What the Hell is a Paint Inspector ?

Ok ! I'll keep this one short being my first post. I'm struggling with the layout and interface a bit but here goes.

Up to about 1975 (just after I left the Car factory in Linwood) I regarded an Inspector as a guy on the assembly line who annoyed people by moaning about Quality - specifically in the Paint Shop where I was the Senior Paint Chemist / Technician - they were a source of irritation forcing me out of my nice safe lab onto the shop floor to deal with annoyances like runs, dirt, wrong colours etc on the car body shells resulting more often than not me getting paint all over my nice clean white lab coat ! At one time I actually managed to produce a run of 'Tartan' cars, I thought it was quiet innovative but the management were less than impressed !

I left the Car Industry in 1975 during the infamous '3 day week' episode and became a hippy for a while (I really was a Rocker but hippy chicks were more accomodating, know what I mean !). Having failed as a hippy, they did not appreciate my aggressive fascist tendancies (it wasn't my fault, it was the Whisky) I went back to College to study Ultrasonics with a view to becoming a Welding Inspector.

When the course was over we got the good news and the bad news, 'Well done! you've passed with a 95% score but sorry as there have been so many courses before no trainee positions are left.' - the class gave a collective groan of despair.

I piped up 'Aww for *#!@ sake ! You don't need anyone who knows about Paint do you ?' (I was desperate for a job - one of my hippy chicks - now my ex wife - was pregnant).

The Lecturer who was also an agency employer looked at me with interest and asked 'What do you know about Paint ?' so I told him.

'Hmm, come to our offices (Solus Schall) in Barrhead on Monday and we will have a talk'

From this one chance comment I was launched into one of the most bizarre industrial 'closed shops' imaginable.

I duly arrived on the Monday, suited and shining grasping my Portfolio and was ushered into a sidekicks office for an 'interview'. This gentleman who we'll call Peter was obviously the worse for wear with drink cast a desultory view over my cherished paperwork'.

'For Gods sake son, put that away, you're embarrassing me ! You better have a word with Angus.'

Angus (who was the lecturer) a big guy with red hair cast an appraising eye over me and stated:

'You look a bit green, young and fresh but you are a big lad (I was as least as big as him) Ok you can start tomorrow - report to Bob at Arrolls yard in Bridgeton (Glasgow) and he will show you the ropes.'

I left their offices 'dazed and confused'. What the hell had being a 'big lad' got to do with being a Paint Inspector ?

I duly arrived at Arrolls 8.00 am sharp raring to go but no sign of 'Bob'. At about 9.20 Bob arrived (obviously the worse for drink) - 'Are you Harry ? Ok come with me.' - I was conducted through a bewildering maze of Fab shops and at 10.30 Bob looks at his watch declaring it was time for tea break. We went out of the factory at the rear turned right through a door into a Pub actually built into the wall of the factory !!! To cut a long story short by the end of 'tea break' at approx 2.30 pm I was absolutely steaming and no longer knew who and where I was. I arrived home at 4.30 pm (god only knows how !) to my 'wifes' cheery comment 'ohh you're home early , how was your first day ?' whereupon I collapsed on the floor in a comatose heap.

That was my first day as a Paint Inspector !