Chapter 3

Nick sat for a moment to collect his thoughts. He needed to start looking into the last three years. That was going to be hard work. In some ways the best way would be to go and chat with Norman Hackforth. He seemed to be a canny old bird; with a sense of humour too. He could not really do that though. He would have to stick to the timetable that had been agreed. He walked in to Megan's office. She smiled at him.

"Megan, I imagine we have files here of all the major projects in the last three years."

"Yes, boss, and the minor ones as well."

"Could I have one for each branch for 1999?"

"Of course. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll bring them in."

"By the way, what's through that door?" he asked pointing to a door in the wall opposite the one to his office."

"Empty. I use it as an overflow before each major clear out."

"OK." He wandered back into his office, collected a pencil and pad and went to sit at the conference table. He would have more room to spread himself there.

Megan brought in four fat files. "There's nothing on Quarries," she said. "That just depends on demand."

"Fine. Thanks, Megan."

"More coffee?"

"Mm, yes please."

Nick picked up the Buildings file. It was entitled Northcliffe, which turned out to be a new housing estate. It quickly became apparent that Roads and E & M were involved too. That was useful. Nick read steadily through it. A number of things jumped out at him. No one had been appointed project manager. There were therefore memos from branch heads complaining about each other, complaints which Mervyn Reid seemed to have done little to rectify. Most were directed at E & M, George Roberts: not maintaining the schedule, some shoddy work that had had to be redone causing further delays and one dangerous incident. There were also complaints about Roads falling behind schedule and delaying the start of work on new buildings. There was a strongly worded letter from Norman condemning profligacy and citing the over-ordering of cement and the pile driving sub-contractor being kept sitting on site for two days unable to start work. There were also memos complaining about sub-contractors: too few men and sub-standard work.

Nick was appalled. The whole project reeked of slack management and lack of leadership from the top. He really was going to have to crack the whip.

He picked up the next file entitled West Ferry Bridge. Its reading made a welcome change. David Steel was project manager. The project had been completed to time and cost. There had been one potentially dangerous incident when a steel wire rope broke one night allowing a concrete beam to fall. No one was hurt but the beam was damaged beyond repair and there was a delay while it was replaced. That delay was not critical. There had been an exceptionally high wind that night and the strain on the rope had become too much. Nick could not help wondering why the beam had not been anchored to prevent it swinging.

There was a knock on the door and Norman stuck his head round it.

"I just wondered what you were doing for lunch," he said.

Nick glanced at his watch. "Golly!" he said. "I never realised it was so late." He looked slightly crestfallen. "I hadn't given it a thought," he confessed.

"I normally bring a packed lunch in but I had a feeling that you might forget on your first day so I decided to forget too. I have a nice, quiet pub that I use on high days and holidays. Can I tempt you?"

"That sounds a marvellous idea. Thank you."

They set off.

"Reading the horror stories?" Norman asked.

"One out of two so far," he replied. "Northcliffe."

"It won't be the only one, I'm afraid."

"That's what I suspected."

"I'm not an engineer, Nick, but I can recognise poor and slipshod management. I can also recognise weakness."

"There were all three in abundance at Northcliffe from what I've read."

"What was the other one you've looked through?"

"West Ferry Bridge."

"Did you form an opinion of why it went better?"

"Yes. There was an overall project manager."

"Absolutely right. David Steel insisted on it. For once Mervyn made a decision and David was the one with the ability to manage. Anyway, let's relax for a while. Have you found somewhere to live?"

They had a pleasant lunch. Neither encroached on the other's privacy but they struck up a rapport. Nick was taken with Norman's quick mind and his dry and at times caustic sense of humour. Norman delightedly recognised a pleasant no nonsense man in Nick. They only had a half of beer and a baguette and agreed to split the cost.

As they entered the company building afterwards Nick turned to Norman. "Could you spare me a couple of minutes?" he asked.

"Of course."

They went to Nick's office together going in through Megan's at whom Nick waved cheerily. She smiled back. They went and sat in the leather chairs. Nick repeated his first impressions to Norman who smiled humourlessly.

"It seems you're a pretty sound judge of people," he said. "Those young men are potentially good even Harry when you can get his mind back from wherever it goes. What they have all lacked though is firm direction and support."

Nick nodded. "It seems to me that you are at the centre of this office and, because money is involved in everything we do, you are involved in everything too."

It was Norman's turn to nod.

"I've huffed myself slightly by making appointments to see everyone individually." Nick went on. "I need to do some more reading to confirm what needs to be done but then I'd like to come and discuss it with you before I begin my rounds."

"I'd be honoured," Norman teased. "Please do, Nick. So far I have agreed with everything you've said and any help I can I'd be delighted to give. Just give me a couple of minutes warning and then come and see me or summon me. Meg does better on coffee and biscuits than my secretary does," he added wryly.

"Thanks, Norman. I'm very grateful."

Norman rose. "I look forward to seeing you and would hazard a guess at tomorrow morning."

He left and Nick went back to his files. He moved on to the next two years. With few exceptions it was more of the same. On their own, the young men did well with the exception of Harry who was not good at planning for the unexpected or reacting quickly and positively when things went wrong. George Roberts was a deadbeat. He was still not sure about Arthur. Neither Megan nor more importantly Norman had contradicted his first impression. Much would be revealed when he had his face to face meeting with him.

Megan brought him the list of organisations to which she thought he should pay a courtesy call. It looked all right to him and he asked her to go ahead and arrange them.

Nick then moved on to current projects. There was another housing estate, smaller than Northcliffe but again a joint affair between Buildings, E & M and Roads. Once again there was no one in overall charge. Bridging was strengthening a bridge on the M 56 over the River Weaver. Roads were due to resurface it. There was precious little work going on for an organisation this size.

He also looked at projects which had been tendered for and then turned down. There were two from Roads which were shoddy in their specification and in their implementation plan. He was surprised. He had thought more of David Steel. There was one from Bridging for a sizeable bridge but in an area to which few people would go. The offered design was a quite beautiful suspension bridge with light looking towers. The main suspenders were inevitably substantial but the verticals were many and almost invisible. The bridge hung in space and would have been wondrous but the city council wanted a utility bridge in that area and had rightly turned it down on cost.

"Poor Harry," thought Nick. "He must have been so disappointed and yet it wasn't a starter at that price. That boy's living in Wonderland."

By the end of the first day he reckoned he had achieved quite a lot. He had a pretty good idea of the potential of his branch heads. He had enrolled an ally in Norman and he thought that Megan had taken to him which was very important. A loyal PA was vital.

He had worked so late that he only just caught dinner at the hotel. Afterwards he went for a quiet walk which helped to settle his meal but nothing to settle his head. Nevertheless, the fresh air made him feel better and he had no trouble getting to sleep.

He was back in his office by eight the following morning and Megan welcomed him with a smile followed by a cup of coffee.

"Jerry Markham at ten," she said, "and then Mr Charles Murdoch, Chief Executive Liverpool City Council at two-thirty."