INTERVIEW
unfortunately my father died of a heart
attack at the age of 61. That was the worst
day of my life, 18th July 1961.
“The most memorable time with my father
was the year before he died, when he won
the overall points championship at the
agricultural show with horses, cattle and
sheep. That was the height of his career.
“After my father’s death, all his friends
rallied round and gave my mother and I lots
of help and advice which helped to keep the
business going. During these years my
mother was a rock, and that was the time
when she and I formed the company A & D
Biles, which we are still called today even
though my mother passed away on
November 2nd 1988 at the age of 86.
However out of respect, I still trade under
the family name.”
David continued working in the knacker
business whilst also working for the Fat
Stock Marketing Corporation for 25 years,
and says that at this time of his life he was
extremely busy.
“During these years I built a really good
friendship with my brother in-law. We used
to do a lot of sport together. We used to go
car rallying, and I remember in the 60’s we
won the Daily Telegraph Trophy for the best
Isle of Wight Car. He even told my sister
once that he would rather fall out with her
than he would with me! We were there for
each other, I suppose”.
I arrived at Trafalgar Square and still did not
have the pluck to pop the question. We
eventually got round to it two or three days
later. So I called grandpa in Nottingham and
told him he had better get the champagne
out, and he replied ‘We drank that a long
time ago!’, as he was fed up of being
messed about.
David and Diana finally married in 1965, at
Edwalton in Nottinghamshire. They still
have many good friends in Nottingham, and
see them regularly.
Within three years of marriage David and
Diana had their first child, a son named
Samuel (Sam).
“In those days Sam was a very modern
n