Anne Hathaway is the same height as me, so theoretically that should be a perfect symmetry to get a siggy – no adjusting up or down, straight forward. However, add in the Westfield shopping complex , a gazillion dealers and collectors, and the symmetry plus a few bones can be broken.

For a split second I was in the perfect position at the One Day premiere at the Vue Cinema in August 2011. The 28 year old (as she was then) was happily signing everything – as she does – moving quickly down the line. A moment of symmetry in front of me, but it was no ordered structure. No harmony, no proportion and certainly no balance! She did see the sketch, albeit briefly as a cascade of virgins items arrived waiting for her mark, covering my artwork.

However, a fraction of my A4 paper  was exposed and she quickly initialed the sketch. Whether she connected the paper with the drawing is a matter of conjecture. It’s certainly an ‘autograph’ (self writing) but not a common signature (the usual way people sign their name).

I got an ‘A’ and a ‘y’ in the most abbreviated graph I’ve ever seen. Still, it’s the beginning and the end of her name and I was in the middle. Perfect symmetry. As I always say to disappointed collectors who get a hurried scrawl, you need to get variations of the person’s signature to have a balanced collection.

PS – at the Les Misérables premiere I did get a beautiful graph and dedicated in much more convivial surrounds.