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Have you ever met a former JL and did not recognise him?

In the late 70's I was working in Edinburgh for a large Dairy Company as Training and Recruitment Manager. I was very into new methods and had scrapped the usual one on one interviews for the 'in fashion' Group Selection Interviews.

I would look through the large number of application forms (Usually 100 plus) and select 30 or 40 to interview. I would do third over 3 days with 10 or 12 at each session. I would settle everyone round a large table and I would go over terms of employment, how bad the job could be, what were the pitfalls etc. I would then give the group a couple of tests. During the tests I would take individuals into my office for a quick run through their application forms and generally try to suss them out.

On one particular day as I was doing my stuff at the top end of the table I found one guy at the other end of the table staring at me. He had very white hair and he was making me feel uncomfortable.

Anyway when I picked up his application form and invited him to my office I noticed that he had been in the Black Watch.(I had obviously noticed this before) Now the relationship between Argyll's and the Watch is strange. We slag each other off at every opportunity but usually unite against anyone who challenges either.

There was a discrepancy in dates on his form and I rather smugly asked him what he had been doing between this date and that. 'I was sleeping in the next bed to you Sandy' says Tam Melvin. I felt a right Pratt as soon as he said it I knew who he was. Now Tam and I at O's were not just JL's who knew each other, the first time I ever stayed overnight in Edinburgh was at Tam's house. Anyway he was honest enough to say he only needed the job for up to three months, as he was off to do something else. Anyway I gave him the job. In fact I think after realising who he was the first thing I said was 'when do you want to start'. He did what he said, no problem, and the first I have heard of him was on this forum since then.

I have told this story often as an example of how you can get so preoccupied of what you are doing that you miss the obvious. (Could be translated that you are so far up your own ar*e that you fail to engage) I am so pleased to hear from him even after all these years, as we 15,000 are special.

Sandy Henderson