QUESTIONNAIRE

Feb 2 2009 by Graeme King, The Journal

What car do you drive? A Lexus.

What’s your favourite restaurant? Barn (where ever) in Newcastle and Dusty Boot in Beaver Creek, Canada.

Who or what makes you laugh? Gordon Brown – it’s laugh or cry!

What’s your favourite book? Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

What’s your favourite film? ET.

What was the last album you bought? The Killers, Day and Age.

What’s your ideal job, other than your current one? Ski instructor in the winter, charter Sunseeker yachts in the summer.

If you had a talking parrot, what’s the first thing you’d teach it to say? I wouldn’t teach it anything, I’d have its vocal cords removed.

What’s your greatest fear? My children losing their good health.

What’s the best piece of business advice you have ever received? Never depend on a bank (my dad).

Worst business advice? It’ll only take a couple of hours (my dad).

What’s your poison? Bitter, Guinness or port.

What newspaper do you read, other than The Journal? Sunday Times and Private Eye.

How much was your first pay packet and what was it for? Doing a bit of fiddle for my dad in 1978 – £10 between me and a friend for cleaning the carpets in the bingo hall on the top floor of the Co-op in Newgate Street, it was massive!

How do you keep fit? Boot camp.

What’s your most irritating habit? You’ll have to ask my wife, children or PA.

What’s your biggest extravagance? My wife – she’s worth it though!

Which historical or fictional character do you most identify with/admire? The Stephensons. Rather than banging on about widening the Western Bypass, the region should be leading the way with rail innovation again.

And which four famous people would you most like to dine with? Barack Obama, Jonny Wilkinson, Kylie Minogue, Boris Johnson.

How would you like to be remembered? As having lived life to the full for 100 years.