I'm John's Dad. I've always lived here in this town, or very nearby, so I consider myself a real local. I've seen the town change a lot, but mostly for the better. There are better shops than there used to be for one thing, and with a new Japanese factory opening there are better job chances for young people now.

I've always had a job, apart from a few months unemployed when John was a baby. Most of the time I've worked for a French company that makes drugs and other stuff for hospitals.

With all the different languages and things at John's school I feel like I should say something about all the different cultures, but I don't know much about it, really. I got to know John's friend Nat's family when they were both beaten up, and I've worked with some coloured people, Indian I think they were, and there wasn't any problem. I don't think they had any trouble from other people at the factory, and they got on all right promotion-wise.