Ray Griffiths was head of personnel at Barkers stationery firm and third-in-command after management tycoon DP and his number two. According to sales manager Derek Wilton, Ray as known around the office as "good old Ray".
In 1989, Ray had a few run-ins with Derek over his persistent attempts to ingratiate himself with senior management; In March that year, after DP dropped out of a dinner party at The Kabin flat which had been arranged by Derek and Mavis for his benefit, Ray agreed to attend, along with his wife, but he cancelled almost immediately, claiming his wife had a prior engagement.
The following month, Ray summoned Derek to his office to break the news to him that his pension medical had revealed a high blood pressure and hypertension, and that he was being moved to dispatch as management feared he couldn't cope with the stress of his current position. Furious at the demotion, Derek hung around outside DP's office the following day to take the matter up with him, briefly encountering Ray as Ray entered DP's office on a far more important matter. To force the issue, Derek sent a memo through to DP's office threatening to resign if he didn't remain in his current position in sales, however this failed to elicit a response from DP. After missing DP at the office, Derek waited for him in the building car park, where he was met by Ray, who took him aside and distracted him while DP got in his car and left. Ray then took Derek to his office, where, with a thinly-veiled amusement, he told Derek that DP had accepted his resignation, and that in fact it was the last thing he did before he left. He then gleefully asked Derek what his plans for the future were.