Kehilat Middlesbrough Newsletter No 28 January 2013 page 10 ( of 17)
[Ed note: In each edition of the UK magazine “Now&Then” one of their readers is asked to offer their likes and dislikes. The April 2012 issue featured “David Simon, Retired Solicitor, aged 93”]
My favourite restaurant The Wheatsheaf Inn at Egton run by Elaine and Nigel. Fabulous food. I have a terrible weakness for desserts and they offer a Pick and Mix dish of three, rather than one. Years ago as a student in London my favourite was the Salad Bowl, where you could eat as much as you wanted for five shillings.
Best holiday Washington DC. This included a meeting with the British Ambassador, a Garden Party at The White House and shaking hands with the President.
Preferred music Beethoven, Handel and great musicals.
My best car For 25 years I would not buy German and then I went for Mercedes.
Favourite wine Bishop Ladds came for lunch and gave me a wonderful Merlot which was enhanced by the label The Trinity Wine
Most-liked Town /City Venice. The buildings rolling down into the water and their illumination at night with the music from the orchestras and the food
Favourite TV programme Having been a solicitor and Notary for more than 60 years I am critical of legal dramas, but enjoyed Judge Deed. With the Olympics coming I believe that Chariots of Fire could be shown. This is so nostalgic as it portrays my friend and relation Harold Abrahams winning his gold medal.
Most cherished piece of clothing My Clifton College blazer and one of my suits made by my tailor using cloth from the family mill in Bingley, Bradford - sadly now converted into hundreds of flats.
My biggest mistake Agreeing to act for clients facing claims of millions of pounds after a fire in Newcastle. I travelled 2,000 miles, interviewed 27 firemen and went to London for a six week trial. We won, but I was exhausted. The next mistake was agreeing to defend three for murder. This finished with acquittal in the Court of Appeal after a year's work!
My worst holiday It turned out to be great but started so badly. I was taking the family to Venice. Got to the Airport to be told we were not on the passenger list. The next scheduled flight broke down so we had to stay overnight in Amsterdam. The following morning we finally flew, via Brussels. In total the journey took 29 hours. We arrived too late to see Dirk Bogarde (“Death in Venice” Hotel) but on the upside I did chat to William Hague and Seb Coe when crossing the lagoon on the ferry.
My worst job/task My house is full of papers from campaigns and I am trying to decide what goes to Middlesbrough Archives and what to the bin.
Worst Town /City Mayor Mallon does his best but parts of Middlesbrough have always been below par. In 1959 it needed a High Court, a Crown Court, a University, Barristers Chambers, Regional Offices, Government Agencies and so on. Inspired by Peter Milne I published my memorandum and started my campaign for a single County Borough of Teesside, to plan the area overall. This was to give clout to Teesside and make it cost effective to compete against Leeds and Newcastle. The single Council would replace the existing 10. To my surprise after years of campaigning the Labour Government approved my plan and the Borough was created in 1968. Sadly it was wiped out in 1974 by the newly elected Tory Government, determined to remove Labour from controlling Teesside. However, as a result of the campaigns, certain facilities came, so there has been improvement to a limited extent.
Worst TV programme Almost all but especially soap operas and Westerns.
Worst buy I bought insurance for the dishwasher long ago and paid each month for quite a while, without ever making a claim. Fifteen years on, it’s still going strong.
I can’t stand… dim lighting in a restaurant. I like to see what I am eating and I hate the cobwebs to be hidden. And I get a bit fed up with the question as to how I could defend a person I knew was guilty.
Don't ask me to… accept for ever that Teesside will be fragmented with three Chief Executives three Departments of this, that and the other - especially the other! That means being overshadowed by Leeds and Newcastle year after year.
My worst decision Deciding to retire at 93. I told my son-in-law I was retiring to sort out my affairs. He said I should not have affairs at 93. Now & Then Magazine, April 2012