FM Conway - Going the Extra Mile

Going the Extra Mile

Flying isn’t that different from driving a car, in my opinion.

I knew a thing or two about flying, but Jack wasn’t enthusiastic about travelling in small planes, and it was a windy day. When the plane came in for us – landing almost sideways in the strong wind – Jack climbed in, and the first thing he noticed was a number of empty holes in the pilot’s control board. ‘Aren’t there supposed to be some things in those holes?’ he asked. The pilot told him not to worry about it, and we set off. Jack wasn’t happy, but he had calmed down by the time we had got to Scunthorpe. We were supposed to do our business and travel back the same day. But as soon as Jack had taken a look at the company’s figures, he said he needed more time. So, we booked into a hotel, Jack settled down with the figures, and I settled down in the bar. After a couple of hours, Jack came in and told me that the business wasn’t worth a penny. So, we discussed what to do, made our plan, and went to bed. The next morning, we met with the owner. I let Jack do the talking. He got straight to the point: ‘You know you’re insolvent, don’t you?’ Jack asked him. ‘If you carry on trading after today, you’ll be personally liable for the debts your business incurs.’ And we offered him a way out: we’d pay off the liabilities, and he’d give us the business, the plant, and everything. Well, he brought his accountant in, and then he brought his solicitor in, and by the end of the day we’d tied the whole thing up, and we’d bought Scunthorpe Concrete for next to nothing. On the way home, I was feeling pretty chipper. The weather had

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