Dad's role as Executive Director with BOC's Overseas Division included visits from time to time to the Technical Centre at Murray Hill, New Jersey USA. From time to time on those transatlantic trips, in those heady days when supersonic passenger flights were a thing, dad would get bumped up from First Class to Concorde. What could be the downside of that you might think? Well, arriving at Heathrow 3 hours ahead of schedule, when the company chauffeur that had been booked for the later pick up was just not available. Out went the call to dutiful son who was now the proud owner of dad's ex-BOC Ford Granada 1982 2.8 litre Executive saloon (easily capable of 120 mph - believe me, I know ;). When I picked up dad at the terminal, he appeared sweating profusely for some reason that was never made clear to me, perhaps the smaller Concorde cabin was less comfortable than the First Class cabin of 747 - like a sports car versus a Limousine, maybe Concorde landed at a higher speed, dropping out of the sky more like a Space Shuttle or maybe it was the champagne? I didn't know, all I remember saying, a little shocked at his appearance was

"Bloody hell, did you land the bloody thing yourself?!"