Princess Di in her Audi nearly took me out whilst I was riding through London. She totally blanked me like I wasn't there.
Linda Hamilton (Sarah Connor) in her 3 Series BMW nearly took me out whilst I was riding through Hollywood. She totally blanked me like I wasn't there.
Martin Shaw off of The Professionals in his white MK2 Capri 3.0 nearly took me out whilst I was riding through London. He slammed on the brakes, jumped out of the car and ran towards me. I thought he was going to batter me, instead he apologies profusely.
Billy Conolly was rude to me. Twice. In the London Bicycle Company shop in Covent Garden (now Paul Smith) and a couple of years later in I Martin Imports bike shop in LA
I said "Hello" to several slebs passing them on the street including Ian Dury, Rolf Harris, Frank Carsen.
I've met Martina Navratilova and Baroness VonTyssen
I sold bikes to Jimmy Somerville, Damien Hurst.
I was once mistaken on the phone for Mick Jagger by Carla Bruni
I once spoke to Keanu Reeves on the phone when he called our house to speak to his then girlfriend who was staying with us at the time. I said; "No, I'm sorry she's not here at the moment" and he said "Ok thanks"
I used to hang out with Simon O'brien (off of Brookside) when he lived in LA. He rides a bike innit.
I approached John Cleese at some London fashion wine and cheese do in London and thanked him for all the joy he's given me. He was very gracious.
Um.
I stood next to Eddy Merxcxcx at a bicycle industry trade show for several seconds.
The chain rings on my mountain bike were once attached to a Peer Gynt recumbent which had been specially built up for Mohammad Al-Fayed off of Harrods.
My Grandad Sam Allan drove the very last tram in Glasgow
My Grandad John Stephen was Chairman of the Scottish Polis Federation and his father was Chief Cuntstable of Perthshire
I was on telly holding up a HPV on an Open University program about aerodynamics
I was on some random ITV program talking about human powered vehicles
I raced HPVs with Richard Ballantine and Mike Burrows
I equipped bikes for Bettina Selby, Tom 'Fat Man on a Bicycle' Vernon and Josie Dew
I once dated Clive Sinclair's niece
When I was a kid we emigrated from Scotland to Malawi. On the flight we were sat next to a nice old man who, in his retirement had taken to travelling the world. He took a shine to me. When we stopped at the old Nairobi airport for refuelling he asked my mum if he could take me away for half an hour to show me something very interesting. We walked through the corridors pushing through 'Staff Only' doors until we came to a locked door. He pulled out a key, and we walked through into a small enclosure open to the sky about 6m square. It had a bench and a pool with goldfish and was planted with lush vegetation around the edge. He told me that he spent so much time at the airport that he got permission from the management to install the pool - and obviously paid for it all - to give himself somewhere to hang out. He was Mr Barr of Barr's Irn Bru.
I was Christened in the chapel of the SAS camp in Hereford (when it was an RAF base)
Many years later my mum was in the SAS (she answered the phones)
Also I've shooken hands with the King of Bahrain.
And stood next to Harry Dean Stanton in a bar.
And sat next to Jeremy Beadle in a bar.
And Gary Fisher walked into my bike shop and was a rude twat.
And i sold a bike to one of the McCann acting brothers.
AND! I nearly mowed down Germaine Greer when she stepped off the kerb in front of my car in central London!
i decorated Patsy Kensit and Jim Kerr's apartment
Rufus Lord Albermarle was on the same course the year behind me at Central
Edited to add:
I sold a bike to Arnold Schwarzenegger's stunt double
When i was selling specialist bikes for people with special needs i pedalled Richard Wilson around in a wheelchair tandem and met Jonny Marr. 20 years apart tho.
Best 'til last:
'Daddy G' off of Massive Attack threatened to kick my head in because he thought i was taking the piss when i told him the price of the immaculate pink 5 speed Raleigh Chopper he was interested in. (£350) A week earlier Tricky's manager had purchased a customised Raleigh Tomahawk as a moving in present for Tricky's New York apartment. (£250)
