"What would my super power be? I sing like a walrus, I want to sing like an angel."
As David Hoyle begins his ministry as Dean of Bristol, Diocesan News asks the questions that really matter...
When were you happiest?
My wedding day.
What is your earliest memory?
Starting school (for a historian I am very bad at remembering things).
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Impatience.
What has been your most embarrassing moment?
Caught in traffic and late for a funeral.
Where would you like to live?
The Deanery, Bristol (if you have seen it you will know why).
What would your super power be?
I sing like a walrus, I want to sing like an angel.
What makes you depressed?
Cynicism.
Which living person do you most admire, and why?
I admire a lot of people. I admire passion when it is mixed with patience and intelligence when it is combined with humility.
In your work as a priest, of what are you most proud?
It is not really pride you feel, but helping the dying to face death and encouraging others with their vocation were good things to do.
What is your favourite book?
After the Bible, God Matters by Herbert McCabe. I knew him.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I am a short Dean, it would be nice to be a tall and elegant Dean.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Danny de Vito.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Claret.
What is your favourite smell?
Claret.
What is the worst thing anyone's said to you?
Towards the end of an interview, one of the panel said, "Thats the first sensible thing you have said all afternoon".
What do you owe your parents?
They taught me to be serious about vocation.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Family and friendship.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
Friends you will not have heard of and we would argue late into the night.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"This is important" and "The thing you need to know is"
What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
Another day in the week.
How do you relax?
Walking in the hills, just at the point the mobile phone signal fails.
What keeps you awake at night?
The things I still have to do.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Never jump to conclusions.
Tell us a joke.
An Englishman, an Irishman, a Scotsman, a rabbi, a minister and a priest walk into a bar and the bartender says, "What is this? Some kind of joke?'