ANYONE who knows Hogg Robinson chief David Radcliffe will know how he loves his boat.
Taking the family on a jaunt on the Thames, David moored alongside fellow sailors at what seemed a nice spot in Caversham, near Reading.
But by the time the Radcliffes had got ready to head for a restaurant, David realised most of the boats nearby had sailed on. Slightly suspicious, he flagged down a police patrol car and asked the officers if they thought his boat would be OK.
“Oh no,” they replied. “This spot is popular with drug addicts and tearaways after dark.”
Horrified, his first thought was to abandon the family dinner and go back to his precious boat, but he knew his wife would be upset and complain that the boat always comes first.
So, what did he do? Asked a policeman, of course. He told the officers where the spare key was hidden and said they could help themselves.
When he returned, his pride and joy was surrounded by even more boats, whose owners had apparently picked the spot because of the visible police security. The officers had long gone but the missing beer cans in the fridge said it all.