Amelia Lloyd

It was a Thursday morning, I think, and I was trying to do about 10 jobs all at once. We were not busy with customers but on Thursday mornings we have fewer staff than usual because of late opening, so I was feeling vaguely stressed. A couple had come in and the lady approached me with one of the men’s shoes in her hands.

'Could I have these in a 9 or a 91/2, please?' She asked. I was sure they were not for her, as she was quite petite and unlikely to have size 9 feet. I turned to the man she had come in with and asked, 'Are these for you?' just to be polite. As I uttered the word 'you', I suddenly realised who I was addressing. It was someone who looked remarkably like Hugh Grant. He was wearing shades. Perhaps its just a look-alike, I thought, beginning to panic slightly. He was taller and slimmer than I thought Hugh Grant to be but he had the same scruffy floppy - haired look about him. The moment he spoke I knew it was him; there was no mistaking that voice! I felt myself flush (my cheeks have 'good colour' at the best of times, so this was bad news) and I desperately tried to remain calm and behave absolutely as though nothing unusual had taken place.

'Have a seat and I'll look for you' I said casually and I ran upstairs repeating the mantra 'behave normally, behave normally' to myself under my breath. We only had the size 91/2, so I raced downstairs with it and tried to explain that as the shoes come up quite small he would probably need the 91/2 rather than the 9 anyway, but if it turned out that he did need the smaller size I could definatly order it in for him. I think it came out as a garbled nonsense because he looked slightly confused and quizzical. I was not doing a very good job of acting normal, so far.

At Run and Become we ask the customers to run up and down outside the shop so we can check that the shoes are right for them. I offered to watch Hugh run but he looked horrified, and refused. I explained that we asked everybody to do this and that he would in fact look quite normal with rolled - up trousers, running up and down outside.’ You’ll blend in' I said. He laughed. Eventually he agreed to run and he bounded out the door quite suddenly, like an excited schoolboy. When he came back he said, 'I rather like this! It makes me feel sporty', whilst bouncing up and down in the shoes.

I felt that the shoes were not entirely suitable for him but knew that he had neither the time or the patience to try on many different types. To my relief the next pair I bought out were a success and Hugh seemed overjoyed with them. It was all a big game to him, I think! 'These are the ones! They feel GREAT!' he exclaimed as he jumped up and down a few more times. He seemed to be much more relaxed than when he came in, and I was finally beginning to feel normal. He had a very exuberant and friendly manner that is highly entertaining. I started talking to his friend, who also wanted to buy shoes. She was very sweet and easy to talk to. Hugh quickly got bored and decided he would go out and look for a coffee. 'Let me buy you a coffee.' he said. I don't drink coffee, so I politely refused. He tried to coax me, 'Tea? Hot chocolate? Anything? Please?' I was really embarrassed by this time, and felt my colour rising again. He disappeared out the door.

I turned back to his friend and we were chatting when he suddenly reappeared with 3 juices and a marmite bagel. He presented me with one of the juices then sat down and munched his bagel until halfway through he got 'bored' and threw the rest away. His friend chose her shoes and he thanked me loudly and profusely as they left. It was highly amusing to me that in real life he is so like his on screen persona, with his boyish manner and slightly scatty English charm.

Amelia Lloyd
Run and Become, London