Michael Porter wrote:
> Odd things happen in factories.
The late Robin Penrice, known to many from his column in Triumph World, also
caused problems for the
security guys at the factory in Coventry in the early 1960's.
A mutual friend told me that one day Robin said he had need of a blacksmith's
anvil at home. Quite
what he or his Dad needed of an anvil I have no idea and maybe the whole thing
was a dare? Anyway,
come the day, Robin was 'helped' out of No. 1 Gate at Canley bent double,
wearing a long and flowing
coat and with both arms around the shoulders of accomplices. It must have
looked strange to see
three people tottering out amid the frenzy of cars and bicycles. Robin was
approached by a security
man. "Wassa matter? You drunk or ill?"
"Crippling gut ache," Robin replied. "Can't walk, can't stand upright, going to
the hospital."
They let him through.
Having crossed the boundary between company and public land, Robin straightened
up, and removed the
rope from around his neck from which the anvil was slung.
"We did it!" they shouted and out of the crowd, another man stepped and handed
Robin a GBP1.00 note.
"Well done, lad - ah didn't think tha would do it."
Meanwhile Security guy surges through the crowd.
"I know all of you and I'll have that pound for mis-appropriation of company
property!" And pointing
to Robin he said, "and I'll have another pound off you too, for intentionally
misleading me as to
your exact medical condition." Then turning to each of the accomplices, "and
I'll have a pound off
each of you lot for aiding and abetting! What's more, I'm off duty in half an
hour and if you all
want to buy me a pint in the Social Club bar, maybe after four pints, I'll
'forget' what really
happened and this incident won't find its way into the Thefts Book."
History has not recorded (or maybe my mind has forgotten?) what happened to the
anvil sitting on the
pavement outside No. 1 Gate.
Jonmac
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