I met Liam Gallagher in a Peak District pub in the '90s - when the Oasis legend was at the height of his success

No-nonsense and larger-than-life Liam Gallagher was sitting outside The Castle when I approached him for an autograph and photo.

A friend who lived nearby had alerted me to the iconic frontman in the beer garden.

The band had apparently been playing in Sheffield and had visited the Peak District town after.

Looking back, there were only about five people who stopped for a photo and he was very friendly and pleased to sign autographs. Pub goers were quietly enjoying their drinks nearby and didn't seem to bat an eyelid at the sight of the star, which was amazing when you consider just how famous they were.

What’s the Story (Morning Glory) was the biggest British album of that decade, selling five million copies in the UK and 22 million worldwide.

Thirteen years before their fractious finale in 2009, they were in 1996, at the height of their fame - 250,000 saw them headline at Knebworth in what was a record in music history and a defining moment of the Britpop era.

Liam had emerged in the 90s, clad in a parka with his arms slung behind his back and was embraced as a rock 'n' roll icon.

Relaxing outside the pub, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes he was exactly how you'd imagine - down to earth, cracking jokes, not fazed by the attention, happy to sign autographs and chat.

I was a shy teenager wearing an Adidas sweatshirt, he was dressed in a dark jacket and sunglasses and looked every inch the fashion star.

This wasn’t Liam’s only visit to Derbyshire.

Last year he called in to place an order at Toll Bar Fish and Chips in Stoney Middleton, when he was believed to be holidaying nearby. Peter Grafton, who owns the chippy, said: "He was very friendly, polite and personable. He is a lovely man. He took some photographs with customers and with my wife Kirsten, who is a fan of Oasis.” The rock star ordered a selection of food including fish, pie, peas, curry, battered sausage and chips.

And let's not forget the cover art photo for Some Might Say was shot at Cromford Train Station. Pictured on the bridge – Liam is doing his trademark salute. Earlier this month at Derbyshire’s Y Not Festival Noel was quizzed on whether the legendary '90s band would be reuniting and this week Oasis announced the news that has delighted middle-aged fans like me and a whole new generation alike.

Revealing details about why the reunion is finally happening now, the band's statement said there had been "no great revelatory moment", but rather "the gradual realisation that the time is right".