Gotcha:
Mind if I play? Judge for yourself how pathetic these are, on a scale of groan to vicarious thrill.
– Had my snapshot of a slinky intruder discussed on gardener's question time. The question put to them: stoat or a weasel? It was decided weasel.
– Invited to go head-to-head with a self-described petrolhead on Five Live a number of years ago. This was a direct result of something I wrote for a newspaper about 'ipod cycling'. Thinking of Worf, I decided it was a good day to die. As far as I'm concerned, I did.
on the brushes with musical celebrity angle:
– Achieved 6 inches of separation from a thin man known for singing ballads. This is when I was working in a NYC bookshop in the late 80s/early 90s. "Do you know who that is?" a floor manager asked me, trying to keep it cool but failing. "Bob Dylan." I had to see for myself, so I went down the aisle. It was a tight fit and he was forced to push up against a stack of books to let me pass. Sure enough, it was
the Bob. Can't say I dined on that particular story for weeks.
– Taught how to drive (well, how to pass the test) by the former wife of half of Wang Chung. Not particularly juicy details
here.
and finally:
– I used to live a few doors down in the same apartment block as Martin Clunes. Thinking to use this proximity to the BAFTA award winning bad boy to best advantage, I asked if I could interview him for a cycling magazine. "I don't ride a bicycle," he said.
