rowan atkinson

Well blow me down with a feather.

I saw Rowan Atkinson yesterday. Live. In the flesh. Breathing. Walking.

And that's not all.

Yesterday afternoon I was on my bike, cycling home, and now that I have an official cycling route, you'll see that a good portion of it goes through Battersea Park:

Please note this is approximate. Of notorious importance - please note the red star. Point of Rowan Atkinson spotting, at the end of the park leading onto Chelsea Bridge.

So I'd ridden through Victoria, Pimlico and over the bridge, turned onto the lane leading through the park, with a camel toe.

The camel toe isn't that important, I'm just making it known that I had one.

People were cycling and running and walking everywhere, minding their own business as the British are tend to do.

Vaguely saw this older dude walking towards me on the side, hands in the pockets of his navy hoodie, wearing a small backpack, silver-black hair.

The reason I took real note of him was because he was staring at my bike with a smile on his face. Dennis does stop traffic, you understand.

He was fully checking my bike out, with a half bemused expression on his face.
It took a few seconds and then fuck me on a fanny pack, it was Rowan Atkinson.

I almost crashed and then immediately phoned 4 people I knew. See, there's celeb spotting and then there's 'I just saw Rowan fucking Atkinson.'

I grew up on Rowan Atkinson. He carved British comedy and made it accessible on a grand and global scale, as far as I am concerned. He appeals to kids, and he appeals to adults. He is Mr Bean. He is Edmund Blackadder. He is a genius. (No really, he has a science master's in engineering).

He looked less like this:

And more like this: (Chilled and normal):


My dad consequently encouraged me to start stalking Rowan, and how I should ice-break our new friendship with the lines of his stand-up sketches that I should use.

What a legend. (Rowan. And yes, you too, Dad.)

I can't stop thinking about it. Think I'll go home and watch Blackadder tonight. Totally starstruck. **

There's a piece of me that wonders if he thought, "Look at that amazing bike! 'Ang on, that's Peas On Toast, good God I just saw Peas On Toast!"***

**After riding through the park again, on the same route, with binoculars, for the rest of my life.

*** Likelihood of Mr Bean reading my blog is 1 in 8 trillion and three.