Fan mail

[JGF_fan]

Hello everyone, I hope this finds you well. I only discovered this forum last night and I wanted to say a particular thanks to Admiral for making me feel better. I'll explain... I recently (about 5 weeks ago) wrote to Jan Francis and Paul Nicholas via their agents. Watching Just Good Friends during this awful time has made me feel much better - a real nostalgia trip, re-living such funny, beautifully scripted and acted comedy which I do not feel has dated. I had just bought some new garden furniture so wrote my letters to both Jan and Paul outside in the fine weather, saying how much I admired them and have enjoyed re-living Just Good Friends. I enclosed stamped addressed envelopes and requested a signed photo. I've been so disappointed not to hear back from either of them, but reading what you said Admiral has helped me understand about Jan. It would have been so lovely to hear from her though. Do you still manage her fan site? Would you be able to help me get an autograph perhaps? Thanks for your time in reading, take care everyone.

[George 1978]

Hello everyone, I hope this finds you well. I only discovered this forum last night and I wanted to say a particular thanks to Admiral for making me feel better. I'll explain... I recently (about 5 weeks ago) wrote to Jan Francis and Paul Nicholas via their agents. Watching Just Good Friends during this awful time has made me feel much better - a real nostalgia trip, re-living such funny, beautifully scripted and acted comedy which I do not feel has dated. I had just bought some new garden furniture so wrote my letters to both Jan and Paul outside in the fine weather, saying how much I admired them and have enjoyed re-living Just Good Friends. I enclosed stamped addressed envelopes and requested a signed photo. I've been so disappointed not to hear back from either of them, but reading what you said Admiral has helped me understand about Jan. It would have been so lovely to hear from her though. Do you still manage her fan site? Would you be able to help me get an autograph perhaps? Thanks for your time in reading, take care everyone.

Regarding Paul Nicholas, I know that over the past couple of years, pre-coronavirus, he has appeared in pantomime in one or two theatres around the country. I am certain that I have posted an autograph book to where he was in panto a couple of years ago and got an autograph that way - I think he was in Cambridge or somewhere like that.

I know that it isn't much use at the moment, but what I am saying it that I have often sent autograph books and other things to sign to theatres where they are appearing, and have managed to get things signed and sent back in the SAE that I have enclosed. The fact that they are appearing live there and are not there for too long makes it definitive as to whether they will reply or not, and productions who travel around the country would keep the correspondence with them until they get round to responding.

[beccabear67]

I've really never understood the autograph collecting 'thing' beyond something casual. I think if you are around someone you admire and you feel it might be okay with them then you might ask for them to sign an item. I have books signed by authors and records and CDs signed by artists because I cared about the work and they seemed to take a request as a sign of real admiration. I've also gotten various things autographed without asking, and experienced things I might've liked signed not signed as for whatever reason it felt intrusive. So what I have means something and often I can remember the time and place where it was signed.

Now that said, if anyone ever wants to give a signed Harry Corbett and Sooty pic a loving home.

[George 1978]

I think that it's got something to do with proving that the person is genuine and not an imposter - one can easily say that they have got someone's autograph and not another person's - signatures are unique because no other person on the planet can prove that it is theirs. Any graphologist (a person who studies handwriting) can easily tell apart an original signature from a forgery.

Rory Bremner for example can do voices of various celebrities but I doubt that he could do the same with regards to their signatures!

[George 1978]

I've really never understood the autograph collecting 'thing' beyond something casual. I think if you are around someone you admire and you feel it might be okay with them then you might ask for them to sign an item. I have books signed by authors and records and CDs signed by artists because I cared about the work and they seemed to take a request as a sign of real admiration. I've also gotten various things autographed without asking, and experienced things I might've liked signed not signed as for whatever reason it felt intrusive. So what I have means something and often I can remember the time and place where it was signed.

Now that said, if anyone ever wants to give a signed Harry Corbett and Sooty pic a loving home.

I have always wanted to see what Sooty's autograph looks like...

[JGF_fan]

Hello everyone, hope you are all well, many thanks for your lovely responses and great to hear everyone's views about autograph hunting / showing appreciation of truly great people, whether actors, musicians, athletes etc. Just as an update, I received last week a beautiful reply from Paul Nicholas - a hand written letter on the back of a signed photo. Was so nice of him, and well worth the wait. Sadly though, no reply from Jan Francis :-( I'd dearly love to hear from her too, but I don't think it is going to happen :-( I also recently wrote to Penelope Wilton to say how much I have always enjoyed ''Ever Decreasing Circles''. She replied very quickly with a lovely signed photo :-) Last year though, I wrote to Peter Egan but unfortunately I didn't receive a reply. Take care everyone, best wishes.

[George 1978]

Great to hear that you got Paul Nicholas' autograph!

Just before my birthday each year, I get a few sets of blank birthday cards off eBay and send them off to theatres; agents; associations; TV and radio stations; sports clubs; and anywhere where the famous can be contacted! I enclose a letter, the card and the envelope provided as an SAE.

This year I did the same, and the main highlights with regards to successful responses were:

A) The Hairspray musical cast (I told them I was going to see them on my birthday, and I think that broke the ice).

B) Retired Scottish figure skater Sinead Kerr (who I believe is the most successful if not the most famous person on the planet to have been born on the same day as myself!) She had actually responded on our birthday itself - British Ice Skating in Sheffield passed on my correspondence to her. I think that it also helped as I come from Torvill and Dean country as well!

C) The most famous person to respond was none other than Sir Cliff Richard himself, and even I didn't believe that he had responded personally! Ironically, I had the music channel NOW 70s on the TV just after I opened it, and which artiste did they play next? Sir Cliff himself (even though he never had the knighthood in those days). Great stuff!

It can be possible, and remember, if you get no response, then it's not the end of the world.