live this life of comfort which seems to dull this spirit somehow (except in the rarest of occasions). It reinforced in me the knowledge that life really is not at all about how much money you make, it is somthing much deeper than that, which (as said) these people still had.

On this theme, I have a friend who took a vow and spent a year in silence (he worked as well, but would only communicate via writing notes!), and, is currently living outside for a year (and he lives in Iceland and/or Norway!), who has this presence exuding from him, he also cares not for money or comforts as you might expect and gives away what he has regularly.

These people inspire me deeply.

 

[thfcsteff]

Thanks Steff. The real life experience was the actual work though. It was giving care to sick and dyeing destitutes, which was just beautiful, in a strange way. It made me realise that (to my mind) we have sold a big chunk of our souls down the river for living the way we do in the west. The patients, who were only admitted to die, had such a bright spirit to them, it really was profound and life changing.

I rarely ever meet westerners who have what they had, the glint in the eye, the positivity which they exuded, yet they were dyeing in destitution. Conversely we live this life of comfort which seems to dull this spirit somehow (except in the rarest of occasions). It reinforced in me the knowledge that life really is not at all about how much money you make, it is somthing much deeper than that, which (as said) these people still had.

On this theme, I have a friend who took a vow and spent a year in silence (he worked as well, but would only communicate via writing notes!), and, is currently living outside for a year (and he lives in Iceland and/or Norway!), who has this presence exuding from him, he also cares not for money or comforts as you might expect and gives away what he has regularly.

These people inspire me deeply.

Mate,

That is an incredible experience to have had. My son is 20, my daughter is 7, so my primary role is to be as good a parent as I can for them, but once my daughter's out and in the world, my wife and I have discussed doing something like you have done.

And yes, you are on the money.
I have, since I was a teenager, tried to choose time over money every time. the older I get, the better that choice is. I've always worked to my own schedule so as I can take 30, 40 mins to sit and, I dunno, pet the cat or walk the dog, simple stuff. i get my work done (a lot of night-writing to be fair) but time is the biggest luxury we have. I agree absolutely that money has become the top of society's pyramid, and that it is THIS which is bringing us down spiritually...I think you'll find the likes of Gordy would heartily agree.

I would be appreciative of any more stories like these you wish to share. Because yes mate, they ARE very inspirational and affirming.

I think it's always a continual motion towards the ultimate goal of being 'in the moment' as I believe it's very hard to achieve this 100% in urban society, but I think I'm getting closer every day, it feels like it anyway...

Again, thanks for sharing...YOU are inspiring to me mate...