| During the seventies, Jess developed an unfortunate | | | | American outfit. His ensemble looked a little outlandish |
| taste for racy jackets. He deeply embarrassed us all | | | | but he would likely not have attracted much attention, |
| one afternoon by appearing at the Yacht Club in a | | | | had he not decided to stow his pipe in his jacket |
| striped seersucker affair, looking like Bertie Wooster. | | | | pocket without first ensuring the embers were fully |
| Usually he opted for quiet business suits or | | | | extinguished. |
| understated navy blue blazers with Naval brass | | | | I arrived by taxi at the entrance to the arrivals hall, to |
| buttons, looking every inch the reserved English | | | | find Jess doing what can only be described as a war |
| gentleman he actually was. | | | | dance around a smoldering heap of evil smelling |
| Now and then, however, he would experience an | | | | orange colored animal pelt, stamping on the smoking |
| aberration of some sort and unleash himself on us | | | | heap and slapping it with the singed remains of a |
| dressed in what can only be described as his 'mid life | | | | tweed trilby, assisted by Airport Security and a |
| crisis wardrobe.' Inspired by an episode of The | | | | selection of passengers from the incoming Pan Am |
| Persuaders he had seen recently, Jess turned up at | | | | flight. |
| Kai Tak Airport dressed in a bright orange suede | | | | His hair was standing on end as he had obviously |
| jacket, smoking a pipe which he waved about, | | | | ripped off his trilby in some agitation when he finally |
| spraying lighted ash everywhere. He was supposed to | | | | noticed he was on fire. The ends of his trousers had |
| be meeting my mother, who was to arrive on an | | | | caught alight in his effort to trample the flames coming |
| American flight from San Francisco. | | | | from his jacket and were now frayed and charred. I |
| The jacket was teamed with a pair of very dodgy | | | | immediately collapsed with laughter which started Jess |
| looking stretch slacks and then finished off with one of | | | | laughing too. The four security guards who were now |
| those ghastly cowboy buckled belts with an Indian | | | | engaged in gathering up the remains of Jess's outfit did |
| head on the front, and a string leather tie with a silver | | | | not see the funny side of the incident and stomped off |
| slider. The hat he wore was a tweed trilby, the most | | | | in a cloud of smoke and flying ash, muttering something |
| ridiculous accessory to wear with a fundamentally | | | | uncomplimentary in Cantonese. |