Name Dropper

While is was in London recently, wandering through the steets of Mayfair, I happened upon Claridges. As I perused the restaurant menu of foie gras, duck and venison, who should stride around the corner, disatracted by a very important mobile phone call but the epynomous owner of said restaurant - Gordon Ramsay. http://www.gordonramsay.com/claridges/menus/

As I wandered further to Oxford Street and into Selfridges, I gravitated to the Foyles bookstore and the cookery books. I find that if I'm not in the cookery books, I'm in the biographies. Well, 20% off Gordon Ramsay's Secrets cookbook - it was an omen I couldn't pass up!

What did I find so appealing about this gruff, wrinkled and often rude chef? I still can't isolate a single element other than to acknowledge that it continues a theme for men of note that I find attractive: Johnny Depp, Robert Downey jnr ... they all have just a bit of 'mongrel' about them. All very talented, all very passionate about and dedicated to their chosen path, often seen as arrogant and all just a bit bad!

Even my heroes of literature are 'bad' in some way, at least in the beginning: Fitzwilliam Darcy - proud (or is that prejudiced?); Prof Friedrich Baer - arrogant; Atticus Finch - just a tad supercilious.

However it is with my passion - sportsmen that I seem to break this mould. All of my favourite sportsmen have talent, passion, dedication and yes, arrogance, but bad? - Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg, Mats Wilander, Craig Bradley, Mark Taylor, Ricky Ponting - aha I've found a cross over!

Let's face it, at least in make believe, I like bad boys!