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Above: This is me with the former Blue Peter and Big Breakfast presenter Richard Bacon. (I am on the right and Richard is on the left) - (see 2).
I have been collecting signed photographs of the famous since January 1997 and I have over 475 on my walls. The following is a list of the 101 favourite ones that I have had over the years:
Above: The late Jill Dando, who sadly met her death in April 1999. As you can see, she signed it personally to me and out of all the 475 odd pictures that I have in my collection, this one is very dear to my heart. I beleive that this one will have the most value in years to come. She is sadly missed by all.
1) JILL DANDO – The golden girl of television who she sadly met her death in April 1999. She is sadly missed by all her friends, colleagues and family, including her fiance Alan Farthing, her co-presenter on Crimewatch, Nick Ross and her brother Nigel Dando. Why did it happen?
2) RICHARD BACON – On Saturday, August 15th 1998, the same day as the Omargh (sic?) bombing happened, Mansfield born Richard Bacon became a Blue Peter presenter, taking over from Tim Vincent who decided to pursue an acting career. While he was on the popular children’s television programme, which celebrated its fortieth anniversary when I met him in a clothes shop in Nottingham, where he was signing autographs and photographs and you can guess why I met him, can’t you? On that Saturday lunchtime in August, a lot of kids were there (because it’s a kids programme after all, isn’t it?) But this occasion made history for myself, as Richard was the only person who had given me a signed photograph in person and also that I had met in person as well! On that particular day he was late for the signing session as he was held up on the M1. Still, he arrived at this clothes shop in Nottingham (to help celebrate the shop’s second anniversary) not only to give autographs to yours truly, but also to agree to pose for a photograph with him and me in the picture. A nearby parent agreed to take the picture. I soon got the picture developed and it hangs on my wall in my front room. Bacon however was soon sacked from the children’s television programme two months later after being caught by a tabloid newspaper reporter to be reported to be using cocaine, to the delight of many satirical comedy programmes who poked fun as always at the situation. Simon Thomas replaced his job as presenter on the show, while Bacon was soon forgiven after a couple of months and was soon landed a job as a reporter on the Big Breakfast. But even the BBC was forgiving for a while, ready to take him on again. But I met him before the media grilled him two months later. How about that then? One of my many claims to fame!
3) CAROL VORDERMAN – Nothing special about this one, apart from the fact that she was on about 98% of all shows in 1997 and also in January 1997 when I decided to start collecting signed photographs of the celebrities as part of a new year’s resolution – Carol Vorderman was indeed the very first one I had pleasure in receiving through the post and putting on my wall. One letter but no numbers. No pun intended.
4) VANESSA FELTZ – She wasn’t the very first one that I received (see 3), but Feltzie was the very first one that I had written to just after Christmas in 1996 after I decided on doing a new hobby for the New Year. Anglia Television eventually replied back to my letter with a signed photograph, but a couple of weeks after Carol Vorderman. Still, she was indeed the very first one who I wrote to. Feltz quit Anglia in 1998 after complaining about being underpaid by the company and moved to the BBC, while replacement Trisha Goddard (see 56) took over the reins of being the daytime talk show and turned the programme into a pathetic sub-J * * * * S * * * * * * * programme.
5) JOHN PEEL – Radio One’s longest serving presenters and was born on August 30th, just like myself! Sadly it was the wrong year.
6) SUE MACGREGOR – One of Radio Four’s Today presenters who was also born on August 30th – shares my birthday again!
7) JOHNNIE WALKER – Out of all the Radio Two presenters who have sent me signed photographs, Johnnie Walker was the only one to sign it personally. And just like Richard Bacon, the BBC also sacked him after a tabloid news reporter had caught him with cocaine and was suspended and was replaced by late night presenter Richard Allinson, while Des Lynam who did the Friday show was uninterrupted. Walker was allowed a reprisal and was then allowed back onto the radio a few months later. Walker replaced John Dunn as drive time presenter in October 1998. (Do not confuse Walker’s name with a brand of whiskey!)
8) STUART PEARCE – The former Nottingham Forest and England footballer who my nephew has met on an occasion when he was invited to go to the City Ground to have his photograph taken with him. He has since left Forest and has launched his autobiography named after his nickname, Psycho. Soon afterwards, I wrote him for a signed photograph. One of the very few entries from the sporting genre.
9) LISA DRANSFIELD (NEE LYNCH) – Lisa Lynch was the weather forecaster for East Midlands today (see 60) and also a presenter on BBC Radio Nottingham. My sister was interviewed on the radio station, which persuaded me to add Lisa to my collection. Lisa Lynch married and is now called Lisa Dransfield.
10) NODDY HOLDER – The lead singer of Slade in the 1970’s sent me a signed photograph as part of a group of radio presenters who worked at Magic AM in Manchester. Holder does radio presenting in many radio stations as well as make many guest appearances on television. Signed personally as well. “It’s Christmas!” Only joking.
11) CHRIS TARRANT – The star of Capital’s Breakfast Show in London and host of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? A Capital publicity picture signed!
12) GORDON BURNS – Former presenter of The Krypton Factor and now presents North West Tonight for the BBC in Manchester, Gordon personally signed me a photograph through the post after visiting Manchester and finding out who the presenters was for the regional news programme after buying a north west edition of the Radio Times and finding out that he now does the news there.
13) STEPHEN BOXER – Not a household name I know, but he was a former children’s television presenter whose main claim to fame was that he worked with Beryl Reid. He sent me a signed photograph through the post after working at the Derby Playhouse in a production of God and Stephen Hawking, Boxer as Hawking. Boxer also appeared as a policeman in episodes of Prime Suspect.
14) TANYA MYERS – Not another household name as well, but this actress lives in Nottingham and the Nottingham Evening Post caught up with her to do a report that she was going to appear in The Bill (see 99) and take her daughter’s lucky toy mascot with her which, was seen on set in one of the episodes. As well as theatre, Myers has appeared in episodes of Casualty and even one about the Yorkshire Ripper. Scary!
15) GED HUNTER – He played a character with Asperger Syndrome in Holby City in January 2000 and because I have the condition (Asperger Syndrome, not acting) I wrote to him and a couple of months late he sent a signed picture of himself. He was from Liverpool as well.
16) CHLOE NEWSOME – Coronation Street’s Vicky McDonald added one more photograph to my collection. Chloe is famous for showing to the public what colour her whites were in a publicity picture in the Daily Star and other tabloids. Pity about the picture as it was in black and white!
17) JOHN HOLMES – BBC Radio Derby’s mid morning show presenter who helped me to get a copy of the Holby City tape, starring Ged Hunter (see 11) He even sent me a Christmas card through the post. Holmes actually lives in Nottingham just like myself and travels to Derby each weekday morning to do his show. John Holmes was even talked about Nottingham on the Derby radio station – and of course the regular listeners didn’t know what he was going on about!
18) PAUL MACKENZIE – Same radio station (see17) but different presenter. Paul sent me not a BBC publicity photograph but one made by a special photographers in Derby. He even enclosed a message that his father lived on Colwick Road – just around the corner from myself! Is it me, or do Radio Derby presenters have more in common with Nottingham than they do with Derby?
19) RORY BREMNER – The top celebrity impressionist sent me a signed photograph through the post. Well, when you have an impressionist, you have them all as they say.
20) ROBERT KILROY-SILK – The former Labour MP who has come out of politics and into broadcasting (cf David Mellor, Edwina Currie) and campish BBC morning debate show host, who has his own production company, also gave me a picture of himself. Kilroy-Silk does indeed sound like a type of fabric conditioner a la Michael Fabricant. “Take care of yourselves” and “you can’t say bloody”, were his two famous catchphrases. Graham Norton, anyone?
21) TERRI DWYER – Ruth Osbourne from Hollyoaks also contributed to the photograph collection using feminine language in the message that can’t be repeatable on this list.
22) NICK OWEN – Ex-TV-am presenter, ordered by the late B * * * * G * * * * * * to wear pink and when I caught up with him to write to him, he now does Midlands Today in Birmingham. However him and Anne Diamond were to have presented the very first edition of Central News from the Nottingham studios only to find that the programme had not been transmitted due to a strike at the studios over pay.
23) TOM O’CONNOR – When the Mr Clean of comedy was presenting Cross Wits at Tyne Tees in Newcastle, I wrote to him for a signed photograph, only to be sent an application form as the people at the show thought that I wanted to be on the show as a contestant! I know that I am very good at crosswords, but I didn’t really want to venture that far ahead! I wrote to them again, sending back the form and then asking for a picture once more. They did so this time and as Tom O’Connor would have said, “Never a cross word. Just for me alright?” Naff.
24) SIAN LLOYD – ITV’s weather forecaster and just like Jill Dando (see 1) I was also a bit embarrassed in writing to her as a pensioner had been arrested sending offensive mail to Ms Lloyd. I mean, who would send post in an airmail envelope from one end of the country to another? That is suspicious in itself. Never mind – this was a year before this controversy happened and at the time, sunny days were on the agenda.
25) PRINCE WILLIAM – No, I didn’t receive a signed photograph from the country’s future king, but still I think that this is just as good for it to appear in this list. St James’ Palace wrote back to me and said that the prince does not give autographs but passed on his best wishes to me. I think that the reply in itself was just as good as a photograph anyway and so it deserves a mention here. (I did also wanted to put a picture of the Queen on the wall, but as I was a little short of cash on this particular day, I needed that last ten pound note. Just a thought!)
26) TERI HATCHER – Out of most of the signed photographs in the collection, the celebrities are no more famous than B-list celebrity. However Teri Hatcher, who starred as Lois Lane in the New Adventures of Superman opposite Dean Cain. Hatcher was the collection’s first and only A-list Hollywood actress.
27) JON SNOW – The Channel 4 News presenter who signed his photograph personally and “scribbled” a message on ITN notepaper, which was almost allegeable to read – handwriting just like a doctor’s, which is almost like his taste in ties.
28) MICHAEL FISH – He may have predicted the 1987 hurricane incorrectly, but he was spot on when the Met Office sent me a signed photograph of him.
29) TIMMY MALLETT – Famous for his mallet on breakfast television, but I caught up with him when tuning round that medium wave on the radio I received BBC Three Counties Radio that is based in Luton and found out the Timmy Mallett was doing the drive time show for the station of all things in 1999 and agreed to send me a picture of himself.
30) LISA RILEY – The former Emmerdale actress and You’ve Been Framed presenter. When I received her personally signed photograph through the post I framed it, so Lisa Riley, you’ve been framed!
31) DEBBIE THROWER – Former Channel 4’s Collector’s Lot presenter and the first person to be seen on the south of England ITV station Meridian. I wrote to Collector’s Lot to tell them about my collection of signed photographs and they had pleasure of sending me one of Debbie Thrower!
32) ZIG AND ZAG – The only non-human celebrities in the collection. Zig and Zag are puppets in The Big Breakfast. The puppets can only be named as their puppeteers wish to remain unnamed!
33) THE KRANKIES – Ian and Jeanette Tough (that’s the one who was vertically challenged) dropped me a line with their contribution to my wall as well.
34) MIKE NEVILLE – Anchor of Tyne Tees’ North East Tonight. A slight lie was written in the letter addressed to him as I said that I saw him on Newcastle when I visited there. The truth was that I had never been anywhere near Newcastle! The closest I had been to that place was Scarborough, but that’s another story. Mike Neville was born in the Wallsend area of Newcastle.
35) LIZA GODDARD – Team captain on Give Us A Clue in the 1980’s and later playing Miss Jessop in the children’s television series Woof! where Goddard invaded Nottingham as if she was a local news reporter.
36) RONNIE CORBETT – A life size contribution to my wall with a signed photograph of Mr Corbett (well, it was the same size as most of the others actually).
37) GLORIA HUNNIFORD – Presenter of Open House on Channel 5 and a former Radio Two presenter.
38) MICHAEL BARRYMORE – Presenter of Strike it Lucky, Barrymore and Kids Say the Funniest Things Alright!
39) PAM AYRES – The countryside poet when she was doing the Sunday evening slot on Radio Two that Charlie Chester did before her and…
40) ED STEWART - …did after her. Stewpot is famous for his former afternoon Radio Two show just after Gloria Hunniford (see 37) and Crackerjack. Not to mention that annoying “hello darlings” catchphrase.
41) FRED DINENAGE – Got a signed photograph of Fred courtesy of Meridian Tonight, where he hangs out long after How and Gambit.
42) JIM BOWEN – Ex-Bullseye host now lives between 9am and 12noon in the studios of BBC Radio Lancashire
43) TREVOR McDONALD – Got him as well. When I wrote to the Tonight with Trevor McDonald programme and they found out that I collected signed photographs, they send me one of Trevor, even though I already had one at that time.
44) MARTYN LEWIS – When he was presenting that BBC 2 quiz Today’s the Day, I managed to get one of him then. Now, he’s nowhere to be seen.
45) DALE WINTON – Supermarket Sweep host and ex-Radio Trent presenter in Nottingham is the very latest one for my collection.
46) DAVID “KID” JENSEN – Now more like David “Pensioner” Jensen. Jensen was also ex-Radio Trent, poached from Radio Luxembourg and recently a drive time host for Heart FM in London.
47) DENISE VAN OUTEN – Not signed, but the picture reveals a shot of Denise Van Outen on the borderline between elegant and pornographic. Now married to the tenth and eleventh letter of the alphabet. (That’s Jay Kay).
48) TERRY WOGAN – As always, no list would not be complete without the Wogan himself. Wish he’d wash his hair more often, though.
49) MICHAEL BUERK – The BBC’s Nine O’clock News presenter, until they used this generic rubbish. Now demoted to programmes like 999.
50) JULIE REINGER – Does the weather for Look East and also used to do the same thing for East Midlands Today.
51) JOHN CRAVEN – Former Newsround presenter and is now working with pigs in Countryfile.
52) KATY HILL – Ex-Blue Peter presenter, just like the Bacon (see 2).
53) FEMI OKE – She’s done the weather for various companies including Central, LWT and now she’s done the CNN weather. Was also doing the rounds with the schools programmes as well.
54) DANNY LA RUE – Cross-dressing may be part of his act, but he certainly found time to send me a picture.
55) LOYD GROSSMAN – A signed photograph of Loyd didn’t go through the keyhole but through the letterbox instead!
56) TRISHA GODDARD – I wrote to her c/o Anglia Television and posted the letter it on the Friday prior to the first transmission of the show. No one replied so I telephone the Anglia duty office and they sent one off straight away. Funny how quickly people react when you telephone them? Goddard replaced Vanessa Feltz (see 4) as the morning chat show host and is a J * * * * S * * * * * * * compere. Why?
57) AINSLEY HARRIOTT – The Ready, Steady Cook and Can’t Cook Won’t Cook chef is up there courtesy of Bazal productions in Birmingham. We like a bit of that, a long with some Suzy Salt and a bit of Percy Pepper as well.
58) CHARLIE DIMMOCK – Also courtesy of Bazal, the denim wearing gardener-ess is famous for not wearing the odd bra underneath the even T-shirt. Still, more men than ever watch her shows, but unfortunately the picture I have of her is decent and she has covered herself up.
59) CLAIRE KING – Formerly of Emmerdale and now of Bad Girls, Claire King has provided many a jodhpur covered bottom to a horse saddle in the Yorkshire soap, and now she’s a governor of a women’s prison. Googie no longer with us.
60) ROB GLASS – Firstly the weatherman on East Midlands Today (see 9), and now he does the weather for Channel 5 news. Picture courtesy of ITN.
61) JONATHAN DIMBLEBY – Any Questions, Any Answers, and most other political programmes, Dimbleby’s done them all. Or was that Richard or David? Picture courtesy of Radio Four.
62) CHRIS EVANS – Virgin’s own breakfast show star. It took a year or so to get a picture of Evans and when one contacted Virgin radio, one eventually got a picture of Evans, late of TFI Friday and The Big Breakfast, but it wasn’t signed.
63) EMMA B – Not one of the Spice Girls, but a Radio One presenter to add to the collection.
64) JAMES H REEVE – I caught this man doing a lunchtime show for BBC GMR when listening in Manchester in 1998. Nobody knows what the H stands for, although it could stand for the same H that was in Harry H Corbett’s name – hanything. Reeve left GMR to go national for Talk Radio, now Talk Sport for a weekend late night series.
65) ANGELA GRIFFIN – The half cast hairdresser in Coronation Street turned nurse in Holby City. The photograph that I have is from Holby City.
66) HOWARD LEADER – The former That’s Life co-presenter who went on to do a late night weekend show for BBC Radio Kent.
67) STEVE PENK – Now famous for TV Nightmares and The Way They Were, collected from a Capital Radio picture.
68) ANDREW HARVEY – The former BBC news and now ITN newscaster who did a short stint for BBC South Today, where I got his picture.
69) PATRICK ANTHONY – The BBC Radio Norfolk chef in residence.
70) RUSTIE LEE – Radio WM’s chef in residence and also former TV-am cook and Game For a Laugh co-presenter.
71) CHERYL BAKER – The ex-Buck’s Fizz and Eurovision winner. Got a picture of her from when she co-presented the short-lived Really Useful Show in 1997.
72) BILL BUCKLEY – Formerly of That’s Life, Serve You Right, for Meridian and much more. I got his picture from Southern Counties Radio, where he does the afternoon show there – and he also does continuity announcing for Channel 5.
73) STEPHEN RHODES – Once famous for half-filling Richard and Judy’s shoes on This Morning as well as doing the voice over on Family Fortunes. Rhodes narrates the Matter of Fact documentaries and has a consumer mid morning show for BBC Three Counties Radio.
74) SARAH KENNEDY – The early morning Radio Two presenter, who was one of the original four on Game For a Laugh.
75) JOHN FLORANCE – The occasional Pause for Thought contributor on Radio Two (sometimes working on Sarah Kennedy’s show (see 74)) and also does the lesser-spotted programmes on Radio Four has his own midmorning show called Talkback on BBC Radio Leicester.
76) BOB WARMAN – The Brummie Central newsreader has been reading the news in the West Midlands for donkeys’ years – and I even had two pictures of him. Firstly I telephoned Central’s duty office for a picture after my letter wasn’t replied to, and then a second one about six months after I made the first call when my letter was replied to. Also appeared on In Bed With Medinner, appearing in an old clip of a regional Miss World contest from the 1970’s.
77) ADRIAN CHILES – The straight man of the Chiles – Adam Shaw double act on Working Lunch, which is supposed to be about a serious subject of business news, but due to animated graphics, poached from the game show Catchphrase, the programme can be as funny as the children’s television series Rainbow.
78) RICHARD WHITELEY – The man who is known for his bad puns and dress sense and works with Carol “one from the top” Vorderman (see 3).
79) BILL MAYNARD – Claude Greengrass in the Yorkshire Television series Heartbeat.
80) TRICIA PENROSE – 1960’s tart also from Heartbeat. Why did women dress like that?
81) JONATHAN “JONO” COLEMAN – The radio and television presenter, famous for VH1 and Heart FM.
82) DANIELLE NICHOLLS – The children’s ITV presenter, complete with denim “I’m on my period” miniskirt and denim “I’m more adventurous” tight jeans.
83) JOHN McCRIRRICK (sic?) – Channel 4 Racing’s tipster, complete with deerstalker hat and odd hand signals.
84) MARIELLA FROSTRUP – Got the gravely voiced C- list celebrity. Another tart, although decent on the photograph.
85) JOHN HUMPHRHYS – The Today presenter on Radio Four who has the pleasure of working with Sue Macgregor (see 6).
86) JEREMY PAXMAN – The Labour supporting newscaster with everything from London Plus to Newsnight in his vitae.
87) DOUGIE DONNELLY – The Scottish snooker commentator is up there along with many other Scottish BBC presenters.
88) NICKY CAMPBELL – Radio Five Live’s mid morning show presenter who first became famous when he spun the Wheel of Fortune.
89) TINA HOBLEY – The short-lived Rovers barmaid Samantha Failsworth who was in Coronation Street between 1996 and 1997. The name Failsworth is also an area of Manchester, so it might have been an inspiration for the character.
90) JOSIE D’ARBY – Did a lot of Children’s BBC programmes until she moved to Channel 5 with some programmes like The Core.
91) EMMA POUNDS – Does the Puffin’s Pla(i)ce for Channel Television.
92) JAMES WHALE – A picture of him was received from Talk Radio, now Talk Sport.
93) SUE BEARDSMORE – The Midlands Today presenter and ex-Midlands Report narrator.
94) JANE DANSON – Leanne Battersby in Coronation Street, and now she’s in A and E (that’s the drama series).
95) DEREK THOMPSON – This name could mean two people: the first one is the Derek Thompson from Channel 4 Racing (see 83), or it could also mean Derek Thompson who plays Charlie Fairhead in Casualty – I have both their signatures.
96) DONNA AIR – Challenge TV’s The Cooler, which admittedly is the one of the only cable television programmes that features in this list, is what Donna Air presents. She has worked on The Big Breakfast and before that MTV. Air shows guts as she sits openly in the picture that I have.
97) ALEX LESTER – Radio Two’s night owl and frequent Sarah Kennedy (see 74) stand in when Kennedy is off with PMT. (Pre morning tension).
98) MICHAEL PARKINSON – He’s been assaulted by an Emu (well, Rod Hull’s arm anyway) and been insulted by Mohammed Ali, but his picture and Sunday morning Radio Two show certainly has a place.
99) JEFF STEWART – The Bill’s own Asperger Syndrome policeman Reg Hollis.
100) EAMONN HOLMES – The Terry Wogan (see 48) of breakfast television as he is to radio. On the GMTV sofa each morning at 7 am sharp!
101) TONY CAPSTICK – The BBC Radio Sheffield afternoon show presenter and former comedian a la Capstick’s Capers in 1983.
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