Famous Passengers: A-L

I've been driving a taxi around London for over eleven years. From time to time I have someone famous, or well known (to me), sitting in the back of the cab. It wasn't until I attempted to recall who they all were that I realized just how many of them there had been.

They come from the arts, music, politics, sport, academia and the media - and occasionally 'other'. I never let on that I have recognized them and I never initiate conversation (this is my general rule with all passengers as it happens). They are all very nice people, okay.

Damon Albarn
Lord Michael Ancram
Clive Anderson
Adam Ant

Richard Bacon - Called me 'mate'. We're mates.
Lord Kenneth Baker
Peter Baldwin - Doesn't live oop north, but dann sarf.
Bananarama (Keren & Sara)
Sir Peter Bazalgette - A nice man.
Angellica Bell - More than averagely cheerful.
Lord John Birt
Baroness Virginia Bottomley
Edith Bowman

Jonathan Cainer - Not fortold he would be riding in my cab.
Antoine de Caunes - An unusual Frenchman - he tipped. Merci.
Nick Cave - He had not a clue where he was going. So I just guessed.
Winston Spencer Churchill
Jarvis Cocker - Looks tall. Is tall.
Michelle Collins
Brian Connolly
James Cordon - Blimey, I think I'm his mate as well.

David Davies
Matt Dawson
Baroness Brenda Dean
Nancy Dell'olio
Frank Dobson

Chris Eubank

Sir Terry Farrell
Lord Julian Fellowes
Pam Ferris - A really nice lady.
Irving Finkel - Quite possibly the most interesting man in London.
Roddy Frame
Matt Frei
Stephen Fry - Impeccably polite, as you would expect. We talked about the weather.

Nicky Gavron
Charlie George - What else but a nice bloke.
Beth Gibbon - We chatted about a bad cover version of one of her (Portishead) songs.
Mel Giedroyc
AA Gill
Miriam Gonzalez Durantez
Lloyd Grossman
Haydn Gwynne

Rich Hall - Had impression he'd been out jogging, but was too knackered to jog back.
Paul Heaton
Amanda Holden - Didn't know where she was going, literally. Also thought she recognized me. Sweet.
Dame Kelly Holmes - The journey started slowly. But we completed the final 800m very quickly.
Simon Hughes
Sir Harry Hyams

Lisa I'Anson - She really had been jogging but was too puffed to jog back. Laughed about it too.

Oscar James - A north-westender actually and former taxi driver.

Lorraine Kelly
Charles Kennedy - Asked him question. No clue to answer. An honest politician.
Maureen Lipman
Ken Livingstone
Chris Lowe - Looks after his mum (she was with him). A good boy.
Daisy Lowe - Her companion spoke for her. Not horrible journey at all, just a bit strange.
Nicholas Lyndhurst - Attempted to hide identity. Didn't work.