Biz Extra
Published: July 26, 2023 | Updated: 25th July 2023
What do we want? 20 Questions! When do we want them? Every Wednesday!
This week Sue Murphy, Paris Smith’s first ever female Practice Director, takes our infamous questionnaire.
Her ideal person to share a car with would have been Robin Williams, the best bit of her job is the people she works with, and her favourite smell is hot tar on newly laid roads…
What is your favourite TV show?
I love crime shows and thrillers. I’ve just finished watching Unforgotten – I know I’m pretty late to the party on this one! Another absolute favourite of mine has been The Blacklist.
Who would you like to share a car with?
I would have loved to have been able to share a car with Robin Williams. We need far more fun in our lives and I enjoy being around people who make me laugh.
The best bit of my job is..?
All the great people I work with.
And the worst?
Not always being able to deliver what people need in the timescales that they want. There are so many factors to consider so what might appear to someone as a ‘simple’ request, is never really simple!
Who was your childhood hero?
I had a great teacher when I moved to Hong Kong who helped acclimatise me to living in a country miles away from England and was a great mentor for the three years I was there. He taught geography (not one of my strengths) so I was never able to pay him back with impressive papers on cloud formations…
What’s your favourite smell?
Hot tar on newly laid roads.
Where’s your favourite place in Hampshire?
My father was in the navy and believed that you had to learn to sail before you could walk! That love for the water has stayed with me my entire life, so one of my favourite places is kayaking on the Hamble.
What advice would you give to anyone starting out on a career?
Don’t be afraid to change direction! I knew from the age of 11 I was going to be a lawyer. Everything I did (including work experience) focused on that point. At the age of 24 I had the opportunity to go down the route of studying to be a lawyer. I decided not to.
The law still fascinates me and I’ve worked in legal firms my entire adult life – I just found that I get more satisfaction and pleasure from supporting law firms in achieving all they want to, rather than actually advising on the law itself.
What was your first record/CD?
The Frog Song by Paul McCartney (sorry!) I still have the vinyl copy.
What makes you angry?
Is there a word limit to this answer?!
Injustice; poverty; people who won’t listen to a reasoned argument; rude drivers on the road; rude people in shops… okay, rudeness point blank, I guess!
Do you have a favourite piece of music?
About five years ago I would have said pretty much anything sung by Shirley Bassey! However I have recently discovered Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) and Nothing Else Matters (Metallica – the version with Mylie Cyrus is amazing).
What qualities do you look for in a new employee?
Enthusiasm, a great sense of humour, someone who doesn’t mind rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck in and who isn’t afraid to try, try and try again!
What’s your favourite food or dish?
A Sunday Roast. I love to cook it, I love the smell as it’s cooking and I enjoy eating it. We have a roast dinner in our house every week no matter how cold/hot it is outside.
What three things would you take to a desert island?
My kayak, my mobile phone and my husband (probably in that order!)
What’s the best thing about living/working in Hampshire?
I love living in Hampshire – it has everything.
20 minutes from my house in one direction you have the New Forest, 10 minutes from my door there is the beach, a short hop across on the FastCat and you have the Isle of Wight and then of course there’s the shopping; Whiteley, West Quay, Gunwharf – what’s not to like!
If you were Prime Minister for a day, what’s the first thing you’d do?
I’d increase my tenure to 5 years to give me a fighting chance to make a difference. Even Rome wasn’t built in a day.
What’s your biggest frustration?
Things I can’t control; my mother in law died of Motor Neurone Disease – there is no treatment and no cure. It is so hard to watch someone slowly deteriorate in front of you, knowing that whilst their body is letting them down, their mind is completely active.
Where’s your favourite holiday location?
Cyprus. We have always been made to feel so welcome and the weather is great even if you want to go in October.
Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?
Retired hopefully, or at least slowing down a bit. Like most people, I want to be young and fit enough to still be able to enjoy my retirement.
What would you like to be remembered for?
A good friend – someone with a sense of humour who would help out where she could.
