My first Sunderland story reminded me of another
Being in Sunderland so often was no great hardship, even after a 3 hour drive. The local rep for the company I worked for was a very funny guy, uncannily like Roy Chubby Brown in looks, and also with a great but uncontrollable wit. He didn't do serious much. We would meet at the hotel, a couple of swift ones then hit the town.
One particular night we started in Wetherspoons. After a couple my friend spied a table of three 'mature' but pleasant enough ladies and being a man of no fear he waded in.
It turned out he knew one of the ladies well, another he knew vaguely and one not at all.
After a round of his latest jokes his attention turned to the one he didn't know. He eventually got to the "so are you married" bit. She said she wasn't and he pushed a little further. "Divorced?" - "No, I'm widowed,my husband died". I am at this stage winceing at the anticipation of his next line.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to pry" he said. I was impressed. He carried on with a few more comments of great sympathy and I was further impressed. Incredibly impressed in fact. I'd never seem the compassionate side, just the joker.
"So how did he die?"
"He chocked and died before anyone could do anything"
"Well you shouldn't have been f***ing strangling him then"
Sharp exit.
Scunner
