Tom McGrenary, principal of Cumbernauld College, is one of the few survivors from pre-incorporation days. This means he spends a good deal of time on the train to Edinburgh where the Scottish Office has a liking for principals. McGrenary greets anyone he meets from what he describes as “the old days in Strathclyde” with: “Are you still in a job then?” His reasoning is that so many colleagues have taken the long walk that anyone waiting for the Edinburgh train is more likely to be a consultant these days than an FE officer or depute director of education.