Tenuous Claims to Fame ...

Mikael,

Never mind being at school with Harry Webb aka Cliff Richard - when I was in the 1st form, Gary Webb, aka Gary Numan out of Tubeway Army, was in the 5th form.

We were neither "friends" nor electric.

My best mate has met at least one astronaut from each of the Apollo missions from Apollo 7 to Apollo 17. He has met 12 of the 24 men to have gone to the moon and 6 of those to have walked on the moon. He has dined with Buzz Aldrin (sat next to and nearly headbutted), Gene Cernan, Jim Lovell (sat next to both), Charlie Duke and Dicke Gordon (the last named was at a pub lunch in Glasgow).

Working as a dustman in the late 1970's, I emptied Sir Karl Popper's bin and that of the actor Geoffrey Palmer.

I was in the same class at school as famous Dutchman Schteeve McClaren (Vince Cable preceded us by a few years)

I've made cups of tea/coffee for Jimmy Cricket, Frank Carson, Cannon & Ball, Roy Walker, Jimmy Jones, 2 Grumbleweeds, Roger De Courcey and Terry Alderton (I got a kiss off his bird, page 3 stunna Dee Ivens).

I once stood in line waiting to get served at Watford Gap services behind Jonathan Pearce.

I used to live with a woman who didn't recognize Mike Cattermole when she served him at Taunton Deane Services.

I was in the Oxfam charity shop in Hampstead with my niece once when Tracey Thorn walked past the window pushing a pram... think she lived down the road there.

1980's page 3 model Carol Anne Stephenson bought a pair of slippers from my shop

Going in my local rugby club for a pint spot a bloke struggling with a couple of boxes in the boot of his car. Wander over , give him a lift with them into the club and I realise it's Jim Bowen. He was doing an after dinner speech and the boxes were full of his book which he was attempting to flog. Didn't give me a copy, didn't even buy me a pint. Miserable git.

My Gran's brothers's daughter was married to Arthur Ransome's daughter.

I've been on TV in 4 different countries.

1 of the hairy bikers is a very very distant relative.

Police 5

Here's another ...
Working and having a Flat in Mayfair ...and frequenter of very good friend Emilio (Emilio's cafe)in Shepherds Market..would watch the numerous tarts going about their business...
Anyway ...sitting outside at Emilio's one very nice sunny afternoon sipping my coffee and feeling a bit horny..mmm I fancy a phuck !
Picked one up - nice looking(?) mature type ...emptied my load ... Jesus some time later she's all over the  Newspapers - Monica Coghlan..
Monica Coghlan (3 April[1] 1951 – 27 April 2001) was an English sex worker at the centre of a scandal that involved British Conservative politician Jeffrey Archer.

Rockin ...

I'm sorry, but it doesn't count if you've paid for your tenuous claim to fame.

Otherwise, every chit chatter and his dog that had ever been to a pantomime would be on here claiming they had been within touching distance of Julian Clary.

and Biggins

Went to McDonald's a couple of hours back & sat behind  Stacey Solomons

Just last night in Covent Garden I got on the same tube carriage as Neil Morrissey, he was very dapperly dressed in suit and smart overcoat (as was I). However the effect of his sartorial elegance was ruined somewhat by him carrying a Jack Russell in a womans shopping bag. I got off at Kings X to head back north, he continued on. He's taller than I thought.

Rockin ...

I'm sorry, but it doesn't count if you've paid for your tenuous claim to fame.


I think that's brutally hard luck on Rocky, paying his way to fame and then being peremptorily disqualified for his efforts. It's not as if he's even failed a drug test. 

No matter Rocky, in the words of the libel trial judge, I still think you're 'fragrant'. 

alun
Having a flat in Mayfair, sitting outside a cafe on the pavement having a coffee on a sunny afternoon (no doubt it was a cappuccino, and he was sitting there nonchalantly, also no doubt). No, his claim has to be thrown out.
We forumites are an egalitarian lot, and we can't have anybody breaking ranks.

If he said he was having a pint and then got his leg over one of the girls aloud mob, he'd have a claim.

You're quite right mememe. There can be no place for sentiment and favouritism in an important list like this.

Of more importance, and I don't wish to be indelicate, but Monica Coglan was absolutely minging at that time of her life (not sure if she improved subsequently).

Quite right, you can't just elbow your way to the top of an important list like some crazed harridan in the Harrods sale.

Rockin ...
I'm sorry, but it doesn't count if you've paid for your tenuous claim to fame.
Just trying to brighten up a grey day - give you guys a bit of a laugh/titter ...

we've had some fantastical claims on here ... one or two chit chatters even went so far as claim they went to school with Cliff Richard, Noel Edmonds.

Can I just remind you all that any claims that are obviously invented will be thrown out without ceremony?

I mean, the idea that any chit chatter actually went to school, WTF

So far my ex-sister in law who won Miss Lovely Legs at Butlins leads by a neck, no I mean leg.

Butlin bias will not be tolerated on this thread

How about this(and this is realy true) ..I was sh agging a Jehovas Witness for over a year !
Lovely girl ...I completely flipped her the other way, convinced her dancing naked round a fire was a lot more fun than peddling the bible door to door...

My old Geography teacher finished fifth in the 1962 commonwealth games 800 metres final.

i was behind the nolan sisters in the queue at mcdonalds on chatham high street in the early 80s. after stuffing my face i wasnt in the mood for dancing.

When I was 13/14 I played/practiced football (outside of club practice) during the summer holidays on Turnham green, Chiswick. I was there day and evening. although I was on holiday the kids from the nearby acting school,  The Corona Academy of Stage Training, used to come over and ask me for some basic pointers, Richard O Sullivan, Jeremy Bulloch, were the most memorable, never saw Richard O after but bumped into Jeremy on many occasions (mainly parties) he went on to star with cliff in summer holiday, been in Bond films, Dr Who, and played Boba Fett in Star wars. Both really nice guys but cr@p at football.

Although I was on holiday they were not!

I also once worked with someone who claimed to have played a Dalek in an episode of Dr Who. That this was subsequently exposed as a tissue of lies is neither here more there.

Nor

Bumped in to a pissed up Geoffrey Boycott on the train in Kent after he did the comm there. I think I uttered something about Atherton pissing him off, he muttered something back and left

My best mates brother is signed with the same music label as Paul Weller

Chris Cairns, cricketer recently in the news for the wrong reasons....I got him out at cricket.

perhaps he had a bet on himself to get out

You may say that, I couldn't possibly comment. We did have a drink later on at the meal though.

That chap who played a dalek just wants to be thankful Rockinron wasn't about.

Well, I assume he wasn't ...

You'll give me a bad name screaming from beneaththewaves ...
I wouldn't phuck a Dalek ...!
Coming back to Monica ...not very nice in the face - but nice harse and muscly legs.
Nice for a back scuttle ...

I knew a guy who never saw, let alone posted on Chit Chat, OK! I didn't really know him, but a mate of mine who also never saw, let alone posted on Chit Chat claims he went to school with him and still keeps in touch to this day .

Ok he's not a mate but an acquaintance of my 3rd cousins dance teachers mate........I'm going to have a lie down.

rockin ...

just seen that you've agreed to a post by me on another thread where I maintained that all MPs are thick (with a few exceptions) so I think you may be able to get the Monica Coghlan tenuous claim re-instated ... you seem a good sort!

If you can tell the forumites that you weren't wearing loafers and silk socks (along with a cane and panama hat) as you sipped your coffee nonchalantly on the pavement cafe in Mayfair when you came across, so to speak, Monica, then we may be able to find a way to rescind the original decision.

BTW, any chit chatters reading this (and having held back) and now want to make a claim for tenuousity and it involves either Julian Clary or Christopher Biggins, then, unless it involves payment, then your claim will be accepted.

It seems, per rockinron, that back scuttling is a basis for making a claim.

GL

I was at a viewing of a house that was going for auction in Keystone Crescent off the Caledonian Road once and Julian Clary was looking at us all from the window of the house opposite wondering what we were all doing.

I once drove past a house in Keystone Crescent off the Caledonian Road, there was a group of squatters trying to break into a house, and Julian Clary in a house opposite was banging on his window mouthing fck off you *****, needless to say I drove on.

I was walking down Keystone Crescent off the Caledonian Road once and nearly got run over some berk eying up Julian Clary.

sfb must be in the lead for that!.

Beat this one!

I used to live next door to a popular actress (who will remain nameless for obvious reasons) and her husband, and would look after their cat and dog whenever they went away on holiday. Lovely couple btw.

On one occasion I was walking the dog in Golders Hill Park, which is one of the family oriented bits of Hampstead Heath with its own little zoo etc. we chanced upon a bloke reading a gay porn mag and having a w4nk on a park bench. I turned around and went to the Parkie's hut to complain and the Parkie didn't bat an eyelid and wasn't that bothered and only asked if there were any women and children in the vicinity.

So anyway, the claim to fame is having reported a bloke for having a w4nk in a public place whilst walking a famous actress's Jack Russell terrier.

I've done gigs with the 3 B's some years ago now. I wonder how many here will know who the 3 B's are? A free smartie to the first person on this thread to name them!

parkie used to post on ere

Ludwig van Beethoven
Johann Sebastian Bach
Geezer Butler

bobby ball

Boobs.
Butt.
Bush.

Beer, bl0w job, bed.

It wasn't George sfbtw, but I do know where he lives as I've got a friend who lives just down the road from him!

I also drove past Noel Gallagher once in Belsize Park and know someone who saw Liam Gallagher and one of the Prodigy going into Liam's gaff when they were both tubbing Appletons.

boxingthefox - 'Beer, bl0w job, bed.'

not a bad guess - not necessarily in that order though!

I'll give it another hour to see if anyone comes up with the correct answer.

I'm always the nearly man..

Ok one last try. Rockin Ron Gaydon, Steve Stanley, Dave Pye ..........Brett Slade also played with them, am I getting warm, or are the lights going out in Massachusetts.

Early 70s ,,,Slade were filming the film flame (think thats what is what is was called )...any asked Noddy Holder for his autugraph ..he gave it ...asked Dave Hill...he told me to f....k off ....i pmsl

I'm feeling warm MG.

Ok, here's a clue - think of jazz artists.

I worked for the WHO's manager, the one they dumped when he went on holiday, then made it, with a new one, they were our local group, one of them was not shy to ponce money of us working guys when he came to see the manager. I'm still owed!!!!

Last try, with the help of your clue,  Kenny Ball, Chris Barber & Acker Bilk,

Well done boxingthefox - your smartie will be in the post! Better still, I think I'll digitise it and send it to you through the ether!

You must be a fair musie to have played with those greats.

I'm a jazz drummer - freelancing mostly. But it was a long time ago now - in the 80's mainly, but some of the Acker Bilk gigs were more recent ( a few years ago).

Sadly only Chris remains and although now about 85 I think he is, he still runs a first class band but much fewer gigs these days which is understandable. Also, Chris lost his trumpet player Pat Halcox a few years ago now. Wonderful player and a lovely human being.

Great stuff mokegibboni sounds like you had some great times.

Yes, it was an honour to play with them. I could give many stories on here, but I don't wish to bore readers too much, but one story comes to mind which is worth telling I think.

In the early 80's, Acker guested with a band that I used to play with and of course Acker played his famous 'Stranger on the Shore' and the band leader (who reveered Acker like a god) did a duo on stage for that number, but halfway through, the whole sense of occasion got to him and he burst into tears on stage whilst Acker carried on and finished the number off. It was a very moving moment which luckily the audience appreciated. Ackers piano player was also on that gig and I just loved playing along with him.

Aah - good memories!

Fascinated by this... who was the best to work for mokegibbon? Ball, Bilk or Barber?

Loved Ball and Barber but tbh wasn't sold on Bilk.

"but I don't wish to bore readers too much" Don't worry about that, there's plenty of boring phish on this forum inc some of mine . An interesting post is a rare beast on here.

Well, probably Acker really because some of the numbers that he did were interesting from my point of view, but also Kenny was a joy to play along with as well as some of the well known hits he had that he did with us and as some of you may remember, Kenny and his band played them to great success on the Morcambe and Wise shows throughout the 60's and 70's.

I wasn't with Ken's band for those TV appearances.

wonderful stuff mokegibbon and thanks for sharing. would love to hear much more from you...but, I will have to pull you upon a technical point that, by chit=chat standards, this sounds more like a genuine claim to fame rather than a tenuous one so you might well be disqualified!

Bilk has been described as the "Great Master of the Clarinet". can't put it better myself. Just been reading a bit on wiki, had some great successes I was unaware of even though that's my era, (from 60s on wards.) I think changing the name of SOTS from Jenny was a good Idea.

Thanks boxingthefox - I'm glad you appreciated some of the music that was played by these band leaders. They were exciting times even though it was all very much after the jazz boom of the 50's and 60's. The funny thing was that although jazz had mainly had it's day by the time the 70's were in full swing, jazz was (and still is to some extent) very popular in mainland Europe, particularly Holland and Germany. I remember doing a tour of Holland, again in the early 80's and even teenagers were asking for my autograph (Breda jazz festival circa 1980). That wouldn't have happened in the UK at that time.

Chris Barber's band spent a large part of their time working in Europe as their popularity seemed to be greater over there than in the UK.

I remember seeing Joe Loss, Andy Ross, Ken Mackintosh, etc, at The Hammersmith Palais, march of the mods and all that, while 2 clubs one in Shepherds bush, the other in Richmond, provided us with The who, the Rolling  Stones, the Moody blues, the Yardbirds on a regular basis as well as all the other chart groups, Golden time for live music imo.

Just remember this - Chris Barber has been a band leader for 60 years now.

I think it's worth contemplating that for a short while and consider what an achievement that is - and he's still going with his 12 piece band (although numbers do vary occasionally).

Can anyone else come up with a musician who has been playing for so long and continuously run a band for that length of time?

Is there one, Joe loss perhaps??

Oh yes, possibly - I'll check that out.

I've got square eyes been on here all day, having a break, maybe back later. great talking to you, catch you sonn.

Soon even .

Ok - meanwhile I'll try and think of anything more that might be of interest to readers on here.

I was sitting on a bench in Golders Hill Park, reading a magazine and minding my own business when........

In the "good old days" when I had money ...I used to drive down to Monaco to watch the F1 Grand Prix - stay at Lowes Monte Hotel Carlo for the week.
So this particular year ..I'm driving down through France in my new white XJS accompanied by a couple of lovelies !
Stop at a nice village Hotel ..South of Paris...go to the Lady at the "Check in Desk"
Bonjour Madame ...avez vous un chambre ?
Madame looks at the two girls ..and says Ah Monsieur ..deux chambres ?
I retort ..no madame un chambre !
She then says ...Ahhhh Monsieur  - Menage e Trois !!! and gives me a room key...
Now ...that evening in the Hotel Restaurant ...a buzz was going round with the French ..
I overheard ...zee Englishman - ee ave two girls wiv him ...

Rockin...

that's a slightly off-piste tenuous claim ... being the subject yourself of the fame.

Your earlier Monica Coghlan claim was re-instated (on the grounds that you posted about a different topic on another thread and agreed with me).  However, this one fails on two counts:

1. it's implicit in the rules that you can't be the famous one (if that were the case we'd have all sorts of sex workers posting on here saying they had liaised with any number of chit chatters);

2. many chit chatters will be seething at the thought of you driving through France in a new white Jaguar XJS (was it a convertible, perchance?) with a couple of lovelies and your claim could well upset their mental well being and  balance.

However, if you can assure us that the room for 3 was purely for economic reasons, then your claim may stand

HTH

Re Chris Barber, a mate dragged me along to a recent show in Malvern.  Not my thing really, but it was very enjoyable.

Barber did lots of interesting reminiscing (a lot of the info was fascinating to a novice like me and, with his connections to the US and its music, he was clearly a genuine groundbreaker and pioneer at the time).  Although, losing his train of thought/running list a couple of times, he did very well.

Sitting in the same theatre as Chris Barber is, I suppose, a very tenuous claim to fame?

Jack ... just don't go there, otherwise we'll get a cart-load of chit chatters claiming they were intimate with the Corrs

Hadn't considered that angle.

It seems I may have been more successful, sexually, than I had previously imagined.

Jack Hackshaw - yes, Chris Barber has always had a tendency to rabbit on in between numbers at his gigs whilst the rest of the band tried not to look too bored!

I don't mind getting spat at, or stoned to death.

ttt for mememe.

Can't say we weren't warned .

thanks make my hay and a special mention to johnny mustang

I'd like to thank my mum and dad and long suffering wife, the man next door and anybody else that knows me ...

My mum worked with a woman who lived next door to Benny Hill when he was young ... she said he was a strange boy

AND, yes, there's 2 claims

Ian Hunter (Mott the Hoople fame) went to the same school as mememe (10 years older than mememe, so I've still got time to make it big as a rock star)

probably the wrong thread anyway

*no right thread

well done make my hay ...

I think this has got more legs that a millipede ... win run forever.

I don't know mememe, as it's the first time that I've ever posted on here as I have no claims to fame

well you've got one now.

Well done!

i delivered papers to Stevie Heighyway (LFC) tight bugger nave gave me a tip !!

Hit Paul Scholes back over his head  for a six in a cricket match when he played for Higher Blackley CC

also went to same School as Donna Hartley (Athlete) and Geoff Twenyman (footaller)

tried to chat Belinda Carlise up in a night club in the mid 80,s she was defo interested but i didn,t follow it through

shook hands with Phil Taylor at Dublin Airport and saw Rod Stewart and Deon Dublin in Barbados

Kate winslet went to my primary school albeit a few years older than me

Nigel Farage was my mate at school.