Scene: The kitchen in any number of railway households throughout the land..
Daughter: Daddy
Father: Yes Darling?
Daughter: Why is steam coming out of your ears? Is eccentric uncle Philip at DfT having one of his turns.
Father: How very perceptive of you, my Angel.
Daughter: What is it this time Daddy?
Father: Well, Uncle Philip has asked head hunters to see if they can find some senior rail managers to help Uncle Michael take over Intercity West coast from Uncle Richard.
Daughter: But Daddy, won't anyone senior enough already have a job.
Father: Probably dearest.
Daughter: Uncle Ivor used to run the West Coast and he hasn't got a job.
Father: Hush dear, we don't mention Uncle Ivor since he went to China.
Daughter: What about Uncle David? He used to run East Coast and he's quite young too and mummy thinks he's dishy?.
Father: Luckily Uncle David is off to Ireland.
Daughter: Anyway Daddy, if Uncle Philip lets Uncle Michael take over the West Coast, won't he have to take over Great Western too when the franchise extension expires?
Father: Sounds logical, sweetheart.
Daughter: So he'd need even more experienced senior managers. Uncle John used to run Intercity, he told us about it in the latest Modern Railways.
Father: Remind me to tell uncle James not to leave his magazine lying around where impressionable minds can pick it up.
Daughter: Anyway Daddy why does Uncle Philip think that replacing Uncle Chris at West Coast and Uncle Mark at Great Western with managers who haven't got a job is a good idea?
Father: Nobody knows, now eat up your Weetabix
Out of the mouths of babes...
