Spot Light on the Associate Co-ordinator
Ah! So the spotlight is on the senior observer/associate co-ordinator, Lord Scott this month. I only hope that you, the readers, enjoy reading it.
Career - Ok! I left school at the age of fifteen and was fortunate enough to start work for the National Coal Board as an Apprentice Mechanical Craftsman and after four years of college and practical training qualified as a Mechanical Craftsman. I still had to do a further year improvership working with various other qualified craftsmen before I was allowed to work on my own. This was the way things were done then in all trades.
I worked on surface and underground for a further ten years before I was promoted to Foreman, then I only had this position for one year before I was promoted to Assistant Mechanical Engineer. I then worked for eleven and a half years in this position until the colliery closed and I was made redundant.
After being made redundant, I moved to various other companies and positions such as British Steel, MiKing, and Sunderland Royal Hospital, to where I am now at the Sunderland Echo as a Mechanical Engineer. I have been at the Echo for the past fourteen and a half years now.
Sport - I enjoy most types of sport e.g. football, cricket, tennis, squash, cycling, gymnastics and swimming. These are the main ones. In my younger days, not that long ago :<) , I played football for the schools first eleven team, as well as Seaham District Boys first eleven all the way through school. After leaving school I played junior league football under eighteens, as well as playing for the Wearside League and Northern league teams. I also captained Durham District Boys under eighteens and was given a trial for England under eighteens at Liverpool. As a result, I was picked for England first eleven team to play against Holland, only to break my leg the week beforehand (football career ended). Now that I am a bit older I enjoy walks, cycling and swimming.
Driving - As a young child I was exposed to various types of motorcycles and cars belonging to my extended family, so when I was introduced to the Vauxhall Modeling Club in my early teens and received my quarterly magazine on future cars and new designs etc., I was hooked and could not wait to pass my driving test, and own a car. Before long I did!
Even better, when I was introduced to Sunderland Group of Advanced Motorists in 1985 and was shown how I could make myself a safer driver with car care and saving fuel through driving to 'the system', I joined the group. The only thing at that time was that I had to wait for one year before I could be given an observer (it takes considerably less time now). I was given Alan Johnson as my observer, YES! He is older than me (Ha!) and he is still observing as a senior (which shows you how experienced and dedicated he is - I am trying to catch up). So I had twelve hours of observed runs with him and was then passed on to Phil Weightman who was the group's senior observer, Police Class One Driver at the time. I then passed my advanced driving test. Phil Weightman asked me to become an observer, and because I was so keen to give something back to the group, I jumped at the chance. After another nine years as an observer I took my senior observer test and passed. During that time I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in various types of police driving techniques.
The Group - I have also helped over the years as a committee member and was appointed as associate co-ordinator when Cyril Smith retired from the post. I have been in this post for over five years, which I enjoy because it means that I get to meet lots of new people. I have also enjoyed the various driving and social events with the Sunderland group and other local IAM groups. I enjoyed watching this years Go-Karting competition, and guess who won it? Alan Johnson, Ha! Well done Alan! As you will probably have realised by now, this is a great group to be involved with and to meet nice people. It's that good I married the secretary Ha!
'Go Forth, Be Safe and Drive to the System!'
Yours, Lord Philip Haswell Scott.