A post on a Bob Dylan site where upon meeting his/my musical hero, a friend could only say “How’s the tour going” got me thinking about this. I met James Hunt once as a 13 year old, it was the only time I ever saw my Dad awestruck. I only had a JPS Lotus picture of Gunnar Nilsson for him to sign & Dad said, “you can sign it on the back if you want” but he didn’t so I still have what I like to think must be the only James Hunt signature on a Lotus picture. Wish I’d said something cool to him though, him & Sheene were my boyhood heroes
I've met a few over the years, musicians, movie/TV, motorsport stars etc, some I've had conversations with, some I've had autographs etc, I'm not going to reel them off but the only one that I will mention was Bradley Smith back in 2010 at the Valencia MotoGP, I'm in the paddock with a couple of mates and up walks Bradley all on his own (before he was moderately well known I might add), I walked over and said hello and could I have a quick photo... His reply was along the lines of no, if I stop I'll get mobbed.... right there and then I just formed the opinion he was a royal c*ck and never cheered him on again.
He’s shit on that Chase program as well, calling them his team! he doesn’t give a flying fuck for anyone but himself.
I saw Akira Yanagawa cleaning his leathers in the paddock at WSB Donington so I went over and had a chat as I was a big fan. We chatted briefly and ended up comparing broken collar bones as we had both recently broken them. Once people saw us talking a big crowd gathered and people were asking for knee sliders, autographs etc and I felt bad for invading his privacy and sloped off.
Only met one of my heroes, Jack Nicklaus, I found his golf ball on a practice day at Royal Birkdale, he came over to me and after a small chat gave me the ball. Others I would love to meet, Niki Lauda (too late) and Kate Bush.
Posted this before a while back, but I thought...why not bore the tits off everyone again Daughter lives in Australia and we were up having a few days away at a nice seaside resort called Noosa Heads , a couple of hours north of Brisbane. In a nice poncy wine bar and my missus said “ isn’t that the guy you watch on the telly all the time?” So I’m like...huh??....turns around and there was the legend that is “ BAYLISSTIC” !! I’m sure I was so excited I let out a little bit of wee....or something ! Didn’t want to spoil his night out with his wife Kim and son Ollie, so when he’d finished his drink and was heading for the door, I grovelled in his presence and asked for a pic, no worries he shouts and slapped me on the back that hard me fillings nearly flew out!,....his son Ollie did the honours They say never meet your heroes, but he couldn’t have been nicer or more normal, just like talking to one of yer mates, chatted with us for about 20 minutes, no rush to get off, even asked the wife if she was enjoying her hols! While he was scmoozing my missus, I said to his wife Kim,..” Do you know since Troy packed in racing I haven’t watched a world superbike race “.........and quick as a flash she came back with the witty reply...“do you know that’s funny?, ..neither have I” Absolute legend, one of my favourite racers Should add, I started back watching WSB once Scott Redding got the Ducati
I saw Guy Martin in Amsterdam airport and we were getting the same flight back to Humberside. I fired up a conversation with him and he was brand new. Chatted for about 45 minutes until we boarded. He was business class of course which is where we parted. He was a proper chatterbox and when I told him I was a gas turbine engineer I couldn’t shut him up. The questions came thick and fast. All in all he was a really nice bloke. Totally normal, just like us....
Come on Carr, stop being a cockteaser spill the beans about the saliva man... Did you go to the same infant school as her and gave her recorder a good gobbing in the music lesson when she wasn’t looking?? Or steal her used straw when you were milk monitor ? Were you at a gig of hers and recycled her old chewing gum when she spat it out?? You gave her a covid test and licked the cotton bud,...that’s it innit!!! You can’t come out with a statement like that and leave us all in suspenders
