Still a bit damp and grey this morning.

I watched the Olivier Awards last night and I have to confess, I have had my own Notting Hill moment. Where you don’t recognise the person you are talking to is someone famous. 

Several years ago, great friends of ours asked Geoff and me, very last minute, if we could come with them to the Olivier Awards ceremony and after party. They were taking a group of the hubby’s clients to it and a pair had dropped out at the last minute. We were seat fillers.

Off we went on a Sunday night to the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. I had bought a floor length velvet dress and Geoff wore black tie. We were all meeting for champagne beforehand. Geoff and I were early so we popped into Starbucks for a coffee, near Trafalgar Square. A homeless man came and sat next to us. We bought him a coffee. The contrast between our attire and his was crazy. Then Geoff spilt the coffee down his shirt. There was a panic to get it clean in the toilet. Thank goodness we did.

After nibbles and champagne we were chauffeured to the awards. As we walked up the red carpet, I could see some of the cast from Downton up ahead. It was thrilling.

We made our way to a private box. I was introduced to “Anita”. She was very friendly.

I asked her what she did and she said, “A little bit of acting.”

I responded, “Oh how funny. So does my daughter Anna.”

I went on and on and on about how Anna had landed her first audition and appeared on Family Affairs on Channel 5. The show was axed after 3 months, but her mother in the show was Glynis Barber of Dempsey and Makepeace, the 80s cop show.

She said, “Good for your daughter.”

I asked, “Have you got any work coming up shortly?”

“Yes, I’m doing a play in Bromley next month on the relationship between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. I’m playing Bette,” she replied.

Then we all took her our seats. There was a spare one beside me, with Anita on the other side.

The opening act was Brian May of Queen fame performing a number from the West End show, “We Will Rock You”.

About 10 minutes after the number ended, the box door opened and Brian came and sat down beside me. He ignored me and kissed Anita, HIS WIFE.

It turned out that his wife was Anita Dobson. She had been a star on Eastenders. We hit it off at the after party and she invited the female guests to come and see the show in Bromley. So off I went. I was a huge fan of Greta Scacchi (part Aussie) and she was playing Joan. I managed to get into her dressing room and we had a chat and some photos taken. Who can forget her simmering in “White Mischief”?

Today I am up to London.