There are many activities where it's reassuring to know that there is some form of training regime helping the people do the job better. Obviously, this doesn't apply to any known call centre, but it would be slightly alarming if one thought the pilot of one's Boeing was thumbing through the instruction manual as the aircraft thundered down the runway. I know it sometimes seems that way on certain of the less expensive airlines, but we're not naming names as they have a better corporate legal team than we do.We've put a lot of effort into revitalising the training regime for members at Apedale; just like the pilots in Top Gun, they feel the Need for Speed. Unfortunately, we gave them the Pikrose battery loco to drive, but life's full of disappointments, isn't it? Tragically, Kelly McGillis failed to turn up as the Instructor, which would doubtless have resulted in significantly more attention being paid to what was being said. Yesterday saw the first fruits of training regime, with two new drivers achieving the much coveted Yard Driver wings. In the photo, we see one of these elite individuals, who is also the MRT Head of High Energy Particle Physics. You will note that he is trying to tame the fearsome swing-wing, after-burning Pikrose, newly renovated and looking very smart indeed (the loco that is, best not say about the driver). The requirement to wear white gloves and carpet slippers when driving it is causing some resentment.
