I noticed Invoice Nighy the opposite day, on West Finish Lane. He seemed precisely like Invoice Nighy. My head went: “Oh! It’s Invoice Nighy. You already know him.” After which: “No, you don’t! He’s an actor. You identical to him.”
He strolled previous me, carrying on along with his enterprise. I then circled to have a look at him from behind. He was dressed impeccably in a good-looking overcoat, carrying a really fashionable bag, and easily and unmistakably being “Invoice Nighy” – sharp and stylish, elegant and tailor-made, exactly as you’ll anticipate. In all probability carries a pocket watch. If he doesn’t, he ought to.
After all my head then went, “It’s best to’ve mentioned one thing”. However what?
“Hiya Invoice! You have been robbed of that Oscar!”?
Or: “Hiya Invoice! I’ve seen that you just’re an avid reader! Would you want one in all my novels?”
No. Horrible concepts. Plus what author carries a provide of their very own books round?
We walked on in our completely different instructions.
There are a great deal of well-known individuals roaming round London, as quite a few as double deckers. Each time I encounter somebody of word I get a well-known feeling and I quickly assume, “Oh, I do know them!” after I don’t.
It was only some weeks in the past that retro-national treasure Su Pollard was having lunch at a desk beside me in a restaurant Marylebone. I heard her iconic and lovable voice earlier than I noticed her face. I knew that voice. I seemed over and my thoughts went, “Hello-de-Hello!” However, I remembered that I don’t know Su.
Ho-de-Ho. I left and headed up Baker Avenue.
Through the years, there have been many different temporary encounters. Within the Nineties, I met Jason Donovan in Aldo Zilli‘s. All people frolicked at Zilli’s (I do not know why, it wasn’t so nice). The small print are fuzzy (it was the Nineties, man), however I recall Jason asking me to look at his bag whereas he went to the toilet. I obliged, he returned, and that was that. Any dream gained’t do.
At one other social gathering, late in the identical decade, I met Steve Coogan. He was very charming, as was his girlfriend of that point. Once I met Frank Bruno, he determined to vary my title to Jimmy. “Ha ha,” I mentioned, and requested him if he wished punching.
Randomly, I’ve seen (and had that “acquainted feeling”) with Eddie Izzard at least 3 times on the Tube, with Patsy Kensit twice (as soon as in a designer retailer in Bond Avenue), with Jo Model in an Islington pub, with Gok Wan in Habitat on Finchley Highway, with Jimmy Carr at a Soho bar, with Fizz off Corrie in a West Finish restaurant, and with the very stunning Catherine Tate outdoors a classroom on the Sylvia Younger theatre college.
In the future, outdoors Regent’s Park, I noticed I lady I assumed I knew proper in entrance of me, and he or she was smiling. It flew out of my mouth: “What are YOU doing right here?” and we embraced. She mentioned she was going to an artwork present. In that second, I realised she was Janet Planet (Grace Stephenson) from Confidence Man, a wacky and fantastic pop act whose each track delights me to the toe. I went to jelly with the cringe and blush. We acquired a selfie and I died time and again on the way in which dwelling.
While zipping round Soho with three work colleagues one afternoon, Jeremy Paxman strolled in direction of us. “Hey look, it’s Jeremy,” one in all us mentioned, casually. A bit of the pavement between us was narrowed by some builders’ scaffolding. The TV presenter gave method at his finish in order that we may stroll by from ours.
One after the other, we handed him going, “Hiya Jeremy!” to which he fortunately replied “Hiya!” every time. 4 similar “hellos” in a row, he mentioned, in the identical cheery tone, as if we have been his buddies. It wasn’t ’til we turned the nook that we stopped and laughed,
“That was truly Jeremy Paxman.”
“Are you aware him?”
“No.”
Again in 2012, I encountered Harry Kinds standing outdoors The Queens in Primrose Hill with Nick Grimshaw. We ended up having a chat and fun. “Grimmie” made a remark about Harry liking older girls. “She’s not that previous!” all of us scoffed as a photograph was taken. Regrettably, although, within the pic I do appear to be Harry’s granny. I noticed him once more just lately, at an Electrical Ballroom gig. He’d come over to say “hi there” to our group. I didn’t say, “HEY HARRY! IT’S ME, YER GRAN! REMEMBER?” However I did give it some thought.
When my sister got here to London to go to along with her two sons, we met three notables in the identical afternoon. First off was Ed Balls close to Nice Portland Avenue. Exuberant and pleasant, his piercing blue eyes locked onto my sister’s crimson hair, and we walked down the road chatting collectively. I say “we”. I imply the opposite two. I used to be the spare a part of the group. Ed was heat and cordial. Why are politicians at all times extra likeable after they depart politics, we questioned. I used to be advised later, by a Scottish political acquaintance, that he was “one of many worst” and it was “advisable to not fraternise with the likes of Balls!”
In a while the identical day, we ran into Dave Myers, one half of cooking duo The Bushy Bikers. My sister acquired a selfie however Dave acted as if he was assembly somebody particular. He couldn’t have been nicer, explaining he was solely there to have his photograph taken beside a poster promoting that the Bikers have been showing on the London Palladium – for Dave, the realisation of a life-long dream. He died, after all, final 12 months. What a tragic lack of a stunning human. He actually was the cream.
Lastly, dashing down simply off Carnaby Avenue, we noticed Rupert Grint. The “acquainted feeling” hit me once more, like he was my pal. He rushed previous as swiftly as a flying broom, and my nephews didn’t consider us once we advised them they’d missed Ron Weasley.
It’s an occupational hazard: in London, the celebrities reside amongst us. I totally anticipate to see Invoice Nighy on the road once more someday. I’ll say nothing, after all. However I’ve ordered a number of copies of my books to hold about.
Julie Hamill writes novels, seems on Occasions Radio and does tons extra. Observe her on Bluesky. Help OnLondon.co.uk and its writers for simply £5 a month or £50 a 12 months and get issues to your cash too. Particulars HERE.
