My Claim to Fame

[Hop_it]

Back in the late 1960s I helped to run a folk club in Wallingford. We had Mike Oldfield play there several times. This was before Tubular Bells and him becoming famous. I also sold him a Fender Jazz bass guitar, which one of the other musicians used in an informal band he set up. They played a concert at my school in Wallingford.

 

[Norfolk79]

I once saw Jake Humphrey at Bewilderwood in Norfolk, we were on the boat going across the “scaaaaary lake” and had to do a double take as he was sat on the boat with us. Nice chap (and fellow Norwich fan!)

I did meet Geoff Hurst too when I was about 10. Didn’t know who he was at the time though, doh!

 

[Leon103]

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!

I was in Hinterland. Is that my claim to fame?

 

[RichardM]

I got Bobby Moore's autograph on the train back to London from Manchester after United had beaten Fulham 1-0.
A bit of googling tells me that was Saturday April 12th 1975, a few weeks short of my 14th birthday.

 

[cushyno]

Comedian Ross Noble was briefly in the same Scout group as me and, if I recall correctly, attended only one summer camp. One of the boys hid his flip-flops in the wet pit (food slop hole dug into in the ground). He didn't come back!

 

[Hoppyland]

In the early 1970s, I worked in Saudi Arabia on a fisheries project in the Red Sea. During that time, Sir Peter Scott visited Saudi, to talk about setting up a Marine National Park in the Red Sea. We were detailed to take him snorkelling on the reef beside our coastal laboratory. So, I was told to stay close to one side of him and a colleague took the other. The idea was to protect him if any sharks got interested! God knows what we'd have done if one showed up!
He was a truly genuine and warm person. Also, I was amazed that, whilst we were in the water, he made a note of all the fish we saw. Dozens of different species, all with their Latin names. I obviously knew that he was a bird expert - but he was far better at identifying fish than I was - and I was employed as a marine biologist!

 

[DocAnna]

While at St A university the Dalai Lama was given an honorary degree and came to collect it in person. Before he went in to the hall he stood outside and talked to some of us who were waiting to go in, and shook hands with me and a few others, he was lovely, gently spoken with a smile that just made everyone else smile around him, and yes I was a bit star struck too .

Anna

 

[TonyT]

I was in Hinterland. Is that my claim to fame?

Haha, beats mine!

 

[Hop_it]

Comedian Ross Noble was briefly in the same Scout group as me and, if I recall correctly, attended only one summer camp. One of the boys hid his flip-flops in the wet pit (food slop hole dug into in the ground). He didn't come back!

No doubt it helped to make him the man he is today . . . . . . .
Take that any way you wish
PS - BTW I was born in Ormskirk, and lived for a while in Town Green.

 

[cushyno]

No doubt it helped to make him the man he is today . . . . . . .
Take that any way you wish

I used to see him ride past our house on his unicycle too.

 

[Hop_it]

I used to see him ride past our house on his unicycle too.

A man of many talents . . . . Clearly I have underestimated him

 

[Clint]

I once saw Jake Humphrey at Bewilderwood in Norfolk, we were on the boat going across the “scaaaaary lake” and had to do a double take as he was sat on the boat with us. Nice chap (and fellow Norwich fan!)

I did meet Geoff Hurst too when I was about 10. Didn’t know who he was at the time though, doh!

I have been to Bewilderwood!

 

[Clint]

My sister made Ricky Tomlinson's (Jim Royle) curtains! Ricky also visited my wife's shop to have a chat and a nose round as his daughter was setting up in dog grooming.
When he went in my sister's shop he said..."curtains my arse!".

 

[Clint]

Not me again...years ago my cousin was employed selling insurance..door to door and happened upon Ken Dodds house...he was there hours while Doddy gave him cups of tea and reeled off the gags..he never got a sale!

 

[YorkieBrew]

I had my photo taken with the one and only Peter Purves when I was a kid.

Also, my wife talked to some bloke who was married to Jordan when we were in a queue at a water park but I have no idea what his name was...

Another one, I appeared in a South American TV advert for a vegetarian restaurant chain

 

[CD]

If I had another Claim to Fame it would be that World Champion Racing Driver Mike Hawthorn once bought me a half pint of bitter, but it doesn’t really count as he also paid for everyone in the room’s drink as well!

 

[Clint]

My dad was down at Cardiff with some mates watching the rugby and after the game they were struggling with one of the gang who was arseholed and in a shape on the pavement...a limo pulled up...window winds down...inside is Tom Jones who says to get the pissedup bloke round the corner as the police were coming!!

 

[TonyT]

How tenuous can this be? My mates mother in law was in the same class at school as Eric Clapton.

 

[Clint]

How tenuous can this be? My mates mother in law was in the same class at school as Eric Clapton.

Well...as much as you like I suppose! I like to think that the ordinary person has some little glimpse of the rich and famous...even if it was a bit diluted!
Adding to...
My old mates dad ran an offy in Epsom years ago and used to deliver loads of booze to Windsor Davis.

 

[cushyno]

A few years back at a local trail race that's been going for over 50 years, that usually attracts about 400 runners on a muddy and icy February morning, I was standing with my mate at the start line thinking how I'll prepared i was once again. Only to look around and see some bloke limbering up enthusiastically doing sprints on the primary school field that serves as the race HQ. My mate quizzically looked at me and said, "Psycho?".

It transpired he wasn't referring to the dubious activities of said fellow limbering up but rather to the nickname this guy has acquired in a former life. Yes, we stood on the start line with Stuart Pearce and went on to finish well ahead of him after the tough 11km course. So I raced Stuart Pearce and beat him!