I've had a few very welcome chance meetings in recent months.
I bumped into Chris Addison in Manchester as well as
having that slightly spooky last encounter with Harry Thompson. Surely all coincidences have been used up for this year and fate's fickle finger must be all tired from arranging such unarranged rendezvous (what is the plural of rendezvous? Rendezvous?).
But in the unlikely environs of Reading Moto services I was to cross paths with another friend and one that I haven't seen for a shamefully long time. I was on my way home to Cheddar and had stopped off for a coffee and a sandwich which I had now consumed and was just popping to the loo before setting off again, when I saw the unmistakable gonk face of Welsh misfit Peter Baynham, star of Fist of Fun and for a year or so in the mid-nineties my flat mate.
It was a lovely surprise, especially as I was under the impression that he was over in LA writing movies. Funnily enough I had just been thinking about him the other day and how he is rarely credited with being one of the driving forces behind many of the last decades most successful comedies. The plaudits go to others, but his comedic genius is apparent to those who know him. he is one of the funniest men I know and it was a real delight to see him. Especially given that he is so difficult to pin down for social events, and it's probably true that the best way to get to spend some time with him is to hang around in service stations on the off-chance that he might happen to stop in for a drink.
We had a coffee together and caught up and chatted about the old days. It was lovely of fate to arrange this meeting.
Peter suggested that we forgo heading back home to see our families and just stay in Reading services (westbound) for the whole of Christmas together. We could get some cans and maybe hire out the middle bit of the restaurant and if needs be book into the Travelodge if we got tired. I thought that it was pretty likely that we could persuade other Christmas Day customers to come and join our party. After all only the loneliest of souls would be stopping at Reading services on the actual day of Jesus's birth and would be happy of the friendship of two short and strange looking comedians. It could become an annual event.
Maybe Peter was joking or maybe he wasn't. I am tempted to return to the service station on the 25th to find out. Maybe I will. If you are sad and alone why don't you head over there too. Bring a couple of cans and a cracker.Put on a Christmas hat and sit in the middle bit of the circular restaurant. Maybe me and Pete will be there too. Maybe we won't. But maybe another Warming Up reader will turn up if we don't. Maybe loads of them will. It might be the greatest party of all tiem. You might meet your future spouse.
Alternatively you might just sit there on your own and everyone who passes will look at you and think you are an idiot.
But Reading Moto services westbound is a place of magic, as my statisticaly improbable meeting with the Pot Noodle scoffing comedy writer proves. It's got to be worth a chance.
The party starts at midday. You're all invited. Take a camera and let me know how you get on. You know, just in case I don't make it down.
