An afternoon in Hampstead

Every so often Garry and I have an inadvertent brush with fame. Since arriving in London we’ve met Barry Humphries , sat in a bar with Graham Norton, slept with Nick Lachey and flown across the Atlantic with the UK’s Atlantic with the UK’s Foreign Secretary, David Miliband. Today we joined friends for lunch at the Foremason's Arms in Hampstead to celebrate Martin's birthday. That's him in the middle, above, with his Mum on the right.

We last dined here for my birthday almost two years ago. Eleven of us enjoyed a jovial lunch in the pub’s sunny, glass roof atrium. Our dining companions included Richard O’Brien, author of the Rocky Horror Show. That's Richard on the left. Garry and I first encountered him as a guest on the Dame Edna Treatment in 2007.

Everyone wanted me to meet Richard as he grew up in Tauranga, New Zealand. My parents currently live in Tauranga’s coastal beach resort of Mount Maunganui. Over lunch Richard spoke modestly of the many star-studded encounters that have marked his career. I also learnt that Hamilton city recently unveiled a statue of Richard. He’s certainly the first person I’ve met to have achieved bronze immortality. Needless to say we all enjoyed a fabulous afternoon in the sun, sipping glass after glass of Moet. Hooray for Summer.