Autographs and pics

Some of my collection of autographs. Sorry for terrible scan quality! As a child and teenager I collected them, and am now thinking I would like to reprise this hobby. 

UPDATE!!

RICHARD KLINE!! 

Not exactly an autograph, but it MORE than counts. I wrote to Richard Kline - Larry Dallas from Three's Company - because he's in a big new show asking for an interview for my blog and got such a nice surprise to come home to this reply today. Standby for a celeb interview on my blog!!! 

"Daley" Thompson CBE (born 30 July 1958),[1] is a former decathlete from the UK. He won the decathlon gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984, and broke the world record for the event four times. Richard Peter Snell (born 12 September 1968 in Durban) is a former cricketer who played five Tests and 42 One Day Internationals for South Africa. He played for Transvaal in the early 90's forming a formidable opening pair with Steven Jack. He took South Africa's first Test wicket after they were re-admitted to international cricket. The event where I got their autographs was so much fun. It was a sort of obstacle course / there were 10 events where they all had to compete over two days. They were all gracious!

Richard Snell former South African fast / medium bowler

David Ian Campese, AM[1] (born 21 October 1962), also known as Campo, is a former Australian rugby union player. Campese was capped by the Wallabies 101 times, and held the world record for the most tries in test matches (64) until Daisuke Ohata scored his 65th try playing for Japan on 14 May 2006. He was voted player of the tournament at the 1991 Rugby World Cup after scoring nine tries in tests that season and six in the tournament. I met him one day in Eastgate shopping centre!

Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx (pronounced [ˈmɛrks]) (born 17 June 1945 in Meensel-Kiezegem[1]), better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer, considered to be the greatest pro-cyclist ever. He was at Hector Norris Park one Sunday. I climbed right to the top of the stands to ask him for his signature.

If you get a letter from this address, you know it's gonna be a good day. This was such a catch. Fred Perry was commentating one year for the BBC for Wimbledon, which I happened to know about. I wrote to the BBC and asked them to pass it on to him. And they did. It was so nice of him to write back. What a gentleman. He passed away soon afterwards and this is a treasure. RIP Fred Perry. Frederick John "Fred" Perry (18 May 1909 – 2 February 1995) was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships from 1934 to 1936 and was World No. 1 or Co-No. 1 for four years in total.

Gerald de Kock! Gerald de Kock is a South African sports commentator specialising in cricket. Formerly media manager of the South African national cricket team, he is currently chief cricket presenter on SuperSport, having worked previously for the SABC.

Hansie Cronje, sadly missed. I can say one thing that at this competition they had to dive through metal barrels and I was standing there when he dived through his. He crashed his back into the barrel and it looked so sore but he just kept on going where any normal person would have writhed around in agony, he wanted to win and there was no tanking there, that's for sure. Wessel Johannes "Hansie" Cronje (25 September 1969 – 1 June 2002) was a South African cricketer and captain of the South African national cricket team in the 1990s. He was voted the 11th greatest South African in 2004

Aw this was one of those awesome moments in time. Ever since my parents took me to see 84, Charing Cross Road as a play in 1983, I've had a fascination with Helene Hanff, and her bookshop and her over the sea correspondence. I read 84, Charing Cross Road for the umpteenth time, when one day it struck me to write to the last published address - on the last letter in the book. I didn't really expect anything back as the book had been published 30 years previously. I was amazed to receive this post card and a photograph sent separately. She was a lady and a great writer, still my favourite to this day. She died shortly thereafter which makes this even more of a treasure. Helene Hanff (April 15, 1916 – April 9, 1997) was an American writer. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she is best known as the author of the book 84, Charing Cross Road, which became the basis for a stage play, television play, and film of the same name.

Debbie and Jenny Lonman from the band Little Sister! This was a lot of fun. They gigged down at Bruma Lake, I loved their music and still listen to this day. Little Sister are an acoustic rock duo from South Africa. Debbi and Jenni Lonmon have been in the music industry for 18 years. They have recorded 5 albums.

Kim Shippey, this is another special one. I didn't know who he was, but my parents told me to run after him and ask for his autograph. Only realised later what a star he was, and what a quality commentator. There is very little about him on the net but he is apparently now 80, and still filing stories from the US.

Marc and Alex Rantseli from the South African band Marcalex. I really enjoyed their music and it was great to see them live and meet them.

Karen Kruger and Naas Botha.

My Rick! I can honestly say I wrote to every star, music, TV, film, radio, and asked for their autographs. Those days you had to physically send a letter, and you can ask my mother, she is still paying off the postage bill. Some would send generic printed post cards. Rick was the ONLY one to send me back a real signed pic during the height of his fame.

Here is a South African legend, many of you must remember this star. Tickey the clown sent us not one letter but two, we wrote requesting photos and he replied with a lovely letter saying he didn't have any and would have some made, apologising for being slow. Then not only did he actually GET some made but he sent them along together with another lovely letter. A gentleman and entertainer of note. He passed away in 1988. This is an honour to have, RIP Tickey.

Wally Hayward opened the local fun run one year! He won the Comrades Marathon for the first time in 1930 and ran it again when he was 81! He passed away in 2006, at the age of 98, a South African sporting legend. RIP.