MY BRUSH stars WITH THE
If you want to meet celebrities, you have to find them on their turf. And a private hospital known for its famous clientele who go there for everything from gallstones to nose jobs is the perfect place to work undercover.
“In the 1990s, I worked as a receptionist at The London Clinic in Marylebone, Central London, and meeting famous people was a daily occurrence,” writes Gillian Hockley in Morden, South London.
Spilling the beans, Gillian says: “I met a statuesque Princess Diana with a young Prince, who came to visit the optician. And a very tiny sweet
Queen Mum, who, although there was a private entrance for royalty, insisted on using the main entrance.”
Gillian goes on to list her star spots – “dishy James Bond” Sean Connery , “charismatic” Sean Bean, “dashing” Rod Stewart with his then-wife, pregnant Rachel Hunter. Then Gillian moved to a private practice in Wimpole Street with plenty more celebrity clients. “A very charming Bruce Forsyth came in with his lovely wife Wilnelia and greeted me with, ‘Hello my darling’. There was also Nigel Havers, Julian Clary, Mick Hucknall and a very down-to-earth Ronnie O’Sullivan who gave me an autograph for my snooker fan husband.”
Gillian recalls Sandy Shaw as being “very tall”, a “husky” Fenella Fielding and Elizabeth Hurley being, well, Elizabeth Hurley.
“But my greatest thrill was when the late, great David Soul came in,” reveals Gillian. “As he was leaving, I couldn’t help singing, ‘Don’t give up on us, baby,’ and I was rewarded with a big smile and a ‘thank you’.”
“I’m 84 now, but those really were the days,” says Gillian. “My life was never dull.” Send your celebrity spots to siobhan.mcnally@mirror.co.uk