h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This month's Create theme is A87874537 July Create: A Brush With Fame
I thought I'd support Create by asking if anyone has any thoughts/experiences on either being famous themselves or encountering a famous person?

Have you had fifteen minutes of fame – appeared in the newspaper or on the local news for some reason?

Have you ever met a celebrity? For example, I once ate fish & chips with Sir Alan Parker, who directed the film 'Fame' in 1980. That's not a very interesting story, but I'm sure you can tell me a better one.

Again, depending on whether we get enough contributions, the aim is to see if this can inspire the creation of an entry in PeerReview or <./>ThePost</.>.
If you've got a fun story that takes more than, say, two or three paragraphs to tell, why not consider contributing it to directly?

<BB<

I sang the "Star-Spangled Banner" at a Red Sox game in fenway Park in Boston recently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkfQOXTEgN8

I was part of a 60-voice choral group, and the song only lasted a little opver one minute, but it was still awesome

I was in a college musical ["Roar of the greaspaint"] with Natalie Cole many years ago.

I attended a poetry reading by film director Stephen Gyllenhaal in 2006, and sat near his family.

But mostly I don't go looking for the spotlight.

Natalie 'daughter of Nat King' Cole...?

<BB<

Here's my favourite celebrity encounter A87836304

I have had 15 seconds of fame in my youth, as a small blond disabled child was considered very picturesque so I used to get photographed for the newspapers whenever I went to a charity event (even though it meant that the people who actually ran the events were sidelined as a result)

I met Mrs Thatcher in 1986. I was in the sixth form and our 'Young Enterprise' company was sponsored by ICI. So when ICI were opening a new headquarters, we were there as an example if ICI's Good Works in the local community. And the celebrity opening the new headquarters was the serving Prime Minister (a chemistry graduate IIRC, hence the connection).

Our company had made and marketed various products but the one that interested her most was the coffee table. She thought it was a nice size, sturdy, and a good height - 'It's very important to be able to get the vacuum cleaner under it,' she said, miming a vacuuming action.

I think she would have liked to talk more, and found out about Young Enterprise and what we'd learnt from it (ironically I'd learnt that I didn't want to work in business and was starting to think about a career in public service). But her aides hurried her on.

Mol

I once sang a few madrigals in a group of four singers for the opening of a music exhibition at Marsh's Library, a very old library in Dublin. There were only about 10 people at the grand opening, but one of them was the President of Ireland, Mary Robinson.

I worked in theatre for a few years so met a few "stars". However, my favourite was the night I had dinner with Superman. It was at a grand dinner after the opening of Into The Woods at the Phoenix in London. Shortly after the final curtain, the actors gathered on the red carpet to be swept away by a fleet of limos. Stage management and crew were expected to make their own way to the venue for the after show party but the Crew Chief had paid for limos to take us too - probably a month's wages right there! So we arrived at this fancy ballroom to be greeted by a rather bemused papparazzi who nevertheless snapped away at us in case we were sort of famous - we of course played up to this. Once inside, glamorous hostesses ensured your champagne glass never emptied and we were treated to a buffet of stuffed quails and other exotic stuff I've never heard of. I found myself at a table with Nicholas Parsons who was accompanied by a beautiful girl who fed him radishes all night, like an Egyptian Pharoah being fed grapes. One of the older actresses in the show was sat beside me, loudly confiding that rich food gave her the runs along with anecdotes about London gangsters. Most interesting for me though was I was sat directly opposite Christopher Reeve - Superman! I have to admit to being a bit star struck and all I can really remember is he was teetotal and incredibly tall. We did chat but I had imbibed quite a lot of the neverending champagne by that time so he was probably just being polite to the burbling, gurgling Scotsman. However, the fact remains, I have had dinner with Superman!

"Natalie 'daughter of Nat King' Cole...?" [Bluebottle]

Yes. We also sang together in a large choral group. She was serious about everything she did. I'm glad that she went on to a good career, and sorry about her later health problems. I idolize her father as one of the most deeply musical people I've ever heard.

I once handed Russell Harty his hotel key. He didn't break off his conversation to acknowledge me in any way, shape or form, which I considered rude in the extreme. Courtesy doesn't cost anything.

I judge people on their manners.

Deb

Some of us try extra hard to be polite to compensate for the ones who aren't.

Sasha, I see that you're experience has been in : A87836917 August Create: Memorable Encounters at the Queen Convention
Swl & Paulh, I think that's exactly the sort of contributions that are looking for – would you be happy to submit your encounters to that?

Most of the famous people I've met I've mentioned in <./>ThePost</.> too. The only famous person I've met this year is Matt Le Tissier and I've already discussed him.

Curiously over the weekend I've seen posters of my Dad all over the Island. He was one of the organisers of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway's 1940s weekend, and they advertised with posters of him in 1940s clothing. He'd also promoted it on local radio. Does that count as fame?

It was a very good event – just a shame the Spitfire crashed…

<BB<

Feel free to use that wherever you like.

I also once met and chatted to Terry Wogan.

Well, when I say "met", we bumped into each other in a TV studio corridor.

And when I say "chatted" he just said "Get out of my way"

I've also been called a clumsy oaf by Lionel Blair and Dr Who once said I had the worst Mancunian accent ever, it made his ears bleed

Which Dr Who?

David Tennant

Bet Smudger879n could tell a tail or two being a member of the crew on the RY Britania

Contributing to my 'fifteen minutes' I can recall;
Been an extra in Chariots of Fire, I was told off for wearing a ' modern watch', yes it was digital and I thought it was pretty cool!
Been interviewed on French local television during a school trip to the Somme, I was told off for wearing a Black Sabbath tee shirt!
I have bumped into ( literally ) Prince Charles, Bernard Breslaw, Bill Shankly, Lemmy, Bon Scott, David Draiman, Richard O'Brien and the guy who played Paul Robinson in Neighbours, only the future king didn't tell me off ( directly anyway!)
My arm appears in an Indiana Jones movie , think it was the third. Escaped a telling off as I was in uniform and it fitted the scene, later told off for eating the actors doughnuts from the catering van!
I was interviewed for Good Morning , a British breakfast show about how to make the perfect cup of tea, I was told off by my boss at the time for appearing on tv miles away from where I should've been! Oops.
I have said hello to the queen twice and Brian May once. Was told off for speaking before I was spoken to...Elizabeth not Brian that is!
I have appeared on several motorcycle shows, I was told off by one of the presenters for allegedly talking to her boobs! Why else did anyone watch Men and Motors?
I have been followed around for six months by a Discovery Channel film crew and was thoroughly told off on numerous occasions by my wife and the producer/director for not taking it seriously!
It would appear that the only thing I am likely to be remembered for in the annals of pop culture is the guy who was always being shouted at for buggering around in the background!

FWR.

"Swl & Paulh, I think that's exactly the sort of contributions that thepost are looking for – would you be happy to submit your encounters to that" [Bluebottle]

I'd be fine with that.

I can't get over him having a third arm - now that's a story.

I have absolutely no claim at all. My 30-second brush with fame came in about 1964 when I was chosen to present a bouquet to Virginia McKenna who was very popular at the time (it was about the time of Born Free). It was at Newmarket Races. We were there with our Junior Red Cross troop, ostensibly to supervise the kiddies' playground, and I was picked because my uniform happened to be cleanest.

I've just looked up Born Free -it was in 1966, so that would have been the year, then.

So - you go with FWR. He obviously has many a tale to tell, naughty boy.

I've handed a medal for participating in a student comical musical piece, to Max von Sydow. That dude is TALL!