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3: The Job Interview In the second week of November British Rail sent me a letter asking me to attend a formal interview and induction test. Attached was a free ticket to Derby where the interviews were being held. I put in for a day off from the cash 'n' carry (without telling them what it was for!) and when the big day came I dressed as smartly as I could and set off. My destination - Wyvern House - was a large pile of offices at the end of Derby station's Platform One. A secretary told me to take a seat in the waiting room with two other lads. We chatted for a while, as the secretary came to fetch each of us in turn. When my turn came I was shown into a large office decked out with paintings of steam locos and hedged in by shelves full of thick books. The room smelled of a bygone age, as if it had remained unchanged since the turn of the century. Two large well-dressed men in trilby hats looked me over from the other side of a highly polished desk. 'This one's Gregory,' one of them grunted to the other. 'Come in Gregory. Take a seat.' Nervously I sat down. 'Now then Gregory, why do you want to join British Rail?' I told him that I'd had a keen interest in railways for eight years and it had always been my ambition to be a driver. They nodded at each other, seemingly satisfied with my answer. Next came the question, how would I get to the depot if I was given a job? 'I'd buy a motorbike?' 'Hmm.' They looked a bit dubious. 'And what if it went wrong?' 'I'd learn how to repair it.' Again they nodded approval. Ten minutes later and I was still struggling through their questions. After what seemed like an age the man who had questioned me so thoroughly turned to his colleague and asked him if he had anything to ask me. The second man suddenly sat upright and glared at me. 'Right, let's just say you got this job. You're with a driver on shed, preparing locos for other drivers. Your driver comes and asks you to sweep out the cab. Would you tell him to piss off or would you do it?' His language shocked me, but I swallowed hard and thought quickly. 'Yes, I'd do it, as the driver would be like the boss of you anyway.' 'Right, no more questions, ' he said. Sensing that I'd said the right thing I began to relax. 'Right, Mr Gregory, send in the last one and wait until he comes out. Then the three of you can sit the test.' Test? I didn't like the sound of that at all. But he'd called me Mister for the first time and I guessed that was a good sign. Some of the test questions I flew through, but others I stumbled over. Still, I managed to have a go at all of them. When the papers were taken away, the three of us lads sat talking quietly amongst ourselves. Eventually the more official-looking of the two large gentlemen came back into the room. 'Thank you all for coming along today,' he said. 'You will hear from us shortly regarding the outcome of your interviews.' Feeling a bit disappointed we left. We'd all hoped to know our results straight away. But it didn't work that way on the railways! A week or so later a brown envelope dropped through my letterbox. As I ripped it open I could see straight away where it was from. But what would it say? 'We are pleased to inform you...' A good start! I guessed the rest, but read on anyway. 'A medical has been arranged for you on the above date.' A medical! Something else to worry about. But the day arrived quickly enough and armed with another free ticket I set off to Derby to see the railway doctor. It meant another day's leave, so I was hoping it would all be worth it. The medical was stringent, with eyesight, hearing and blood pressure tests amongst others. After leaving a urine sample the doctor told me I'd have my results through in a few days. More disappointment. More waiting. But, sure enough, a few days later another letter informed me that I'd passed all the necessary requirements and could now be offered a job at Coalville depot. To say I was thrilled was an understatement! At last I had achieved something worthwhile. First of all I had to attend a formal chat at Wyvern House to discuss the procedures and pick up various railway booklets, a high-visibility vest and a free pass to Leicester where a six-week traction trainee course was due to start on the 15th January 1979. The only thing left for me to do was hand in my notice at the cash 'n' carry. I finished on Christmas Eve and spent my last afternoon at the Coopers Arms in the company of all the friends I'd made. I was sad to be leaving, but I knew I was moving on to better things. Now all I needed to do was to cycle over to Coalville to check out my new workplace. And to enjoy my Christmas of course. |