Lunch with Gordon Ramsay

Well, not really. I did however spend all of my lunchtime standing around in the cold waiting to meet Gordon at a book signing for his autobiography Humble Pie. Fortunately I bought my copy beforehand, and could at least read it in the queue. It’s very interesting so far – he certainly had a crappy upbringing.

Sadly, I was wearing a sleeveless shirt, and the temperature has dropped sharply here in London. In my defence, it’s still hot in the sun. It’s just that Piccadilly Circus doesn’t get any sun because the enclosing buildings are too high. Oh well. At least I was commended on my bravery by staff and fellow devotees. (Although Gordon later asked me why I couldn’t afford sleeves.)

Anyway, we got let in eventually, only to join another queue (VIPs? Bookclub members?) for another half hour. Finally Gordon appeared in a puff of smoke and whiff of sulphur, and the journos proceeded to fire off about one googolplex photos in the space of a few minutes.

At last it was our turn. He was very friendly, cracking jokes (mostly with the girls, but who can blame him) and allowing lots of photos. He asked me whether 'that horrible Paul Holmes' was still in New Zealand. I replied that he was, and that he is a little goblin (though I suppose I should have mentioned how his career vanished overnight in 2005).

Gordon put some swears in the dedication for me. Nice one!