Who's this geezer?

alfa-duc · #1 (**Post Link**) 23-04-07

Your Forum name alfa-duc

Real name Michael Fleet

Age 50

Occupation B&B proprietor and freelance journalist

Lives Cornwall

Marital Status married to Babs

which cars do you drive and why? Alfa 166 and Ducati ST3. Wouldn’t want anything non-Italian.

Are you a real passionate for Alfa Romeo? Passionate for all Italian cars/motorcycles. I owned a Lancia years ago and an Aprillia bike recently.

What or how started your passion for Alfa Romeo and…
….do you think it’s fundamental to own one to have the passion? I am half Italian so it’s in the blood.

Would you ever consider joining an Alfa Club or are you already a member of one? Maybe but kept put off by feeling everyone else knows everything about their cars and how they operate while I know nothing except how to drive them.

What do you like most about Alfas? The fact that they are Italian and have flair and charisma.

What do you like least about Alfas? The petrol consumption of my 166.

What would be your dream cars? A Maserati.

What car would you least like to drive? I sometimes drive my wife’s lime green Citroen Plurial so if I can put up with being seen in that I’ll drive anything!

For you, what’s the most popular thread on AO? The 166 forum and “Today I am listening to…”

What would be your ideal drive in an Alfa (destination, passenger, driving music, etc)? To Cheltenham to see a horse of mine running in the Gold Cup.

Any humorous Alfa or car-related stories you wish to share with us? My first car was a £50 Mini and I later learnt the previous owner had used baked bean tins to cover a hole in the floor. But it went well enough and four of us used to sleep in it on trips to a nightclub in Torquay.

What interests do you have outside of Alfas? Horse racing, Plymouth Argyle, my Ducati, buying art (if I ever have any spare cash which isn’t often these days…).

Tell us something nobody knows about you. (E.g. special skill, ever been on TV, etc) Friends are often calling me up saying they saw me on an old episode of Airport when I was interviewing Steve Redgrave in 2000. It gets repeated on Sky about 6 times a year.

Do you have a party trick? If so what is it? It used to be being the last to leave but nowadays it’s being one of the first to feel like going to bed.

What do you like most about the Alfaowner forum? Any favourite threads, episodes or people? I enjoy looking around every few days. I don’t post a lot but read a lot of other people’s wise words..

If you had £50,000 you had to spend in 72 hours, how would you choose to spend it? A racehorse, leaving enough for a year’s training fees.

#2 (**Post Link**) 23-04-07

nice one mike... what club did you used to go to in torquay ?

mike

Hunter · #3 (**Post Link**) 23-04-07

Nice interview

alfa-duc · #4 (**Post Link**) 23-04-07

I see you're a Torquay man, Mike. We used to go to the 400 Club in circa 1975. Don't suppose it's still there but we had some great times on our trips up from Plymouth. The girls were always a better looking lot than in our town and there weren't the matelots (sailors) and their wads of cash to contend with.