If anyone is interested, "Mr. May" has responded to my question by PM over at JREF. I have posted the entirety in the open forum. He begins the reply with a headline (check), twists my use of the phrase "alleged conversation" to imply that he claimed it was spoken (check), insults my intelligence then refuses to provide a straight answer (double check!). Then, as if to underline that it is indeed Patrick, he gives an nonsensical justification for providing unnecessary autobiographical detail... which was completely irrelevant to the question.