I thought someone had been reading my e-mail when I saw the thread title.
This Civil Servant has just recieved his ticket for the redundancy bus; looks like I'll be stopping work and not restarting. 33+ years as an MOD CS, including 20 years in the RAF Reserves (Sponsored Reserve, which means I will leave the MOD twice at the same time!). I managed to rise to the lower end of both food chains but had some great, and not so great, times in the process. UK, Europe, Middle East, Cyprus, Falklands, plus all the sandy bits that went bnag. I have met and worked with 99% wonderfull people and 1% total a*seholes but I suppose thats life, eh?
Some (actually, many) CS's, despite what those above might think, are on side. Always have been, allways will be. Like you, we'll do our best with bu&&er all. Like you, we'll whinge. Like you, we'll have a beer and laugh, or at least try to laugh.