The truth is out there

OK, I'm bored of this game now, so here's the answers:

1. I have been a witness in a GBH trial TRUE, some nasty little scroats had an altercation with my sister & myself one Saturday evening when we were teenagers. It was the first time we had ever felt the need to dial 999. Despite the fact that while on the phone my sister said "Oh my God, he's just hit her", and that we were only 1/4 mile from the police station, they took 20mins to arrive. The Met in the 80's were far scarier vthan any criminals & promptly tried to persuade us to complain about a non-existant sexual assualt as well. still, considering how well the little ****'s wriggled out of most of the allegations, maybe I should have. I sat through the whoile trial being asked questions about my alcohol intake & sexual intentions/background. I was 17. he pointed out that his mother was a professor, piad a fine & went home grinning.
   
2. I am a qualified paralegal FALSE I did Law at college, but never took it any further due to some extremely bad advice. I am currently re-training part-time & should qualifiy in another 18 months
   
3. I love swimming underwater TRUE I adore swimming, and find the peace & weightlessness underwater particularly relaxing. Just sinking down in the bath is good, but a swimming pool is better.
   
4. I am scared of deep water TRUE this is a bit of weird I know, but I like being under "safe" water. I tried Scuba many years ago & absolutely adored it, until we did it properly in open water, where I felt quite unsafe. I like my water to be deep enough to swim in, shallow enough to see the bottom. I blame all those dodgy horror books I read as a youngster.
   
5. I believe in capital punishment FALSE I am totally opposed to both murder & revenge, and capital punishment is just a state sponsored version of both
   
6. I am tone deaf TRUE I was thrown out of the school choir, can't tell if people are good/bad singers & have often had people ask if I what was wrong when I sing to myself
   
7. I go to the gym every day FALSE although I used to work in a gym, and used it every day then. I haven't even been inside one since LMB was born. Fitness is about living healthily, walking, cycling & taking the stairs, not about prancing around in Lycra for an hour a day & paying money for the privilege
   
8. I have visited the Soviet Union TRUE I went there just before they had their revolution & became The Russian Federation. An absolute revelation, both in what didn't happen there (The TV's could not be tuned - they were pre-set to state channels), and in what they couldn't understand (I had a long arguament with some lads about unemployment - they didn't understand the concept, or believe it could possibly be real). it started my penchant for travelling.
   
9. I lived in Australia for a year FALSE I've tried out a few countries, but never made it to Australia
   
10. I can play the trumpet & the violin FALSE see 6. despite my real attempts as a child in learning the piano, recorder & cello I was an abject failiure at anything musical & can barely read music, let alone make instruments sound nice
    
11. I have coached an Olympic medallist TRUE I coached Diving at a high level for many years before discovering better things to do with my spare time. One of the rising stars in the club I coached at was Peter Waterfield, silver medallist in the Athens Olympics. I coached him as a youngster, then was involved in his coaching up to national standard.
    
12. I can ride a motorbike TRUE I rode a bike every day from my 16th birthday until I had to get a car for work aged 24. I still miss it, but every time I seriously go looking at buying a new one, another baby turns up!
    
13. I have six brothers & sisters TRUE one older brother, one older sister, twin sisiters younger than me, and two brothers younger than them (one deceased)
    
14. All my grandparents are still alive FALSE, they are all dead. The last one died a few months ago
    
15. I cried when Ginger died in Black Beauty FALSE I am totally unsentimental, and especially when dealing with animals. I never even realised it was supposed to be sad until my mother told me how much she'd cried at it!
    
16. I didn't want to have any children TRUE I was told at a very young age that I couldn't have children & I grew up forming my life plan around being childless. I was totally devastated when I discovered I was pregnant.
    
17. I have a degree in English Literature TRUE see no 2. following that bad advice I chose to do English at Uni on the mistaken belief it would be easy. Made it through the three years then realised I had no wish or ability to enter any of the careers available to an English Graduate.
    
18. My favourite Author is Charles Dickens FALSE I find him tedious in the extreme. I'm sure they were great weekly serialisations, but they make boring novels.
    
19. My ambition is to climb Everest FALSE I am completely baffled by the wish to do such difficult and unecessary things. "because it was there" What? There's a saw in the tool box, but I don't cut of my arm because it's there! I can understand it's a nice view though. I wouldn't mind taking a helicopter ride to the top & having a look around.
    
20. I grew up in a small village in Dorset. FALSE I grew up in the East End of London. It's a pit. I got out as soon as I could.

Thanks to you who took part.

Oh yes, I'm supposed to tag some other people to do this now, but I think I may have missed the boat on that one, as nearly everyone has already been tagged! Hmm, how about I tag anyone who hasn't done it yet? Sounds good to me:-)