Rhodri Morgan Anecdote

It has been sad this week to hear of the death of Welsh speaking Welshman Rhodri Morgan, former Welsh first minister. He was the man who gave one of my sons his degree when he graduated (Cledwyn Hughes gave me mine, Cled the Red). I like the anecdote that tells how Tony Blair once stayed at Mr Morgan's house. Apparently Tony Blair was up early in the morning and so was Morgan's mother-in-law. When she came into the kitchen an saw him she blurted out "I know who you are, You're that Lionel Blair"!. Morgan confirmed the truth of the story in an interview with David Frost some time.

Famous faces

I was walking down Oxford Street this week and I saw Lionel Blair. (Looking very well for a man in his late 70s - I have his autograph somewhere). I smiled to him and he smiled back. It's part of London life I guess. You do see people whose faces you recognise. I got on a bus with former Mayor Ken Livingstone the other day and sold Twmpath tickets to Cerys Matthews last week. A few weeks back on Hampstead Heath I spotted local girl Lynsey de Paul who I see about from time to time. In the past I've knocked the doors of the late Alan Coren, actor George Layton and others. I once gave a tract to Sue Perkins, who used to live in the next street. What is most difficult is the many character actors who live around here - faces you know but can't usually put a name to (eg Janine Duvitski - I looked her up, there are others and I don't even know what they were in).

Anyway my point is that it's a weird thing, one pretty much the result of TV and beyond. You know who they are but they don't know who you are. When I smile in recognition, they look back and think 'do I know this person?' It must be unnerving if you're not sure.

(I notice that all the people I mention are quite old. Am I just walking past the young and famous?)