When I Was A Photographer - When Cryptogee Met Chris

I met ex-middleweight champion boxer Chris Eubank one night after a show during fashion week. Unfortunately the only picture of him to survive that night is this one, which is probably one of the worst ones I took.

The reason being is that three of the four rolls of film I shot that night were stolen from me! I couldn't believe it, we were at the fairly posh St. Martin's Lane hotel in Covent Garden London. The night was an after party, I think it was Alexander McQueen's show but my memory is a bit hazy of that night.

Anyway after each roll of film I shot, I returned to my jacket that was hanging up in the cloakroom and zipped up the shot roll in an inner pocket, whilst getting a fresh one from an outer pocket on the other side. Making doubly sure that I kept my exposed and new film completely separate.

I also had experience at taking pictures at parties I was also involved in, so I understood the importance of being really together when it came to protecting my film.

I was devastated to find that somebody had swiped my film. It really was the only explanation, I had made sure that the film was inside my pocket and the pocket itself was zipped shut. The only reason I have this shot left, is because for some reason I didn't unload the last roll of film, instead I just left it in the camera, which stayed with me all night.

The Meeting

My friend Dan who you see on the extreme right opposite Chris, introduced me to the boxer. Eubank was standing there with a leather Versace jacket hanging from one shoulder.

I would say 'hanging casually', however he looked as if he had spent a long time getting the edge of the jacket to perfectly fall down the centre line of his body.

I stuck out my hand to shake his, before taking my hand he stepped back in a semi defensive pose so that he was more side on to me. Only then did he put out his hand to shake mine; while saying in his soft lispy voice 'pleased to meet you.'

That's when it dawned on me that as a boxer a lot of men trying to prove themselves had probably tried to fight him or sucker punch him whilst shaking his hand.

I smiled at him and tried to convey the fact that not only am I not that type of guy, but he was broad as hell and I wouldn't be so stupid as to try and test somebody who knocked people out for a living.

He turned out to be a really nice guy and posed for loads of pictures and we chatted away for about half an hour about his boxing career and loads of random stuff.

Like I say, those pictures are gone forever, and my only hope is the thief developed them and at least enjoyed looking at them.

Cryptogee