How I deal with strangers that I’ve long forgotten...

‘YOU’LL remember me of course!’ said the man. Let me confess. I didn’t have a clue who he was. The occasion was at the funeral of a former actor friend this last week.

- Peter Mortimer

I stared at my portion of pork pie and the somewhat exhausted slice of quiche on their paper plate and mumbled something of little consequence, which he probably couldn’t make out anyway.

I was wondering how to extricate myself without appearing rude.

‘The problem is this; over the years because of the nature of much of my work has been journalism, I have briefly come across and interviewed or talked to dozens if not hundreds of members of the public.

‘This may involve an incident or news story which ranks as highly important (even tragic) in their lives.

‘They may have lost a loved one, won a million quid on the lottery or some such.

Let’s just say for them, the incident is much more relevant than for me, who is merely reporting on the same. In future years they are more likely to recall our meeting than I am.

Plus which, I do not have a good memory for faces at the best of times and I can’t even remember when the best of times was.