Friday 11 July 2008

Celebrity

I’ve been away for a few days this week up to the Lake district. Its beautiful there, even in the rain, and boy, does it rain!!! Lets just say the lakes were certainly a lot fuller when I left than they were when I arrived......

It was good to see all the well known places - Windermere, Bowness, Ambleside, Grassmere, William Wordsworths cottage, Beatrix Potters farm, the tiny gingerbread shop, as well as some gorgeous old pubs, including one with old chamber pots hanging from the beamed ceiling (really, I'm not taking the piss!!!!) and I got a few ( very very very very wet!) walks in as well as a couple of dry ones. I had a fabulous (dry) walk around Tarn Hows which I thought was gorgeous and took loads of photos of with a view (joke!) to using them for paintings some day. I even saw a young red deer on one of my walks which was totally unconcerned at my presence, and eyed me with gentle interest as I took photos of it.

I also went into Kendal where I fell in love with a print of a photo and bought it cos I loved it so much (and I rarely buy artwork!). The photo is massive and framed (just under 4 x 3 feet). The image is in soft muted colours of beiges and pale purples and is of a deserted wet beach with a rivulet of water in the foreground leading on to an old partly submerged tree trunk, and then to some large black rocks in the middle ground, and a misty background. I love it for the interesting interplay of light and dark, the shapes and serene subject matter. I’ve walked on so many beaches that it looks like. And the really really lovely thing about it is that the rivulet of water in the foreground is almost a naked woman so its sort of an almost erotic landscape! Since it’s a photo and not a painting, its just the way the shapes look, but I love it. The photographer could obviously see it too, as the picture is called “She lies within the sand”.

And whilst I was with friends having lunch in an old pub half way up a hillside somewhere in the Lake district, we noticed Richard Wilson (the actor who is Victor Meldrew from "One foot in the grave") at the next table – it was only when he spoke that we all recognized his lovely resonant Scottish voice, but of course One foot in the grave would be about 20 years old now, so that’s why he wasn’t instantly recognized by us. He was with a film crew filming about Englands best drives, so they were all there too. He walked out of the pub whilst we were still eating, but as we were walking up to the car in the car park, and the others had gone on ahead of me, I found myself alone and walking towards him. In the past I wouldn’t have done anything, but because of what’s happened this last year (to me as an artist), I felt I wanted to speak to him. So I just said that I wanted to thank him for the pleasure he’d given us over the years and he charmingly thanked me, we had a little chat and he asked me if I wanted my photo taken with him – so I agreed and asked someone to take it for us, whilst we stood with his arm around my shoulder. I thought that was really sweet of him, and called him Mr. Wilson. I bet he gets loads of people calling him Victor and wanting him to say “I don’t believe it!” but there was no way I was going to ask him to say it. He stood and chatted for a bit and I shook his hand (and didn’t get chance to mention I was an erotic artist, but now I wish I had!). I just felt that since I get a lot of pleasure from hearing people saying how much they like my artwork and how it touches them, I wanted to tell him the same sort of thing for his acting. It surprised me that I did it, lots of people would have been straight in there, but not me normally! Infact thinking about it – HE asked to have the picture taken, not me, so perhaps he realized HE was with a celebrity!!!! LOL

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jackie
I was on holiday recently in my favourite place (you know where it is) and walked past Dame Judi Dench. She was talking to a friend and it was her voice that confirmed her identity. Unlike you, I didn't have the courage to speak to her. I might have done had she not been in conversation with her friend.

Lucy Felthouse said...

Victor Meldrew?! But I live with him... he was here the whole time! LOL. Just kidding.

You jammy so and so. Only been to the Lakes once so only had a little explore but will definitely be going again, I love it! Definitely inspirational for my writing, it's beautiful.

Jackie Adshead said...

Hornymaleuk - yes, I know where you mean, and I'm not surprised she was there, its a beautiful place - and I've just remembered I saw Susan Hampshire in a restaurant there a few years ago. I'm sure we all pass a lot of celebrities often without realising who they are.

I'm intrigued, what would you have said to Judi Dench if you'd had the chance?

Jackie Adshead said...

Lucy - I think you're not alone, as a lot of people seem to live with Victor Meldrew!!!

Yes, the Lakes are beautiful aren't they? I can understand why you find them so inspirational.

Indi said...

Really? Richard Wilson eh?.. I had the opportunity of having my photo taken with Sharon Davis once, and on the same day I had a cuddle with her youngest son, who then was about 4 months old. I've also had my photo taken with Henry Cooper the retired boxer, my mum's met Prince Andrew.. the list is endless, not met the Queen yet, but I know a man who has.

Trixie said...

Richard Wilson is a close friend of the real estate agents I deal with. When I was doing that fund raiser last year for my friend who lost his limbs from trying to kill himself, Richard donated £200 (plus took him out for dinner on a cruise around the thames)

Jackie Adshead said...

Indigo - Well you obviously get out more than me then! lol

Jackie Adshead said...

Trixie - He sounds like a nice guy then.

Anonymous said...

jackie
What would I have said to Dame Judi Dench?.... Well, I definitely would not have attempted to chat her up!!!

Jackie Adshead said...

Hornymaleuk - No, ok, if not that then, what would you have said to her if you'd had the chance to speak to her?

Joanna Cake said...

I think it's lovely that you were brave enough to talk to him and to say something sensible! So many people turn into gibbering stalkers around celebs :)

Jackie Adshead said...

Having my cake - I suppose its difficult for people to know what to say as they relate to the character they know rather than the actors personality behind it. But he's only a man at the end of the day who happens to do things in the public eye, and it was that I wanted to acknowledge.