To Chennai and Back - Hugh Maxwell

Sharing a true insight into my first international work travel experience visiting the beauty of India in March 2005 as I return to this city some 15 years later.

I really do consider myself extremely fortunate and blessed. At 55 years old, I have been fortunate enough to visit over 20% of the countries around the globe. In addition to having good health, an amazing family life, great friends, financial comfort and more, what I also value is the amount of international travel, influence and engagement I have been able to share over the years. My Linkedin page is an abundance of many, many international friends and brethren from the companies I have worked for and currently work with. Many of the people I am linked with remain special to me, with numerous tales of the great experiences we have shared around the globe. I intend to bring many of these out and publish formally as they are too good not to share!

With over 30 years work experience, of which real long-haul international travel has been since 2004, I find it both reinvigorating and nostalgic that here I am in July 2019 flying to Chennai from the United Kingdom. How things have changed and how times have changed.

I joined Foseco in 1987, in a Chemist/Quality Control function. Unfortunately, in the first year, I sustained a serious knee injury and had large absence from work. In my second year, I had the opportunity to move into a shift support role, which at last enabled me to learn more about the business, products, processes, materials used, develop and engage more in my management development and really become a part of the Foseco team. I was based at Tamworth, Staffordshire and until the late 1990’s I focused my work between here and the coatings and resin manufacturing we undertook at Holmfield Industrial Estate, Halifax.

At the time, Foseco was around 3000 employees globally. Very much ran with old company values, a family orientated business established to supply the Foundry industry in Birmingham initially. Eric Weiss and Kosi Strauss, two young German Jews, fled Germany before the war with formulations for a number of Foundry fluxes. They based themselves in the heart of the foundry industry in Birmingham. They did not speak English and relied on female interpreters to sell their wares to improve casting metal quality prior to the war and thereafter as part of the metal industry support for our war efforts.

At the start of the war, the business moved manufacturing out to Tamworth as what as known as a “Shadow Factory”. The site occupied was part of the Sir Robert Peel estate in Fazeley and remains a much smaller part of the Industrial Estate which now occupies this land. This is right next door to Drayton Manor Park and Zoo. More about this history and the antics I was able to encounter and share there will follow in later publication.

I progressed through management roles in the business, in Quality Assurance, thereafter moving into Risk Management and Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Management evolving from site responsibilities to regional and thereafter a group role supporting the needs of over 3,400 people in 32 manufacturing sites, a number of offices, warehouses and research and development centres. All this from joining Foseco with my Chemistry degree from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. A fine school of education I am equally as proud of now as I was then.

My first long haul business trip took place in March 2004, three months after the death of my mother and some 9 months before I was appointed into a global Management role for Health, Safety and Environment. I flew from London Heathrow to Chennai with British Airways. Long-haul business class then was a really special experience – especially the first time. It meant an early morning pick up and I was driven from home to Heathrow by the appointed company driver then – Declan Smith – a real character who shared many tales of the work he had done in chauffeuring and protection over the years.

Declan pulled outside of my home early morning in a Bentley. Not a typical car seen in the area in which I live despite it being relatively attractive part of Lichfield.

For me, it was a start of a wonderful experience meeting a lovely man. Knowing the whole experience was new to me, he was understanding and courteous well above the expected norm. The trip to London on a good day can be just short of two hours or even more than four hours depending on the mood and volatility of the M25.

Declan gave me space and time to read when I wanted it but he really did prove the life and soul of my car journey. He shared experiences of some of the celebrities he had spent time driving and ensuring the welfare of over the years. He shared tales of Oliver Reed, the renowned flamboyant character as he was always bless him. Some of the best anecdotes shared were about the much revered Roger Cook – internationally acclaimed for delving into stories and digging deep to uncover many a travesty of justice. He was also very open-minded, non-judgemental and shared facts. One of his other clients who he had to tend for was the Irish Republican Army’s very own Martin McGuinness.

Time flew by and the tales were revealing, entertaining and showed just what great experiences and just what a real Dark Horse Declan himself proved to be. I met Declan on a few occasions later in my Foseco career and we always took a few minutes to catch up, ask about each other and our families. Having worked for Foseco since 1987, it was always like a family and in many ways Declan was part of that extended family.

So I arrived into the Heathrow terminal, dropped off my case and headed to Customs Control and the British Airways Lounge. The lounge was pleasant and took you away from the hustle bustle of the main waiting areas in Heathrow. A couple of beers and a snack then it was time to board. Many of my colleagues preferred to fly with BA throughout their careers to take advantage of their lucrative frequent flyer programme. As BA has moved operations out of Birmingham, I was not so bothered about this. Being a novice, I did not realise the perks such awards could realise for international travel – well not until a few years developing my habit of international travel!

The flight from London to Chennai was largely uneventful but a great opportunity to relax and enjoy the selection of inflight entertainment. Having lost my beautiful mother, Irene, in December 2003, this gave me some self-time to reflect and get my head together as such. Dad had not coped well with the relatively sudden loss of mum and we were all suffering more than I believe we realised at the time.

On the flight, I remember watching a few programmes. What sticks out most vividly, being a first-time traveller was one of the films I watched. The film was Meet the Fockers. This was my first experience of the film and I was totally oblivious to the script and characters in the film. I was in stitches from very early on. However, not being an experienced traveller, my loud laugher carried around both the first and business class cabins. So much so that I was reminded by the Purser when he approached me politely and asked “Is Sir enjoying the in-flight programme?”, I removed my headset and commented with a big smile “Why yes!”. His leveller closing comment was “I thought you were. The passengers in First-Class can hear you.” I made my apologies and have always tried to dilute my vocals when watching or listening to anything on a plane since. He was great about it and we had a few jokes about it afterwards. I watched a few more short programmes – much more sobering to avoid any further antics on my part – then it was soon time for “Cabin crew, prepare for landing” being called.

We arrived into Chennai Airport around 3.15am in the morning. As with most Indian Airports, a very heavy military presence. The airport much more simple and smaller. We left the plane onto the tarmac then walked across in the heat – still mid 20’s Celsius at this hour! Very humid, we entered the baggage hall. The bags arrived in a small cart pulled by a tractor. We waited as the bags were handled onto the belt. I waited and waited………….. no bags left to come. Still no sign of my case.

I was here to deliver training to colleagues in Pondicherry and Pune. Pondicherry is a beautiful former French colony in Tamil Nadur. I was to stay and rest for a few hours in Chennai and then head to Pondicherry with my driver. I was so ignorant to the way things work in India at the time.

I reported to the most senior BA representative at hand at 3.50am IST – who was a young inexperienced guy. He referred me to a Military guy at a booth. The military guy wanted a list of what the content of the missing case were and tried to charge me entry duty of around ￡300. I politely objected and told him I wanted his name and would be calling my embassy immediately in the morning about him. He vanished and another person came along. I had no spare clothes or items with me. I had an 8 hour drive the next day without my case or gear. The airport people gave me about 800 rupees compensation as at the time there was one flight a day so the chances of me seeing a change of clothes were remote.

Being a typical European, my stature and shape were somewhat larger than most of the typical Southern Indians, so getting some clothes to substitute for mine was likely to be a challenge. However, at around 4.45am I left the airport building. Outside was amass with people. Unbelievable at this time of morning! People pulling at you to take a taxi ride. Fortunately, I had been warned to expect this and having holiday experience of Goa in 1999, had some idea what to expect. Not like the well policed Airport access at most airports in India nowadays. I saw the driver with my name plate and forced my way through towards him. Not hard as the only white face on show!

His name was Ali. A nice small man. Dressed in military style shirt with epaulettes, a smart officer style cap – and about a week’s facial hair growth. From anyone who has friends from the South of India, you will know that typically skin is darker in complexion – possibly to cope with the intense sun and heat. Ali had such a complexion, which contrasted nicely with really white teeth and a big cheesy smile. I warmed to the man straight away. He was muslim, he was married, had two children but very little else compared to Western opulence. He took me to the hotel, arriving around 5.30am.

I expected the place to be deserted but no, it was already alive and kicking. Breakfast was starting at 6.00am, so I at least wanted to rehydrate somewhat. I did so, drinking what I thought was a fresh fruit juice. A bit later on I saw it was actually a concentrate, topped with local water from an unknown source. I paid the consequences later that evening as a result.

I took some liquids on board and hit the sack until about 9am when my hotel phone rang. On the other end of the line was the local Plant Manager from Foseco Pondicherry – Ganesh. He was a very softly spoken gentleman who I warmed to immediately and remain proud to call a good friend until this day. I explained the situation and my lack of luggage. He was not at all concerned and said he would sort things with my driver. He explained when I was ready call the driver as he was sleeping in his cab until I required his services.

In my own selfishness, I had not even given the driver’s well-being a thought. He had travelled to meet me at the airport from Pondicherry. This journey then took in the region of 8 hours on the old East Coast. It would be an adventure in itself and the road was notorious for bandits as it was a very poor part of Tamil Nadur even worsened by the Tsunami from which it had far from recovered as yet.

I pulled myself together, took a shower and put my clothes back on. I checked out and the driver was called. He met me at the reception and told me we were going shopping. He took me to an Indian mall and I was able to buy at very reasonable prices a couple of shirts, a set of trousers and underwear. I noticed he was liking a couple of items and asked if he wanted them. Initially he said no Sir. I told him I wasn’t paying BA were as I had money from them I was happy to share. We bought him a couple of nice tops, then spent about 400 Rupees on little things for his family. We marched out of the shops together well satisfied. I bought a razor but had a few toiletries like tooth brush and the like thanks to the BA traveller pack.

Now India being India, the colour scheme at the time was not what I would call typically European. Whilst the clothing choice was limited for a man of my size, the colours were somewhat flamboyant – not what I would call typical work wear or buy at home! Let us just say I really did stand out from the crowd! I changed in the rest rooms into my new multi-coloured top and new undies. Then we were on our way to Chennai along the renowned coast road! Let the journey and insight into real India begin! More will follow on the next part of this and other travel tales.

Well that was then and this is now. I will be sharing more about my experience in months to come.

I really hope this insight into my world and travels has been of interest and amusing. I plan to publish many more in the none to distant future. Any feedback appreciated, but please be kind as I like to pay positive things forwards. Stay safe and well! All the very best to you and yours reader. Hugh