TV presenter and crew refuel in Poole curry house

Aziz Miah and James May Aziz Miah and James May

TV presenter James May and a film crew popped into an Indian restaurant to fuel up for a hard day’s treasure hunt on a Poole beach.

To the surprise of staff at the family run Taj Mahal 2 in the town’s High Street, he was among a 17-strong party who sat down for a curry.

“As a town we should be proud to have James May, yes Captain Slow, in our town,” said boss’s son Naseem Aziz Miah.

Known by the Captain Slow nickname on Top Gear for his careful driving style, he was equally cautious with his choice of meal, scorning the spiciest dishes and choosing a mild chicken tikka masala, egg fried rice and a garlic naan, said Aziz.

The amiable presenter, journalist and writer, best known for his role as co-presenter of Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, was happy to pose for photos with Aziz. However the following day he was up to his ears in the golden granules at Sandbanks, filming a search for a wedding ring lost more than 30 years ago, for his BBC2 series James May’s Man Lab.

“As part of that series we wanted to look into the idea of finding things that have been lost,” said Helen Richardson, assistant producer for independent production company Plum Pictures, which is making the series.

“James’s dad (also called James) dropped his wedding ring in the sand on Sandbanks beach many years ago. “We returned in force to have a look for it,” she said.

The Mays were on a family holiday when James senior risked the ire of his wife by losing his wedding band.

Those searching for it recently included members of Bournemouth Detecting Club, a digger, professional divers and James May senior – who in the meantime had replaced his lost wedding ring.

“We didn’t find it – but we had a very good search,” said Helen. “If it was down deep enough and didn’t get pushed along, it’s got to be in there somewhere.”

What, if anything, they did find will be revealed when the five-part series is aired in November.

Comments(14)

ashleycross says...
11:22am Sat 18 Aug 12

Can we now have a story on that boke who played Churchill in the Olympics opening ceremony being in a picture with the staff on the wall at the Gate of India. My kids recognised him immediately.Timothy something isn't it?

Darzet Dumpling says...
11:58am Sat 18 Aug 12

ashleycross wrote:
Can we now have a story on that boke who played Churchill in the Olympics opening ceremony being in a picture with the staff on the wall at the Gate of India. My kids recognised him immediately.Timothy something isn't it?
Timothy Spall. :-)
He was Peter Pettigrew in Harry Potter & Brummie Barry in Auf Wiedersehen Pet.

ashleycross says...
1:41pm Sat 18 Aug 12

Darzet Dumpling wrote:
ashleycross wrote:
Can we now have a story on that boke who played Churchill in the Olympics opening ceremony being in a picture with the staff on the wall at the Gate of India. My kids recognised him immediately.Timothy something isn't it?
Timothy Spall. :-)
He was Peter Pettigrew in Harry Potter & Brummie Barry in Auf Wiedersehen Pet.
And in that fantastic thing with Colin Firth called Dutch Girls-would love to see it again. Soz DE is this off topic?

muscliffman says...
4:45pm Sat 18 Aug 12

ashleycross wrote:
Can we now have a story on that boke who played Churchill in the Olympics opening ceremony being in a picture with the staff on the wall at the Gate of India. My kids recognised him immediately.Timothy something isn't it?
Except it was at the closing ceremony not the opening!

ashleycross says...
5:54pm Sat 18 Aug 12

muscliffman wrote:
ashleycross wrote:
Can we now have a story on that boke who played Churchill in the Olympics opening ceremony being in a picture with the staff on the wall at the Gate of India. My kids recognised him immediately.Timothy something isn't it?
Except it was at the closing ceremony not the opening!
I stand corrected

Mike Pickering says...
2:45am Sun 19 Aug 12

Yeh, I did wonder how 'the lads' of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet would have reacted to Barry appearing on tha' Olympics, like ?
I imagined him awkwardly asking Herr Grunwald (the headmaster off Grange Hill), if he could, ya knaw, have some time off to appear in the closing ceremony - it it it's a veraay auspicious occaaaision is that, he'd have pleaded.
Off corce not, would be the kurt reply. Now get beck to verk.
Denis would have persuaded Barry to go - think of how prood yar Mrs would be, he'd have said, and Barray would have been off, possibly cadging a lift back with some football fan friends of Oz. To evade him being found missing, the lads would have erected a comedic dummy wearing some of his clothes, so that when Herr Grunwald drove past at a distance, he wouldn't have suspected anything, but alas ! A strong gust of wind would bring the fake Barry crashing to the ground, making the woman working in the office scream and call the Polizei.
After Denis calmed her down and let her in on the secret, and Moxey had feigned being the injured party to the Poilzei, it would seem they had got away with it, until Herr Grunwald comes into the bar to celebrate the international spirit of the games, and buy them all a drink.. Until he looked up to see Barry on the closing ceremony and realises he's been duped. "I sink it iss you who owes ME ze drink..." he quips sardonically at the end, and gradually they all begin to laugh. Freeze frame whole group shot laughing, roll credits and end music.
Yeah.

poolepaul says...
5:40am Sun 19 Aug 12

Lol @Mike Pickering

Rednax says...
9:18am Mon 20 Aug 12

A nice story for a change.

sarlane says...
5:28pm Mon 20 Aug 12

I lost my grandmother's engagement ring on Sandbanks beach about 40 years ago so if he found a white gold ring with a white sapphire in it, it's mine!

bornINpoole69 says...
9:31am Tue 21 Aug 12

Hi James (if you are reading this) Thank you for coming to Poole and putting Sandbanks Beach on National TV (your mum said it would be aired in October?) and supporting our local businesses.

l'anglais says...
9:50am Tue 21 Aug 12

sarlane wrote:
I lost my grandmother's engagement ring on Sandbanks beach about 40 years ago so if he found a white gold ring with a white sapphire in it, it's mine!
I lost my wedding ring on a sardinian beach whilst on my honeymoon.
Had to get a plastic one from a local flee market so the misses wouldn't notice.....and she didn't. Then got a replacement when I got home.
Now if that doesn't deserve a naffing curry what does!

weevie says...
10:45am Tue 21 Aug 12

Did you see Timothy Spall in his round Britain sea voyages with his wife? Super stuff.

UTDtillIdie says...
12:22pm Tue 21 Aug 12

I saw James stood outside Cash Recycle on Ashley Road on Friday 20th July. Wonder if this was around the same time?

ashleycross says...
2:09pm Tue 21 Aug 12

James, if you're reading this, very sad, how about a manlab on harpsichord design? No seriously, its a real bloke techie thing and if you get a lot of oscioscopes and stuff they'd love it. And you know loads about it.

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