WITH the awesome news that Steve McFadden will be turning on the Christmas lights this year – imagine those EastEnders duf-dufs echoing around the Market Square – I started thinking of Salisbury’s other celebrity connections.

Michael Crawford, David Mitchell and Duncan from Blue were all born here. Christopher Biggins grew up here and his father owned a bric-a-brac store on Pennyfarthing Street.

Ralph and Joseph Fiennes, plus Mark 'The Beast' Labett from The Chase went to Bishop Wordsworth’s School.

Madonna and Guy Ritchie first met at Sting’s house in the Woodford Valley. And the fab-u-lous Craig Revel-Horwood is a regular visitor as his partner is Salisbury-born entertainer Damon Scott.

My first brush with a celebrity was here. Over 20 years ago my brother and I went to see Eddie Izzard at the Arts Centre, and accosted him outside afterwards for his autograph.

He wasn't very famous then and I don’t know whether he was more surprised that we were asking, that we had cornered him in a graveyard, or that he was signing a travel sickness leaflet.

After crowd-sourcing family and friends, I discovered some eclectic stories. During the shooting of Help! on Salisbury Plain, my mum’s friend encountered Paul McCartney and George Harrison in a paper shop. When the shopkeeper asked if they were in The Beatles, they replied: “No, no – we get that all the time!”, and slipped off quietly.

My friend Liz played flute in the cathedral as Toyah sang, and another friend Nicky nearly sold her house to Tich from Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, while Chris Packham says his favourite-ever gig was Kitchens of Distinction at the arts centre.

My favourite story, however, involves Ewan McGregor when he was just starting out, performing in What The Butler Wore at The Playhouse. There was a nude scene and, one night, water had been spilled on stage and he slipped, with him later recalling: “I was sliding with my legs up, a**e first into the front row!”

Let’s hope the lights switch-on goes a little more smoothly tonight.