Mug shot

As the minutes tick away towards midnight I say goodbye to an old friend.

I started in the civil service on 1 September 1977 and was advised that morning to get my own mug. This was the lunchtime purchase. It was the days of a tea trolley service; carbon paper and typing pools.

It has travelled with me through all my jobs: sponsoring the Highlands and Islands Development Board; youth employment measures and the Manpower Services Commission; reform of local government bye-laws and preparing for the Civic Government Scotland Act; legislation on school meals milk and transport; private secretary to Lord Mansfield the then Minister of State in the House of Lords; milk and wool marketing; European Secretariat in the Cabinet Office in Whitehall; CAP agricultural price fixing; rural development in the Scottish Islands (the ADP); criminal procedure, bail , confiscation and forfeiture legislation, district courts; children's hearings then the review of the system; getting it right for every child (GIRFEC); children's rights, youth work, disabled children; and finally secondment to CHS.

The hours have been long and frequently intense. But the colleagues have been great and the subjects always fascinating. I don't know of many careers that offer such variety.

This mug has been with me all the way, although in recent years it has been in semi retirement due to a kindly well intentioned colleague having a slight accident when offering to clean it for me!

As I stop being a civil servant in a couple of hours and start on a new career - still as a servant of the public - I've decided to consign this slightly dated piece of crockery to history. I do so with many memories - most of them happy.