"I wish my Mum and Dad could have been here”

Saturday last week

Above: I went out onto the damp terrace and walked up and down in the fresh air.

I woke at 8 and sat on the edge of the bed watching BBC News 24 (the weather presenter in jeans and open-necked shirt, which seemed a bit too casual for the BBC). Then down to breakfast - fried breakfast including fried bread and black pudding, toast with jam and marmalade, several cups of tea (calling for a second pot). After breakfast I went out onto the damp terrace and walked up and down in the fresh air.

At 10 all of us (the client directors plus Val, Douglas and Terry) went to the cheaper hotel where the morning’s session was to be held. We filed into a subterranean windowless hall where most of the sales personnel were already gathered. I walked right to the front and sat in the first row, which was empty (I don’t know why I did this - perhaps I wanted to demonstrate my independence).

The session began with an introduction by the client MD praising the success of the conference so far. The next item on the agenda was the formal “induction” of the client’s new sales personnel. The MD went to stand at one side of the low stage while another client director stood at a lectern and began to read out names.



Above: A commercial photographer took a picture of each one.

“Tony Walmsley, Steve Dougherty, Adam Truscott…”

From a side door in the hall a succession of young men in suits came into the hall and walked up to the MD who shook hands with each of them and handed over rolled-up certificates. A commercial photographer took a picture of each one. The audience applauded and sometimes cheered.

“Chris Oliver, Rory Eames, Michael Saville…”

A burly sales trainee in a kilt, bushy long hair tied in a pony tail, strode up to the front to cheers and some laughter from the audience (“you always get a least one” I heard someone say).

“Paul Robinson, David Farmer, Claire Ashby…”

The sole woman in that year’s intake walked up to collect her certificate and then stood with the others at the front, pale and slight among the men.

About thirty or so newly-qualified sales personnel were awarded certificates. They stood at the front facing the audience and were collectively given a standing ovation. The MD praised them as the future of the company.

After the sales inductions we had a coffee break. Because I had gone to sit at the front on my own I walked out of the hall in a group of the new sales personnel and lined up for coffee with them. I asked one of them how he felt.

“I feel proud. I never had the grades to go to uni, so this was like my graduation. I wish my Mum and Dad could have been here.”