ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW WITH DAVID WELLS

David Wells has been a business broker for over 30 years. He deals with small to mediumsized businesses in and around the Ponsonby area. I asked him to tell us more about himself.

What do you like about living in Ponsonby?

What’s not to like about it? It’s well located, handy to the CBD, a great vibe, has a huge variety of shops, cafes, restaurants and other amenities. I have lived in this area for nearly five years after moving up to Auckland from Christchurch.

What was your childhood like?

I have always considered myself to be lucky. Lucky to be born in Christchurch. Lucky to have supportive parents, lucky to grow up in a small street with lots of similar-aged children around.

Die happy if?

So many possible and alternative answers here. I’ll die happy if my children and grandchildren have good, fruitful and happy lives.

What is the most Kiwi thing about you?

I taught at a prep school in London for a while after graduating. People used to try and mimic my Kiwi accent. Did I really sound that bad? When I returned home, I was asked if I was English… you just can’t win!

What job would you do other than sales?

I have always regretted not completing my law degree. Sometimes one can look back on life to a spur of the moment decision which can dramatically change your direction and future path.

Something you are looking forward to?

Longevity. My mother died at 97. I would like to beat that and make 100, fit and healthy, without losing my marbles!

Your biggest disappointment?

Pleading with my parents to allow me to leave boarding school because I had passed my University Entrance exam. Probably the silliest thing I ever did.

What motivates you?

Hmmm. I’m not sure. I recall my wife once saying, “what have you achieved today?” As if I had set an unconscious daily goal. I never wanted to be one of life’s passengers and just drift along.

What do you think happens when we die?

I don’t know, and I’m really not that keen to find out. We lived in a haunted house for about eight years. I didn’t believe in ghosts before then. There is something after death that for me has never been fully explained. I never actually saw a ghost. My children claim that they did. We had numerous other spooky experiences which I can’t get into here. When we sold that house, the real estate agent complained that we hadn’t told him the house was haunted. I asked him who advised him. He said, “The purchaser.” She had recognised there was a 'benign presence' as soon as she stepped inside the front door.

Give your teenaged self some advice?

Act in haste, repent at leisure. Some of your immediate and instinctive responses can have long lasting effects, so just slow down and think things through. As an example, I was uncertain whether to pursue a career and major in economics or psychology, so I made an appointment with the Professor of psychology to discuss my academic future. During our meeting the mail was delivered. The Professor started opening and reading it. I walked out.

What is your most treasured possession?

I have some mementos from my parents. My father was a musician in his youth. I have his trombone mouth-piece which I use as a paperweight. My mother hand tooled a leather belt before she became blind with glaucoma.

Favourite hero of fiction?

Robin Hood. I recall, as a child, propping up a mirror at my bedroom door to reflect light and secretly read the book. Many years later I played Will Scarlet in the Canterbury University review.

What cliché do you hate?

'Going forward'. It’s a nonsense, business buzzword. What happened to ‘in the future'?

Your dream guest list for a dinner party?

Barack Obama, Jacinda Ardern, Boris Johnson, Sam Neill, Billy Connolly, Kim Hill, David Attenborough, Liz Cheney… Conversation would be lively and intelligent.

How do you chill out?

I run at least once a week and play a lot of tennis.

Which item of clothing can't you live without?

I really wouldn’t feel comfortable without a pair of underpants. (DAVID HARTNELL, MNZM)  PN david.wells@naiharcourts.co.nz