Sir Patrick Moore was in the phone book.
I was writing an article for T3 magazine on 'the future of space travel' and in the early days of the internet (1997-8) I discovered that he was resident of Selsey. On the off-chance, got the most likely phone number from Directory Enquiries, turns out he did not go celeb-anonymous or ex-directory. Rang him up full of apologies and obsequiousness for the unauthorised approach and got the great man himself, recognisable by the reedy energetic chatter and mono-directional delivery.

At first the cranky old Emperor Penguin himself demurred to answer questions on the phone but relented and said 'send me the questions and I'll answer them when I have time'. In doing so he gave me his address with was trusting, to say the least- but I did so.

A week or so later I received a snail mail from the astronomer, the replies to my four questions cranked out on his famous 1908 Woodstock typewriter- good to his word.

What a scholar, what a gentleman.
( Rotating Wobbly Hat That's not a banana. THIS is a banana., Thu 5 Dec 2013, 18:12, 7 replies)

Paaa Paaa Pa Pa Pa Patrick!
I really wish he was still going.
(eViLegion Chief Commissioner of the Scottish Lunacy Board, Thu 5 Dec 2013, 18:16, closed)

Always had respect for him.

( edjogs Collared doves are shit., Thu 5 Dec 2013, 18:30, closed)

Not only was he a decent astronomer
he was also a rabidly racist, misogynistic, homophobic little-englander.

Swings and roundabouts, I suppose.
( Ghoti Fingers, Thu 5 Dec 2013, 18:58, closed)

Yer but you knew where you stood.

( edjogs Collared doves are shit., Thu 5 Dec 2013, 19:00, closed)

you don't get that kind of racism anymore. proper english old -fashioned racism, not like this modern guff

( cumquat may will not be commenting further on the allegations, Thu 5 Dec 2013, 19:07, closed)

I don't like all these foreign racists, coming over here, putting ours out of work

( drimble he'd been white, he'd been black, Thu 5 Dec 2013, 20:08, closed)

like a true child of the 1920s, you mean...
that's par for the course.
( Rotating Wobbly Hat That's not a banana. THIS is a banana., Thu 5 Dec 2013, 19:31, closed)

but not all 1920s born
founded extreme right wing political parties. Google the United Country Party if you care to know more
(unclestinky, Fri 6 Dec 2013, 20:42, closed)

I met him too
He visited the RAF base where I was stationed and had a tour of the flight simulator that I worked on. We even had him fly the thing, or crash it very quickly would be more accurate to say. He was a total gentleman and had time for all of the starstruck airmen who wanted to chat with him.
(ianisme, Thu 12 Dec 2013, 9:15, closed)