We walked back along the canal and into Regent's Park, stopping to get a Flake. As we were wandering around by the water, Mary stopped and was looking at swans when an old dude came up and asked her if she knew a lot about swans. He ended up telling us all about the park - the different birds and plants. He was sort of like Dennis. His name is Dr. Teng Dolgoruky, who worked as a doctor with terminally ill children and now has retired and only does some writing, but mostly works as a painter. He painted a number of restaurants in the area and was out drawing today as well. He speaks 16 different languages and can say thank you in some 200, because he has a prominent role in the UN and has traveled the world many times. He would name drop Kissinger, Carter, and Hugo Chavez in his stories.
Everyone that he saw he would stop and ask them where they were from and speak to them a little in their native language. It was fascinating, just an incredibly nice and knowledgable man, we spent hours with him. As we were leaving he told us about how he was the last man out of Hungary in 1956 when the Russian tanks rolled in because he was on assignment from MI5, helping to remove important Hungarians and as a doctor fluent in many languages he was needed from the government. He basically has a Dr. Schmidt story.
He gave me his card when he left and told me to call him and we'd get dinner (he's a vegetarian too). I'm going to.
After that we went down to the Charles Dickens Cafe and Mary worked while I wrote up my column and read Sherlock Holmes. I had a good cappucino.
When it closed at midnight we walked back into Leicester Square area and went into the Fiori Cafe that was open until 5. I had an awesome black forrest cake and a white coffee. It was really cool, I just read Sherlock and Mary got a lot done. The Brits don't seem to really do the studying in cafes thing, but no one bothered us at all, so it was really cool.
We got back around 3. It was a pretty great day.
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I met this guy yesterday in soho. Is he for real? Told me he lived in Malaga and that he was going to a meeting with Boris Johnson. He also said he knew Vanessa Redgrave.
ReplyDeleteI also met him on friday 28th Jan 2011 in Maison Bertaux in Soho. He told me he had been to Highgrove to have tea with Prince Charles, knew Lord Winstanley, and had insulted Ban Ki Moon in front of 200 people. He also said he'd been working on a cure for Leukemia, owned farms in Australia and Venezuela where he was growing 3500 acres of Vanilla, the proceeds of which supported a team of six doctors looking after poor people. He'd just visited his publisher to discuss his latest book, the royalties going to Great Ormond Street Hospital. He asked what I did for a living, and I told him I worked for myself as a type designer, so he asked if I wanted to do some work on afore mentioned book. Said he'd ring me next week and we'd go for a meal after he'd visited York to do a portrait of John Sentamu. He also told me he spoke 14 languages, and he did seem very proficient. Apparently he was the last Caucasian out of Korea at the outbreak of the war. I don't know why, but I actually found him quite plausible until I Googled him and found only one mention on this blog - one would expect hundreds of entries for such a prominent man. But I liked him and had a diverting hour in his company, and he did a drawing Chinese style of bamboo with a mountain in the background that is rather good, took him a minute to complete and then gave to me. Tell me Scott - did you ever have that meal?
ReplyDeleteI never did meet him up again. I regret it. It is strange that there weren't more mentions of him, but he seemed like a lovely man. I believe him I think. If anyone ever sees him again I'd love to know any more stories.
ReplyDeleteOMG RANDOM. I met him in the Liberties store in London a couple months ago! he is an amazing guy, he told me that hes currently a painter and we spoke for like an hour!!! he also gave me his card....i was curious so i googled him today and this blog came up!...i remember him saying he wanted to paint me and my friend African style because we have African descent! I should take up that offer, sounds awsome, im gonna give him a call this summer :)
ReplyDeleteSaw him today- extremely interesting man, although, skeptical of what he says! However, he was extremely knowledgeable
ReplyDeleteDavid
ReplyDeleteI met this man with some friends in an Ice Cream Cafe in Hampstead last year. He was a delightful chap. He had a plethora of fantastical stories, ranging from his farm in South America, the time he was in a Bar with Che Guevera, his Torture as a journalist in South Africa, being one of the last men out of Hungary in 1956. He also stated that he was raised in part in China and speaks Mandarin fluently.
There are too many to mention. It seems more than probable that at least some of what he said isn't true, but he did carry him self in such a way that it made it easy for one to go along with him.
He said he was in the country to obtain the money form a family members will and then would be back of to South America, though from the sightings stated above...he is still here.
He showed us some of his drawings, which where quite good, and as stated above was quite knowledgeable on each topic we discussed.
He gave us his number and arranged to take us all out to a restaurant in Finchley paid for by him. We never did have that dinner, nor did he ever answer the number he gave us.
Interesting man.
I met this man today!! I cant believe how many people he goes around randomly starting conversations with.
ReplyDeleteI met him a cafe in Golders Green. I sat down and the first thing he referred to was my phone and pointed out the reliance we have on our phones, then proceeded to tell me about how they used to communicate in the days before mobile phones. I found him so fascinating. He has so many stories, fake or not, I could listen to him all day
Haha, I just met him about an hour ago in the Book Warehouse in Golders Green. I must say, he was rather patronising when I first met him, but became rather friendly after a short while. I will agree that he is extremely, extremely knowledgeable and though I doubted the authentication of his alleged fluency in 14 languages (officially), I truly had an interesting conversation and really found that his words were very motivating. He never did leave any sort of card or number, perhaps due to the fact that he is leaving in just over a month (supposedly), but I would assume a great possibility in bumping into him again before he goes!
ReplyDeleteI have known of this man for over 1 year now. From the moment I met him I never took to him to be honest. Too good to be true in my opinion.One of the first questions he asked me was if I had ever killed a man! I have been aware of his whereabouts up until very recently. I believe he also uses a different identity (Terence Butler)and for this reason is worth watching. If you google this name you get nothing to compare him to his other alias.I also heard the stories of Venezuela, Australia, North Wales, etc etc, waiting for a will to obtain finances to return to Venezuela, I could go on and on. Beware if you are elderly/live alone. DO NOT be fooled into allowing him "store" his artwork!
ReplyDeleteDavid
ReplyDeleteI for one am very interested in "Teng's" background.It has been a year since I bumped into the guy, yet he has still left an impression. Living in London, you bump into nutter's on a regular basis and forget them just as quick.
Also, despite the overbearing evidence I have not completely written him of as a lying old crank. If anyone knows anything about him it would be interesting to hear.
The ongoing mystery of Dr Teng Dolguruky continues...... I met him last night in Sainsbury's in Golders Green. A delightful man, but almost certianly a fantasist. As I left Sainsbury's I saw a flying carpet tied up to a few trolley's outside, I presumed it was Teng's mode of transport.
ReplyDeleteHOwever I agree with the comments that everyone have made before me, whether I believe his stories or not, they are all based on historical fact and show an amazing breadth of knowledge. He asked me if I knew what was writting on the circumference of a £1 coin. I didnt but said I knew what was on a £2 coin. He proceeded to tell me how someone at the royal mint leaked this phrase when the coin was being designed and thats how Oasis named their album. "standing on the shoulders of giants" I couldnt care less if he has never left North London, he is very interesting, a true one off. People like this will rarely exist again. I took his number and will probably give him a ring. I thought he could tell me more about that cure for leukemia and the time he returned his OBE!!
I'm so disappointed after reading this... It seems he is a compulsive liar, but a clever one.
ReplyDeleteTold me he lived in South America. ..
I have his number, but do not think i will be contacting him.
After all the tales he told me, you would think more would come up about him than just this blog..
Teng is still out and about in Golders green. Im wondering if he has taken any money off of anybody and did a runner. Or hurt anybody? I love the stories myself but I dont want to get to close because I just found out he didnt cure lukemia as he said. eeeeeek!
ReplyDeleteNOO, Reading this was a huge dissapointment! I've figured it out now. Hes just really intellegent and lives in the local mental hospital in Goldersgreen. (Thumbs Down)
ReplyDeleteAre you saying that as a joke or did you really find out that he lives in a mental hospital in Golders Green? Im assuming its the first?
DeleteNo recent sightings of Teng/Terence? Wonder if he did go to America like he said he would on 28th October, or was that another one of his lies!!!
ReplyDeleteSo, let me just ask this outright.
ReplyDeleteWHO IS TENG DOLGORUKY / TERRENCE BUTLER?
It's an intriguing mystery, if anyone knows anything about him, please put your stories forward. I and im sure a few others would be interested to hear them.
Rumour has it he has gone from his bolt hole in Golders Green Road. No heard where to though?
ReplyDeleteSighting! Just met him on Hampstead High St. at the Rouge Cafe. Same stories! Made me a paper crane and gave me a drawing of vanilla. I'll update here if we ever have the dinner he suggested. So fun to talk to! Love his stories. Apparently the word "penguin" is Welsh in origin meaning "white head", and OK is from an American Indian tribe which used to live in Southern Florida.
ReplyDeleteI just met him around 1 hr ago. I am spanish speaker and he speaks very good and fluent spanish. We were talking in spanish. I live in Golders Green, so If meet him again I would consider all this comments and see if I can have more information.
ReplyDelete