Cor! A 'funny' story from the months of the London preparations (5 November 1987 to 23 April 1988).

 In 1987-8 while I was reconnoitring my targets,I half-decided on a mortar attack on the Houses of Parliament from the southside of the Thames.

I climbed down the steps on the river embankment wall and walked up the exposed sludge on the riverbank on a bright spring Sunday afternoon.

Suddenly,the tide came in and I began to climb up the embankment railings only to find barbed wire at the top of the steps. I climbed niftily over the wire. I found that I was on a guarded building site and a security guard soon approached me.

I could see that the huge gates were locked so I asked this Arab security guard to call the police,a calculated risk.

Two Metropolitan Police soon arrived,two male officers. I played the offended innocent and they turned to the security guard and said to me," Is Abdul not going to let you go?"

They proceeded to instruct the security guard to open the gates. I walked free. In my back pocket I had the carefully worked-out British Operations Handbook in outline which was more or less complete.

I kid you not! Cor!

Jesus must have wanted me for a sunbeam!