Hotel du Vin, Bristol, this summer just gone
I had the joy of being seated on the next table to none other than David Lloyd, Ian Botham, Mike Atherton and a highly talented and valued member of the England cricket team.

Oh, wait, no, sorry, I meant Ian Bell.

Athers and Botham, as one might expect, got shit faced and very shouty. Ian Bell looked on occasion like he might say something worth listening to but at the last minute failed to live up to potential.
No change there then.

The day after, we went to see England spank the mighty *cough* West Indies in an ODI. Alec Stewart gave our picnic a special mention on TMS as we were sat in front of the commentary box. So I gave him some of my flapjack. That's not a euphemism.

Also, Alan Hansen and I appear to have a reciprocal stalking arrangement going on. My dog knocked him over in Liverpool, a week later he nearly ran me over in Knightsbridge. I'd like to think it was deliberate.
(Rakky (forgot her password) The muffin maverick, Wed 14 Oct 2009, 15:08, 3 replies)

I met Ben Hollioake
when the Surrey cricket team came to visit the new indoor cricket facilities at my then school.

It was my task to show them from the car park to the entrance. When he saw me waiting patiently for the players to arrive he sprinted towards me in a playful 'i'm gonna rugby tackle you' manner. Of course he didnt rugby tackle me but I told him to slow down.

He should have taken my advise
(Eggstrovert isnt patronising you...honest..., Wed 14 Oct 2009, 16:03, closed)

I had the misfortune of being in Hotel du Vin (Bristol) at the same time as Victoria Beckham. For a hotel that seemingly prides itself on service, reputation and quality there was only one winner that day.

Would appear Vicky didn’t want anyone to approach or speak to her and that would have suited everyone, except she opted to base herself in the bar (the one of the right as you walk in) instead of her room. That’ll be the entire staff fawning over her leaving me, and the other half-dozen people in there unable to get close enough to the bar to buy hopelessly over-priced bottles of imported lager.

It’s a shame the smoking ban was already in force, else I’d have gladly sparked up a packet of tabs, on the off chance it irritated her.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Thu 15 Oct 2009, 9:54, closed)

Cricketers, eh?
My dad once took me to watch Scotland playing the West Indies, back in the 1970s. Scotland were well beaten (we're not really known as a cricketing nation!) but I went up to Viv Richards at the end to get his autograph.

Unfortunately several hundred other wee boys had the same idea, so I never managed it. Gutted, I was.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Thu 15 Oct 2009, 12:02, closed)