I should add though, that I don't go around being rude to people - well, not all the time. It depends on the people

*slaps head*

I'd forgotten all about this encounter until now. I guess it didn't leave me with the impact that meeting John Lennon did.

One spring evening back in 1975 (I'm oldish) the boyfriend I was with at the time took me to a local haunt called the Maples Inn. It was located in the 'burbs of Montreal, and was eventually torched. Gee, I wonder how and why that happened?

Anyway, there was a band from New York set to play that particular evening, and the band's sponsor and advocate was none other than Art Garfunkel.. You know, the other guy from SImon and Garfunkel.

The Mapes was always crowded, with people scrambling to get seats at the bar and seats at tables.

The ex and I sat down at a table. We were sitting side by side. Art Garfunkel sat at a table directly beside us. Tables were pushed together to make more room for revelers.

Not once did Art Garfunklel acknowledge us or look in our direction. When the band played, he focused on them. During intermissions, he sipped his drink quietly and looked straight ahead.

I had him pegged as being a snob or shy or both.

One girl approached his table, clutching a piece of paper and a pen. She asked him to give an autograph for her mother (!) and he signed it. Gotta give him credit for that. He was an undemonstrative type, but he did do it.

The ex and I wanted to snort laughing about the mother wanting the autograph, but stopped when Art Garfunkel signed it so willingly.

So the band played its last set, and the ex and I got up to leave. Art was still sitting alone at his table beside where we'd been sitting.

We got outside, staggered down the two wooden steps from the Mapes' front porch, put on our helmets, and climbed on the ex's Harley, ready to roar in away into the night.

Guess who came out, smiled and waved at us? Art Garfunkel his own self!

Did I tell you about my meeting/dance with Donald Sutherland? I can't remember if I did or not.

If I haven't, please remind me to tell you this story. It's very funny.

Donald Sutherland - yes you did. He was very charming by all accounts which I can totally imagine.

You also previously told us the Art Garfunkel story, am sure of it. Of course I realise some folks here won't know those because they might not read very far back.

Why should he have?

My thoughts as well .... Are you famous too??

In reference to ann tenas potst of course

I think it's simply the fact that he never so much as looked at them, and yet waved them off as they left...

Exactly to be honest it it had been me sat at that same table I doubt that I would have acknowledged you or looked in your direction so why should be any different for Art on his night off.

I saw Rick Stein at a book signing a few weeks ago. My dad queued up to get his new book signed and they politely chatted about Cornwall for a few minutes - he seemed like a nice guy

I'd love to meet Rick Stein, he's my favourite chef even though I'm not that keen on seafood- I just love his style and programmes.

The club, though crowded most of the time, was a very friendly place.

Art Garfunkle was probably the only standoffish person I had ever seen in there.

I'm hardly famous.

It's a massive, very prominent, house set at the edge of the road where the tour would turn round to head back into the town. Dawn French is a lucky so and so living there, the views are spectacular!

Heya folks, newbie here (be gentle). I must say, I have been thoroughly entertained by your experiences with encountering The Famouses (and I'm not surprised Antony Cotton was constantly cropping up in the unpleasant category - I've always disliked him).

If anybody is interested, I'd like to contribute a few of my encounters:

Michael Palin: I went to a book signing of his and I recall being exceedingly shy and even letting people go in front of me in the queue I was that terrified of approaching him (I am a huge Python fan and Palin is my favourite so it made it 10x worse). Eventually I came up to him but I can't remember an awful lot because I was in a daze the entire time I was in his presence but he was very nice (shock horror) and patient with me. I got two signed books and a photo, so all in all it was a success.
Charlie Edwards (Gregson from Downton Abbey, Lady Edith's ex-lover): Met him on numerous occasions. Arguably the nicest individual you could ever meet: Unassuming, amicable, down to earth, not to mention he is literally Palin's doppelgänger. Has time for everyone, signing programmes, getting selfies, etc, after his theatre performances, and is a pretty good hugger He's recognised me a couple times (I am a big fan of his, too) and knows my name, so, yeah, he's awesome
Martin Clunes: Saw him at the BFI Southbank after a screening of Arthur & George. We exchanged maybe 3 words but he seemed jolly nice and he let me grab a quick pic with him. Despite the fact he was being rushed off to the green room by an impatient bouncer-type bloke, he took the time to speak with fans that day, albeit briefly.
Hattie Morahan: We had a little chat and she was very pleasant, but was in a rush to meet her family so she had to end our convo early, but it was totally fine.
Anne Marie Duff: One time she asked if she could borrow my sharpie to sign for a fan (and I am constantly kicking myself I didn't get her autograph too when I had the chance).
Ian McNiece (Bert from Doc Martin): Another nice, very charming individual. He's just a big ol' teddy bear.
Jemima Rooper: Really sweet, but really tiny, bless her.

I've never had any nasty encounters, thankfully, but I will note Steve Thompson (TV writer, written for Doctor Who and Sherlock, amongst others) was a bit aloof when I got his autograph. He didn't say anything, just, rather reluctantly, signed my copy of a play he'd written and walked off. He was with his children if I recall, so maybe he was rushing off with them, I don't know, but I wasn't too fussed.

When celebs are at book signings, they are there to help sell copies of their books. Of course there's always going to be the odd misery now but book signings help sell books! So it's unlikely they will be anything but pleasant to those buying a copy. For them, it's just an extension of their usual work.

Met Chris Packham about 20 years ago when he was doing a County Fair in Devon with the late Terry Nutkins. Met them both in the Guinness Tent

They had finished their stint doing a BBC show and were getting resplendently refreshed on a few drinks. We ended up chatting to them for about an hour and have to say both Chris and Terry were great entertainment. They said they loved doing the BBC County Shows as it was one long boozy day Regaled us with lots of behind the scenes BBC stories, most of which I've now forgotten, as we drank rather a lot over the course of that day.

So don't know if Chris has changed, but he was a top bloke that day.

He doesn't sound stand-offish from your story. Just sounds like a guy having a relaxing night at a club to watch his friends in a band, who politely signed an autograph for someone who asked, and who kindly waved goodbye to two strangers who had been staring at him all night

A few others from last week (admittedly a few stretching the word celebrity )

Tyger Drew Honey - Really pleasant guy
Sarah Jane Crawford, JB Gill, Danielle Harold- Not much to say but all lovely
Ben Duncan (back from C4 BB days) - Great, kept coming up to me to ask if I was enjoying myself, very interested in everyone
Amy Childs - We chatted for a bit about both being from Essex, almost fell into her later on

Actually you can slag her off more as she's dead and can't sue.

Might not be in the best taste though.

By his own admission he was a Sheffield United football hooligan so he can't be that nice.

I met Chris quite a while back when he came to my sister's school (she was at a special school as she has down's syndrome.) He's from Southampton so he was the first choice as a 'local' celebrity that the majority of kids would recognise. He was lovely to talk to and absolutely brilliant with all the kids there. Worked really hard all day and spoke to them all, even finding ways to communicate with the children with no speech (and as someone who now works with people with learning disabilities for a living, let me tell you that a lot of people won't bother to engage children who can't speak.) Absolutely no pretences about him. Just a genuinely nice guy.

Even Mike Love? He doesn't get very good press.

Michael Jackson ignores teenage girls in favour of boy, wonder why?

Didn't he get critiqued recently about comments he made in a recent interview? I totally agreed with him on the issue that was controversial. He seems an intelligent maN who's passionate about wildlife so he must get annoyed with journo's & the media misconstruing things.

Some years back I was in a bar in Haymarket I was on crutches at the the time, I hobblled off to the bogs and I accidentally slammed the door in someone's face, I said I was sorry and he laughed and said 'that's alright sweetheart'

It was the late Steve Strange

He regularly gets taxis from where my husband ranks up. He's had him in his cab and said he was perfectly pleasant.