PaulR revealed

[PaulR]

1) Your Forum name?

PaulR

2) Real name

Paul Rastrick – my creative skills are questionable.

3) Age

54

4) Occupation

Manager in HMRC (old Inland Revenue)

5) Lives

Holbrook – a village in Suffolk.

6) Marital Status

Married for the second and last time (got it right after a dry run)

7) Which cars do you drive and why?

GTV – because I love it. 147 – because she lets me.


8) Are you a real passionate Alfisti?

More of a hamfisti – but I love Alfas

9) What or how started your passion for Alfa Romeo and…
….do you think it’s fundamental to own one to have the passion?

Saw the 147 when it came out and thought – yes. Fundamental – no – desirable – yes.


10) What do you like most about Alfas?

I’ve got one.


11) What do you like least about Alfas?

I can’t afford an 8c


12) What would be your dream cars?

Ferrari and 8c


13) What car would you least like to drive?

None – everything can be fun to drive if you have an open mind.

14) For you, what’s the most popular thread on AO?

I like them all as any of them can take off in unrelated directions.


15) What interests do you have outside of Alfas?

Reading (being married to a librarian helps) and anything practical.


16) Tell us something nobody knows about you. (E.g. special skill, ever been on TV,
etc)

My grandmother was tried for murder at the Old Bailey .

17)Do you have a party trick? If so what is it?

I can out talk Jehovas Witnesses – THEY make excuses and leave.

18) What do you like most about the Alfaowner forum?

That it exists

19) If you had £50,000 you had to spend in 72 hours, how would you choose to spend it?

50% deposit on an 8c (that took a whole 5 seconds)

20) What is the most important piece of advice you could give to anyone?

Never ignore the urge to defecate.

Paul.

nice interview Paul...just a quickie though...was your Grandmother convicted ?

[PaulR]

Originally Posted by mikebrown

nice interview Paul...just a quickie though...was your Grandmother convicted ?

It's a long story (willing to expand should anyone be interested) but in answer to your question - No - she told the absolute truth even tho' a lie would have been easier.

Paul.

Same question here....

wrinx

[harleyriv]

is your grandad still alive Paul?............

[PaulR]

OK - it is a sad story (Grandmother)

She had five children and lived in London. By 1940 (middle of the Blitz) four of them - including my mother had been called up and were stationed around the country. My grandfather (who I never met) was by all accounts a drunk and womaniser who had long since gone.

The youngest child who had been born when GM was in her 40's was by this time 9 and had Downs syndrome and other physical incapacities. It reached a point where my grandmother was living alone and looked at his future and decided that (to use modern parlance) the quality of his life was not worth it. So - she decided that the best thing to do was end it (his life). But how?

In those times town gas (unlike natural gas) was toxic - so she decided that she would "put him to sleep". But she wanted to be sure that it would a peaceful death and therefore decided to test it to make sure. She opened the oven door and turned on the gas - with them both present - and thought as soon as she experienced what it was like she would turn off the gas and then decide whether she would do it for real.

Well - you can guess what happened next - neighbours smell gas - break down the door and find her unconcious and him dead.

Now - easy lie - she could have said (and was urged to do so) that the oven was left on by mistake and it was all an accident.

She chose to tell the truth and Police investigators had no choice but to prosecute. In court she said, in effect, "that was my intention and I do not intend to lie about it". The judge found her not guilty on the grounds of diminished responsibilty. I have not got the full details and my mother (now 85 years old) tends to gloss over the details - but I am trying to find the newspaper reports (my mother was sent back from her WAAF posting when the story broke).

Strange but true.

Paul.

[harleyriv]

Thanks for sharing that Paul. Interesting to note the humanity shown by the judge in times well before euthanasia was part of the topical debate.......

[PaulR]

Originally Posted by harleyriv

Thanks for sharing that Paul. Interesting to note the humanity shown by the judge in times well before euthanasia was part of the topical debate.......

Yes - if someone is not taking a moral stance (which GM wasn't) then there is always room for reason even within the law.

Paul.

[BigFoot]

Thanks for sharing your profile PaulR

And by the way, I did outtalk two Jehovas Witnesses once . You and I should try to have a chat someday

[phil155]

very intresting thread paul

cheers for sharing

ooh and your spotlight was funny

[Gary Slegg]

Thanks for sharing that with us Paul. Really sorry to hear about your Grandmother, it all sounds a bit tragic .

By the way, are you related to Duncan Raistrick - a Psychiatrist at the Leeds Addiction Unit?

[nomad]

Excellent interviiew Paul.. thanks for sharing it !!

You don't work for the HMRC down here in West London do you ?? (I noticed that you were gonna meet up with Ant whilst he was here in da smoke !!)

[glenda]

Thanks for sharing Paul. Your Gran was an incredibly brave woman.

I love your party trick by the way

[Green Cloverleaf]

Nice interview, Paul - made me chuckle



(obviously apart from the story about your grandmother - that is a tragic tale, and a sad reminder of the difficulties of living with disabilities )


Thanks for sharing

[PaulR]

Thanks for the kindly responses.

Although sad I find my Grandmother's story quite fascinating - I only discovered the details after her death aged 94 in the early '80s so, whilst intriguing it all feels a bit removed from me. It has taught me that nothing is more convincing than the absolute truth though.

Specifics - Duncan Raistrick - no relation - there are more Raistricks than Rastricks but that is probably because spelling was not so hot in the 19th Century. Most relatives live in Yorkshire (Brighouse and Rastrick brass band) - my father was born in Rastrick itself.

I used to work in South London (where I was born) before I moved to Suffolk but work in Witham (Essex)now. Still hoping to meet Ant, spoke to him on the 'phone today - Tuesday - tomorrow - no problem hopping on a train.

Paul.

[classicgal93]

Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed the story about your grandma, truth is always more interesting than the made up stuff.

[Lynn GT]

Really nice interview Paul - thanks

BTW, any chance of borrowing you when the JW's come knocking