Is my father in law James Bond?

[So]

My wife's father used to work for the military. According to him in "quality control".

He is a wiry chap and even at 75 is as fit as a butcher's dog. Until very recently he would happily pop into a hand stand and walk on his hands around the garden.

Despite only being in "quality control" he lives in a very nice house.

My wife tells me that when she was growing up her father used to be picked up from home every day by a chauffeur in a big black car. He would often drop her to school on the way to her father's work.

So, is my FIL James Bond or did the government routinely spaff huge money for chauffeur driven cars for junior staff in the 1980s?

[So]

RDMcG said:

Did he take holidays in Colombia?.

Usually Asia, Cape Verdi etc.

[So]

Oh and my wife has just told me that when she was growing up her dad was endlessly being pulled by security in airports around the world, when they were trying to go on holiday.

[So]

AJB88 said:

Did he always wear a Rolex but all of a sudden in the 90's switch to an Omega?

He does wear an Omega. From the 1960s.

[So]

67Dino said:

When you offer to buy him a drink, does he have extremely specific requirements for he’s like it mixed?

He likes red wine and whiskey. He has never requested either being shaken.

My MIL is no kind of eye candy, by the way, and to the best of my knowledge has never been abducted by a malevolent but massively wealthy misfit with a scarred face and a cat.

[So]

overunder12g said:

So, only Irish Whiskey then ?

He drinks whisky too. Straight with one small ice cube.

[So]

Smokehead said:

What car does or did he drive?

Audi A3.

As far as I can tell it hasn't got an ejector seat, bullet-proof pop-up screen or blades that extend from axles to slash the tyres of adjacent vehicles.

[So]

red_slr said:

Does he often find himself in easily escapable situations.... oops sorry wrong spy..

He seems to avoid difficult situations with ease, and to the best of my knowledge he hasn't had to escape overly complex attempts upon his life, whilst his nemesis watches but ultimately himself ends up dead.

[So]

Okay, my FIL and MIL have been over for Father's Day lunch and I have more information. Mainly from my MIL who was a bit tipsy.

I raised the question of my FIL's true role for the MOD and he just laughed it off and repeated that he was in quality control. An important but not exciting role, he claims. But he did confirm that he was chauffeured everywhere.

Despite that, he also had a company car which was always a hire car and changed regularly.

Additionally, it came to light that travel to China and the US was difficult for him. The MIL mentioned that when they went to China on holiday he had a 1-inch thick document issued to him which he had to read in full and sign. It included agreeing not to socialise with Chinese women.

Apparently internal US flights were also problematic and they regularly got held up.

The MIL said that one of their long-standing family friends was convinced that my FIL was a spy.

There is definitely something in his past that he is not divulging. I am pretty sure that he did something interesting.