Chapter 1
Jeff, is 33 years old, married with a £400 a month mortgage. Working as a Paramedic for the London Ambulance Service. A realist, a romantic, and a dreamer.
Like many of us; in the twilight moments before sleep finally overtakes us, he would dream about how he would spend all that money if he ever won the national lottery.
With no children, both parents dead, and no brothers or sisters, he would daydream about a hedonistic lifestyle. His dreams would include buying a top of the range convertible Bentley. A blue one, or a white one, he could never make up his mind, maybe a blue one with white interior. "Yeah that's the one." He would travel with his friends around Europe playing golf and stopping at all the top five star hotels. Jumping on airplanes, travelling to America and playing golf with his hero Fred Couples. Maybe he would buy a boat or a desert island, "Just like Richard Branson" but one thing he knew he wouldn't be doing, was sharing it with his ex bitch of a wife.
He used to have do as much overtime as he could to keep up with his ex wife's extravagant lifestyle. He worked part time for a friend who owned a mini cab firm in Bayswater, London's West End. The company did 90% account work for big companies and high end celebrities. Jeff was a popular guy, and often the celeb's would ask for him by name; by Elton John, Kiki Dee, Apple studios #3 Saville Row (The Beatles), The Queen's Lady in waiting, Donovan the folk singer, they all asked for Jeff.
One day he went to Elton John's house (Hercules) on the Wentworth estate. He had to pick up a giant teddy bear and take it back to the Dorchester hotel to be auctioned off later that night. It turned out that it wasn't in Elton's house, it was in his mother's house just around the corner. So Elton jumped in the front seat of Jeff's car, and they went round and picked it up from his mother Sheila.
Another time whilst Kiki Dee was recording an album with Elton John in London, Jeff was given the job of picking Kiki up from her mother's house in Ewell(Surrey. Arriving early each morning Jeff would always have to wait for Kiki to get ready. Kiki's mother would scramble some eggs, whilst Jeff would make the tea and toast. Kiki was a great sleeper and would nearly always sleep through the whole journey.
One day he arrived at Apple studios, and was quickly ushered into a conference room. Can you imagine what must have been going through his head as the door opened and he was standing face to face with John, Paul, George, and Ringo? John gave him a tape and instructions on how to get to his house in Ascot, there he had to pick up another tape and take it to Heathrow Airport. He was in such a daze he hadn't heard a word John Lennon had said to him. After he left the room he had to go and ask the receptionist for the directions.
Going through the front gates of Buckingham Palace also gave him a thrill, he would go in through the right hand gate and drive up to the main building, making his way to a side entrance to pick up the Queen's Lady in Waiting, and take her shopping. That gave him a warm and fuzzy feeling knowing he was out shopping for his Queen; The Queen of England. One day he even saw Prince's Anne and friends hurrying off downstairs to the kitchen.
Picking up The King of Bavaria from the Palace, was an experience. "What a nice man." They even joked about the fact that they were both wearing the same after shave (Aromas).
He once did a job for Cliff Richard's company. Going up to West Hampstead, at the top of Abbey road, past the famous zebra crossing made famous by the Beatles on their album cover (Abbey Road). He had to pick up a passport from Olivia Newton John; Having to get out of the shower, Olivia came to the front door ringing wet wrapped in a big fluffy white towel. That would be a memory he will keep, and share with his friends.
Jeff also picked up papers from Peter Sellers in Belgravia, did a job for Goldie Hawn at the Hilton.
One of the nicest people he ever met was Donovan the folk singer who lived on the Wentworth Estate the same estate as Elton John.
But Elton has since moved on to Old Windsor, where his new house overlooks Runnymede.
It was during an interview with CBS at Donovan's house that Donovan heard how much Jeff loved his golf, and before they left he gave Jeff his card which allowed him access to Wentworth during PGA Tournaments, he also gave Jeff permission to park his car in the driveway of his house (The Squirrels). He was the perfect gentleman, making sure Jeff was ok before doing the interview; he gave Jeff a large silver goblet filled with iced apple juice. Jeff thought that he didn't have to do that, after all Jeff was only the driver. But it taught Jeff a valuable lesson. "No matter how rich or famous you are, being nice to others, treating them with respect cost nothing."
Golf was Jeff's only vice, he loves golf with a passion and played it at every opportunity he got. So imagine the thrill he got when he had to take a CBS news reporter to do an interview with Garry Player at the Berkshire Hotel. He was allowed to sit in on the interview over breakfast. He was also told not to say anything, so he sat there in complete silence during the whole thing, until he had his chance to say goodbye, shake Mr Player's hand, and wish him luck in the "Piccadilly Match play Championship" he was going to be playing in that very day.