Christ Reg I'd forgotten aboput Claude!! Used to do contract work on his fire safety systems for him, only twice a year. Used to let myself in - it was never locked during the day - and make my way up to the kitchen where inevitably you would find Claude, ciggie in hand, dog wandering around whilst he was preparing the food! One day I couldn't find him but a young lad came through and I asked him to tell Claude that the man from the income tax people was there to see him. Five minutes later Claude came rushing in, grey as a sheet, saw me and called me every name under the sun. We had a great laugh about it!! Subsequently I used to get to the bottom of the stairs and shout that the drain inspectors were on the premises, used to get a reply like "Fuck off then!"
I worked in the butchers opposite The Bell (Keith Berry Butchers) as it was back in the day from ‘78-‘88 I can tell you some fcuking belting stories about Monsieur Ausette......
You knew there was trouble coming when you saw him coming across the road with a tray of beer! Any time of the working day TBF.