My Claim to Fame

[Begbie]

Met a few celebrities and sportspersons over the years, but there is one that stands out the most, and was a very surreal moment. Through my job, I lived in Brazil for a while, and one night, the wife and I sat in the apartment watching Marley & Me, starring Owen Wilson. The next night, we're in our local bar for a few quiet drinks after a nice meal, and in walks Owen bloody Wilson! He wouldn't pose for a photo unfortunately, and wasn't the most chatty person. His loss!

Will still not beat my workmate who met Pele and had a conversation with him about a new guy to look out for called Neymar. I hoped that I would someday meet Maradona and better/equal his claim to fame, but that's not going to happen now!

 

[Bold_Ron]

Mrs B and I were on holiday in South Africa a few years back and visited some of her Uni fiends who were working in Cape Town.

We were having a couple of beers in a pub garden as they had their young children with them when a rather irate woman approached us to inform us that their eldest child had threatened to strangle her son if he didn't let him in front of him in the queue for the slide.

We apologised to her for his behaviour and turned round to apologise to the boy too and received a particularly dirty look from his father, one Vic Reeves.

We also sat next to Bill Oddie (in full bird watching regalia) on a flight from the USA to the UK.

 

[Shirley Bassett]

I was once in Wilson Airport in Nairobi, waiting for a light aircraft flight to Samburu, when Rowan Atkinson and his family walked by. He looked very pale. Being a fan I tried to talk to him, but he wasn’t having any. I thought what a miserable *******.

A few weeks later I was back in work, and I relayed the story to a colleague.

He replied I aren’t surprised he wasn’t in a talkative mood. While you were away it was reported that Rowan Atkinson and his family had been on a light aircraft and the pilot had passed out. The family tried to revive the pilot while Rowan took control of the plane despite his complete lack of any piloting experience.

 

[MmmBeer]

As a toddler I lived next door to Arthur Mullard
In my early 20's I drank in the same pub as Phil Tufnell, he bought us a round of beers once
Whilst doing a local pub quiz, I was helped with an answer by a stranger, when I turned to look round, it was Mark Williams of Fast Show fame (suits you sir)
Been in a pub with several other celebs including Robert Powell, Sean Bean, Niall Quinn, Paul Dickov, Frank McLintock, Paul Henry and Henry Kelly
Whilst watching a football match on a screen in an airport departure lounge, someone asked me the score, it was ex Villa manager Brian Little, later saw Freddie Starr in the smokers room at same airport

 

[Hoffmonkey]

I was just walking into HMV/equivalent music store on Oxford Street about 18 years ago. As a tall attractive woman was leaving the shoplifting warning alarm went off. She looked at me and winked and smiled and said "Damn, thought I was going to get away with that!". It was Zoe Ball.

 

[Hop_it]

Back at the end of November 2019 I had been invited to a gathering of some old work colleagues in Köln. I was in the hotel gents toilet having a pee, and watching the tropical fish in a large aquarium tank mounted in the wall immediately above the urinals when in walks Motsi Mabuse (Strictly Come Dancing judge for those who don't know) with a toddler. She apologised for the interruption, but remained there whilst I finished my business to show her child the fish. . . . . . . I was speechless.
She appeared again in her finery with her entourage in the hotel bar later that evening, and gave me a nod and a smile as she walked past where I was seated. . . . . . I almost choked on my Kölsch.
I learnt later that she frequently stays in this hotel when she is filming the German version of Strictly.

 

[thunderfingers]

I was in the Royal Navy in the 80s and in 1983 I think it was my ship ended up in Banjul in Gambia, we went for a few beers and a swim at a hotel, sat by the pool I got talking to Barry Sheene for an hour or so, really nice bloke

 

[Rover69]

I Shook Dennis Franz from NYPD Blue Hand,he was in Edinburgh for Christmas a few year back.Had a quick chat with William H Macy on train from Manchester to Edinburgh.He had been in Manchester researching for Shameless USA.

 

[Donegal john]

I was standing outside a bookshop in Derry when I was in my early 20’s (a normal Saturday hangout to watch the lovely ladies shopping) when I noticed a large gentleman walking up the street and he had the largest feet I have ever seen. I immediately clocked him as sir terry Waite. He stopped and chatted to us (all long haired denim jacket wearing rockers) for half an hour and was an extremely interesting man.

 

[Crappyfish]

Got champagne on me off Freddy Mercury. Nuff said. Went for a pint with Melvyn Brag lol bit weird when we were in our local and walked in with him.

 

[TonyT]

A couple of years ago I was in the gents toilet in the City Arms in Cardiff making room for more beer, and I realised that the bloke next to me was the bloke that plays the DI in Hinterland (neu Y Gwyll yn Gymraeg). I didn’t say anything as I make a point of not striking up conversations in public toilets!

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I was on page 3 of the sun.

I saw you!

...never bought the Sun after that.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Tommy Walsh and I acknowledged each other at Alton Towers. I think he was a bit star struck

 

[RichardM]

A couple of years ago I was in the gents toilet in the City Arms in Cardiff making room for more beer, and I realised that the bloke next to me was the bloke that plays the DI in Hinterland (neu Y Gwyll yn Gymraeg). I didn’t say anything as I make a point of not striking up conversations in public toilets!

The City Arms is one of my favourite Cardiff pubs, but I've never met anyone famous there

 

[VW911]

I once shared a lift (as in elevator, not hitch hiking) with Gary Rhodes.

Ironically, when I was chatting to Gary Rhodes, the steward was serving him coffee. He declined sugar, but at the time he was advertising Silver Spoon sugar on TV!

 

[Clint]

For those who go fishing...I've met loads from the carp fishing fraternity over the years...
Kevin Nash,Gary Bayes,Lee Jackson,Julian Cundiff,Simon Crow, Rob Hughes..all but one I liked...but then they might not have liked me!

 

[pilgrimhudd]

I went for a drink with Tina from S Club 7.

Not mine but my friend was training to be a paramedic and working in an Emergency Dept practicing taking blood, in came quite an unwell Christopher Lee and my friend was sent in to take his blood, he struggled to resist the urge to throw back the curtain and go 'Muahahahaha i've come to take your blood'!

 

[cushyno]

I was on the school field on evening as a kid playing football with a couple of mates. This bloke strolled across the field looking dodgy. One of the lads ran over to him with a scrap of paper he'd grabbed from the bushes. We all got an autograph each of the then Newcastle goalkeeper, Kevin Carr. Don't know why he was on that field, he didn't live anywhere near our village.

Was at my mates wedding in Glasgow coming down to the party in the lift with my better half. Some bloke started coughing, trying to like clear his throat. Fella just couldn't contain himself and blurted out "do you know you're sharing a lift with Alex Ferguson?". We glanced covertly at each other and decided not to acknowledge the tosser. So when the lift doors opened, said tosser and diminutive a Sir Alex had to squeeze past us to get out. My wife is an ardent Liverpool supporter!

Once climbing in the Lake District on castle rock I heard this voice being carried on the wind from below that I vaguely recognised. Gradually the voice got louder and closer but still out if sight, until I found myself starting eye-to-eye across the rock face at one Sir Christian Bonnington. To say I was speechless would be an understatement.

 

[Brianbrewed]

Had tea and sandwiches with Martin McGuinness once in Stormont (Belfast).

 

[Cestrian]

Tommy Walsh and I acknowledged each other at Alton Towers. I think he was a bit star struck

I met Anthea Turner in the queue for the cork screw