When does an old codger become an old fogey?

IHAVE to admit I was having a contemplation session last week and was wondering when an old codger has to become an old fogey! I rather hope there are no rules that apply as I do remember that as my grandfather hit his 80s, he won the accolade of old fogey because at the time old codger was not a frequently used nick name. He hated being an old fogey, and I do sympathise.

Last week I talked about my trip to the King’s Cross Reunion and given most of us would probably qualify as old fogeys, there were many enjoyable memories to be shared. When we finished our “time” as Student Civil Engineers, we were given a temporary post in one of the offices to occupy whilst we sought a permanent position from the vacancies we could find each week contained on the list that was circulated.

My mates all fancied themselves as future bridge engineers. I had had a great time undergoing track engineering

(properly called Permanent Way Engineering) during my training time on Stratford District, and that had convinced me to follow my instinct and become what we called a PWay Engineer. I was told I was reaching far too high applying for a promotion into a PWay post and knew I was not going to get there unless I was very lucky, or for some reason my face fitted! I lived with my parents at Watford then, and when a “PWay site engineer’s” post appeared on the weekly vacancy list, I applied for it. I was interviewed by the chief engineer, who I had worked for a couple of years before at King’s Cross, but he did not seem to remember me and I went away from that interview ready to apply for positions elsewhere.

It was a couple of weeks later when the student supervisor saw me in the corridor at King’s Cross and asked where I lived. I told him I lived with my parents at Watford to which he responded “some people are destined to fall on their feet”. I thus found out I had got what had to be my dream promotion to the senior division on the West Coast Main Line. Not just the perfect location, but also my dream job! There was some envy kicking around at the Cross!

I started that job on Monday, August 1, 1966 – about six weeks before I was due to marry senior management! I could have walked to my new office from my parent’s home, but that luxury was not to last very long. It was a mixed blessing when we were offered a New Towns Commission maisonette in Hemel Hempstead in early October. It meant senior management could now walk to her job whilst I had to take the bus and train.

There were three sections in the Pway part of that office - the Maintenance Group, Renewals Team and the Planning Section. I was able to stay there for 11 years, working in each section before being promoted to the Civil Engineers Training Centre as a senior PWay Instructor where I stayed for a further six years.

These years were absolutely the most enjoyable of my career and I guess this also was the case for the Divisional Engineer who I really enjoyed working for. Since retirement he has enjoyed a charmed life and I do believe is now aged 102! I hope I have a few more years to go, but somehow do not expect to get that far.

Despite opting to work in the less favoured PWay discipline rather than the bridge design office, I somehow led a charmed life with promotions taking me upward and onward until I found myself at Derby when the railway was privatised. Thereafter I managed to find very enjoyable consultancy work before finally retiring to enjoy my long awaited pension.

I do remember that as my grandfather hit his 80s, he won the accolade of old fogey... he hated being an old fogey.