Angela Rippon meets Coffee Plant

Coffee Plant beats the panel

On sorting out papers in the shop we have found this one from the misty past, a time when no-one knew Strictly Come Dancing star Angela Rippon could do other things besides reading the news. (Yes, that's how she started up some 40 years ago, complete with Priness Diana hairstyle)

Coffee plant owner Ian Henshall was invited onto the TV programme What's My Line. At that time it was compered by Rippon who, understandably tired of reporting the plentiful bad news of Thatcher's Britain, was starting to experiment with new career possibilities.

The panel had to guess what the contestant's job was.

Coffee Plant founder Ian Henshall beat the panel and here is the certificat to prove it. You can see Angela's signature along with other celebrities on the panel

The clue given to the panel was Henshall opening the (then home built) coffee roaster's door and checking a sample of the coffee beans. The machine was in those days on the corner of Blenheim Crescent on a shop forecourt and powered by propane bottles. By coincidence Rippon lived nearby and became a regular customer.