New York Times

 

Welcome to an overcast South Manchester where the weather is typical of what you would expect to see on television when winter in the UK is depicted. There is rain in the air, light and dark grey clouds obscuring the blue sky and sunshine and the temperature is a mild 7 degrees Celsius, good for a walk but ultimately slightly depressing, as winter is here in the UK. 

January is over and we are approaching the middle of February which means that spring is around the corner, a time of year that makes me feel much better.

Sorry for the stereotypical British opener (apparently all British people like to talk about is the weather); let’s answer some silly questions.

1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

I think I would choose Billy Connolly simply because I know that he would be “wind-swept and interesting” and would make me laugh throughout the whole meal.

2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?

I wouldn’t like to be famous at all. I am a little introverted and being thrust into the limelight for whatever reason would be a little overwhelming for me. I don’t mind short episodes of extroversion (I guess you might call me an ambivert) and they can be quite enjoyable. However, deep down I think the introvert within is the strongest part of me and living in the public eye is just too much. 

I often feel for famous people who can’t even pop into a coffee shop without being recognised. 

I guess if I were famous it would be like the artist Banksy whose identity is not really known (although some people probably do know who he is). 

Maybe a writer who hides behind a pseudonym.

3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?

It depends on the phone call. If it is an official one, I prefer to know the points I intend to cover and rehearsing is a good way to avoid forgetting something important.

4. What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?

I guess it would be on a trip abroad with Mrs PM, starting with a nice breakfast followed by a leisurely walk, preferably along a sun-kissed promenade next to the sea on a day with a gentle but cooling breeze. After the walk and a little rest, I would enjoy a leisurely lunch and then do some exploration in the afternoon, before relaxing by a pool with a good book and/or some music and finally going for a drink or two and enjoying a lovely dinner before retiring for the night. 

That will finally happen in 2022, I promise you. 

5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?

I sing to myself all the time – in fact I have been doing so while writing this very blog post (a song by progressive metal band Opeth in case you are interested). My voice is terrible so I would never inflict it upon anybody – with the exception of Mrs PM who sometimes has to endure this (sung by me in a very silly way):

She can speak French and so it seems weird when I sing:

J'en perds la raison dans la mer du Japon

which means 

I’m losing my mind in the sea of Japan

She thinks I am mad but it makes her laugh.

6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?

I think the answer to that question is “both”. My mind was sharp when I was 30 and I was probably the fittest I had ever been, playing 5-a-side football and swimming on a regular basis.

It would be incredible to have that for 60 years.

7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?

I plan to live forever.

8. Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.

We are both total geeks, although our geekiness doesn’t match exactly. We both love science fiction shows and movies, both work in similar jobs and chat about technology sometimes.

We both like to travel and have been on holiday to some amazing places together. 

We have a similar sense of humour and enjoy the same forms of comedy.

There are many more but those are the first ones that appeared in my head.

9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

I’m generally quite content to be where I am in life right now, so I am grateful for everything that has lead up to this moment.

10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?

I think the only thing would be to have had more money. My parents were from a working class background and worked hard to give us what we needed. But sometimes times were hard, particularly in 1970’s Britain, and we had to do without some things that other kids had. It is a minor thing really because ultimately I haven’t done badly.

11. Describe your life in one paragraph.

I am a working man who is approaching the end of his career and will soon be searching for new hobbies. At the moment I am thinking about where I am going to travel next, as the pandemic starts to wane and looking forward to where my life takes me next on this adventure.

12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?

I would like to suddenly be able to play an electric guitar. That would be amazing.

13. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?

Absolutely nothing. I hate spoilers.

14. Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?

Lack of finances. Don’t get me wrong, I am absolutely fine when it comes to money but I have this weird idea that one day I can travel around the world writing about my experiences. Such an endeavour would cost a lot of money. But when that lottery win comes in …

15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

That’s not an easy question to answer. I have travelled to many countries both with work and pleasure and experienced many different cultures and had a lot of fun doing so. I have also brought two sons into this world and both are doing well. It’s not been too bad so far.