I do remember Mr Ripley, he was thinking about retiring as I was early in career, and yes, he was indeed into cloud formations and causes.
Anyone remember Chunky Chandler, Wilf Saunders or Norman Grandy at Manby?
The latter could not abide the office radio ["for listening to the shipping forecasts"] being tuned to music, and always turned it off as he entered.
So a bright spark doctored the radio so that the "off" switch/button/gizmo failed to work. Legend has it that it was capable of battery power, so when he turned it off at the mains socket, the band played on.
A temper tantrum ensued.