Standard Life sponsored the National Library. As such, all employees were both librarians and insurance brokers.

I was in the library one day trying to get the last couple of pieces of information that I needed to complete a journal article. I was also enquiring about a job. Someone had made me a list of staff who might be able to help me, complete with character profiles. It was somewhat embarrassing when this fell into the hands of the librarian described as ‘hard’.

I didn’t finish the journal article, nor did I get the job. Instead I watched everyone pack up at 4pm so that they could all go home, get changed, and head out to a leaving do. I was insulted when one of them asked me in passing ‘Do you have ambitions to become a published author?’