Yes, AJ, and that was when things got interesting.
We flat-earthers had been taught that the 'OD' crowd were aliens. Their SOPs were odd. Everything about them was odd. The BEA people who migrated to VC10s & 747s were looked upon with awe; as though they were throwing themselves into enemy territory, never to be heard of again.
On the other side of the coin, the rule that new commands must be on short-haul meant we (on the Gripper) were flooded with newly promoted OD 'aliens'.
Guess what - they were great guys, and the barriers came tumbling down.
It's odd now to think how tribal British Airways was, in respect of flight-crew. Forced integration fostered mutual respect. And it started on the Gripper.
Shame the flight-deck / CC barriers still exist. (sorry Mods).
AD