Minor Famous People Spotting

[Egg Centric]

Approximately an hour ago, I crossed the road and coming the other way was Tim from Wetherspoons.

I had nothing to say so just discreetly gawked. If I'd had had a business card I might have tried to sell him some software, but it's a long time since I've carried them.

What people of minor fame have you fleetingly seen recently? For the purposes of this thread, neither proper significant encounters nor genuine fame count. They need to be fairly obscure.

 

[Ashley Hill]

I see Giles and Mary from Gogglebox occasionally. It’s not a show I watch so I never mention it when I see them.
Tim Martin is a regular user of railways but I never speak as I might upset him.

 

[m0ffy]

I walked past Ed Miliband on the stairs at the Royal Albert Hall about ten years ago.

 

[SuspectUsual]

We bumped into remaining Hairy Biker Si King in Sunderland a couple of weeks ago

 

[Bevan Price]

I wouldn't recognise most such people even if I fell over them.......

 

[DerekC]

I am not sure where the boundary between "minor fame" and "genuine fame" comes exactly, but I did come face to face with Martin Clunes in a farm shop a couple of years ago. The problem is that your brain starts to respond as though you are meeting someone you are on nodding terms with. Oh, and I nearly ran over Roy Hattersley many years ago, and I bet nobody else remembers him, so he definitely counts!

 

[brad465]

I sat infront of comedian Kathy Burke on a train between Paddington and Exeter in January 2020. What was interesting was the ticket inspector (who recognised her along with the trolley guy) pointed out she had a first class ticket but was sat in standard, to which she replied she thought she was in first, which a) fit in with her public personality, and b) was probably the best compliment to the seats on an IET someone has ever given.

 

[baz962]

Gwyneth Strong on a promenade , she nodded. Eric Hall crossing a zebra crossing in front of me. Giant from gladiators I'm pretty sure got off my train , before the new gladiators really started . Delivered wine to Christopher Biggins. Delivered a package to Leo Sayer .mind you I have met a lot of really famous people too.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Once saw Stewart Ainsworth from Time Team standing on the platform at Warrington Bank Quay as the train I was on pulled in.

 

[spyinthesky]

Spotting young famous people, I’d be very careful if I were you

 

[Egg Centric]

Spotting young famous people, I’d be very careful if I were you

Young is clearly a very relative term if you're applying it to any of the folk mentioned in this thread so far!

 

[GusB]

Delivered a package to Leo Sayer

Did you make him feel like dancin' afterwards?

While I can't proclaim to have met many celebrities in person, over the years I have had interactions with a few famous people in the course of my work.

I'm not going to name living people, but I once had the pleasure of assisting the late Keith Chegwin with a certain matter; he was an absolute gent and he brightened up what had been a fairly rubbish day.

 

[Ostrich]

Mrs.O spotted Pippa Haywood in our local Waitrose - apparently she lives locally.
"That's Pippa Haywood", she hissed at me.
"Who??" I said, looking around wildly .....

 

[spyinthesky]

Young is clearly a very relative term if you're applying it to any of the folk mentioned in this thread so far!

Absolutely but Minors is not relative

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Got to London City Airport to get DLR and just by chance saw Miriam Margoyles getting out of a car, I thought it was a doppelganger at first

 

[DerekC]

Teresa May in John Lewis in Reading - remember her?

 

[SuspectUsual]

Teresa May in John Lewis in Reading - remember her?

In her natural environment, as Attenborough might say

 

[dangie]

Stood next to former British Heavyweight Champion boxer Jack Bodell at a pubs gents urinal whilst having a pee.

 

[D6130]

Gwyneth Strong on a promenade , she nodded. Eric Hall crossing a zebra crossing in front of me. Giant from gladiators I'm pretty sure got off my train , before the new gladiators really started . Delivered wine to Christopher Biggins. Delivered a package to Leo Sayer .mind you I have met a lot of really famous people too.

Years ago when I was on a late turn I stood behind Leo Sayer in the queue for the till at Boots in Leeds station.

Once I had the pleasure of chatting with the late Peter Baldwin and Thelma Barlow - Derek and Mavis in Coronation Street - on the platform at Skipton station and helped them with information for their connection back to London. A lovely couple....although 'just good friends' in real life.

While undertaking practical handling training on 332s back in June 2000 - in readiness for the introduction of 333s on the Leeds NW triangles - I spotted the Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie getting into the rear (first class) carriage of my train while changing ends at Heathrow.

Nearly fifty years ago, as a young relief clerk in the Woking area I sold a ticket to the late Arthur Lowe - Captain Mainwaring in Dad's Army - at Guildford booking office.

Over the years I have seen many famous faces in and around Hebden Bridge, either filming (e.g. Sarah Lancashire, Suranne Jones, Siobhán Finneran) or local residents Chris Chittell and Dominic Brunt (Eric Pollard and Paddy the vet in Emmerdale), Ursula Holden-Gill (Alice Dingle in Emmerdale, before the character was killed-off), Kevin Doyle, Welsh opera baritone David Lloyd-Owen, amongst others.

 

[ainsworth74]

I saw Michael Gove on the footbridge at Peterborough station some years ago, seemed to be rushing off to somewhere but no idea where. I also remember seeing Janet Street Porter many many years ago on GC service north of York. I've seen Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt in the Euston first class lounge whilst collecting my mother from it (she came down from Birmingham and I came down from Darlington so it seemed easiest for her to just wait there in comfort before we headed off to our destination together!) not sure why they'd been in London but I think there had been some sort of major political story (this was 2019ish so height of the Brexit Wars).

I've seen Baroness Hoey at the BA First Class lounge in T5 (I hasten to add I was guested into the lounge, I did not have my own access rights!).

 

[Purple Train]

I am atrocious at recognising people, except for politicians and bishops, oddly. So I'm going to volunteer nearly walking into Steve Baker - literally - in Wycombe during a Remembrance event, unless Pete Waterman isn't too famous for the thread?

 

[Lloyds siding]

As a sometime tv and film extra, I see (and sometimes speak to) people who are on our screens a lot.
I'll give a special mention of two who were very pleasant: Joanna Scanlan and David Bradley (his on-screen persona is just an act!!).
Daniel Radcliffe made a real effort to put us at our ease during a break in filming.

(I'm currently appearing in 'Fountain of Youth' on Apple tv.)

Many years ago, at Rocket 150, saw Fred Dibnah, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Brian Redhead.

 

[Furryanimal]

I once saw David Icke on Hereford station while he was still known for sports presenting and Bernard Bresslaw ,of Carry On fame,was once sat in the same row as me at Sophia Gardens watching cricket.
Think he was appearing at the New Theatre.
Also saw Bill McClaren on Cardiff Central after a rugby International.

 

[oldman]

I live not far from Craig Proclaimer and have often seen him waiting for a bus.

 

[Jimini]

Teresa May in John Lewis in Reading - remember her?

We see her quite often in the David Lloyd gym on Thames Valley Park.

 

[Crossover]

A few years ago, I was at Wakefield Westgate and saw someone walking onto the platform who seemed familar. I realised soon after that it was Mr Burton from Educating Yorkshire (who was then a class teacher, but is now head of the same school/academy)

Late last year, we were at Drayton Manor and spotted Shawn and Charlotte of Theme Park Worldwide - not entirely unexpected in terms of location, but to happen to be there on the same day as them and to happen to be in a similar location to them in a relatively large and busy place made it somewhat unexpected.

 

[Egg Centric]

I live not far from Craig Proclaimer and have often seen him waiting for a bus.

Presumably the bus is going at least 1000 miles otherwise he'd be happy to walk?

 

[Lloyds siding]

I once saw David Icke on Hereford station while he was still known for sports presenting and Bernard Bresslaw ,of Carry On fame,was once sat in the same row as me at Sophia Gardens watching cricket.
Think he was appearing at the New Theatre.
Also saw Bill McClaren on Cardiff Central after a rugby International.

I stood next to David Icke in the lunch queue at Bath University many years ago. Didn't speak to him, but spoke to several of his accolytes at lunch....which was a worrying experience in a place of learning!

 

[styles]

Used to canvass with a well-known political party. Met a few high-profile ministers and MPs and two party leaders through that but rarely spoke, and if we did, it was a couple of quick lines before they moved onto another person in a group of a hundred.

Separately met all 3 judges (?) from series' 6-10 of The Apprentice, in completely separate circumstances. Sugar outside an awards event in London (didn't speak to him), Hewer on Countdown (he asked me some questions and a nervously answered), and Brady when she came and gave a talk at her daughter's (and at the time, my) uni (didn't speak to her).

Piers Corbyn on a Central Line train once, his megaphone and some signs in tow, so clearly on the way back from a protest of some sort. It was in one of the less-strict covid lockdowns, so assume it was a covid-related protest. Part of me did want to challenge him on one of his signs but frankly I've given up talking with full-on conspiracy theorists, and most likely a couple of people around him were probably with him.

I think if you spend enough time living or working centrally in London, it's almost guaranteed you'll encounter some famous people at some point.

 

[Jan Mayen]

I am not sure where the boundary between "minor fame" and "genuine fame" comes exactly, but I did come face to face with Martin Clunes in a farm shop a couple of years ago. The problem is that your brain starts to respond as though you are meeting someone you are on nodding terms with. Oh, and I nearly ran over Roy Hattersley many years ago, and I bet nobody else remembers him, so he definitely counts!

Is this the chap?