IrvTheSwerve, on 20 May 2022 - 07:51, said:
Just out of interest (if it isn't too off topic), what motorsport-related autographs do people have? I only have two - Jackie Stewart and Luca di Montezemolo.
Stirling Moss (met him in person as detailed above)
Nigel Mansell, Eddie Jordan. Both from pre-orders for signed books. Which is nice, but they're not dedicated and I haven't met either gent.
Non-motorsport related ones of most note are probably Winston Churchill (mentioned above)....Duncan Goodhue who I met at a swimming event and actually beat him in a race (I think he let me)....Henry Cooper who was doing the holiday camp rounds in the 80s. Had a nice chat with him about when he nearly beat Muhammad Ali (" 'course he was called Cassius Clay in them days") and got his autograph and a photo with him. Steve Hackett (guitarist) a 100% lovely gentleman I met when he attended a gig and he bought me a beer. From the BMX world, to my memory I have Harry Leary, Mike Miranda, Geth Shooter, Sarah-Jane Nicholls, Anthony Butt, Andy Ruffell, Neil Ruffell (RIP), Ron Wilkerson, Brian Blyther. Tried to get Eddie Fiola's but he was an arsehole to all the fans. I am sure there were others. The guys who I was friends with, I didn't bother getting their autographs. Doctor Who actors Tom Baker and Colin Baker, the former at a book signing event and the latter at a small sci-fi event. Tom was so funny, I told him my story of how my first TV memory was a particularly scary cliffhanger of one of his episodes in 1975 and he put his hand on my shoulder, asking "are you alright now?". Colin, I'd been conversing electronically on and off for a decade before we met and he actually remembered so we had a nice chat too.
The "celebrities" who I knew as a kid and the handful I still know now, I don't ask for autographs. The memories are too strong to forget. It's the one-off encounters that I like to get a photo and if convenient an autograph.