I enjoyed many years working for various branches of Marks and Spencer. West Ealing, then the daddy of them all, Marble Arch in the warehouse but it all started off working in the posh Kensington High Street.
Ken H St was good fun because the various trickle of celebs who regularly dropped in. Headed up by Lady Di herself. Dustin Hoffman was fun. I sold him 7 suits and when I bumped in to him recently at the Toronto Film Festival, I reminded him of his purchase and he quipped that he wished he could still fit in to them. I think this was a reference to his girth rather anything to do with the on-going recession.
Other celebs were Antony Jay (co-writer of Yes Primeminister – Britain’s best ever sitcom?) –  Anneka Rice – Mrs Kelly Monteith who was ridiculously beautiful and might have helped me in choosing my career path. She drove a stunning black convertible Rolls Royce and always gave me a pound for loading her shopping in to the boot. I would become a comedian, but I haven’t managed to acquire a Rolls Royce or a wife who looks quite…Â
It was always very exciting have celebs in and yesterday with some time to kill ahead of a meeting I went in to M&S on High Street Kensington and was mooching around – getting warm as much as looking – and guess what?
I got recognised. I was now the ‘celeb’
A warehouse guy (green outfit) was very pleased to see me and shook my hand warmly – and I smiled imagining his conversation in the canteen later on.
‘You’d know him. Little bloke, odd looking – I think he might be funny…’
Hi Dominic – I recall buying a pair of shoes and being served by you,at the Kensington high street M&S branch.Seems like a very long time ago,heh? Still reading “A Man’s Life” at the moment,then on to “Eclipsed”(which I’m sure will be as enjoyable)Keep well.
good man derek, let me know when you get through – you went to the school where the whole thing started
Hi Dom,
once again you made me smile with your elegiac wit… Thank you!
my pleasure and thank you