Memorable moments: The lemonade trap

One of the absolute favorite jobs of my life was working for Volvo Construction Equipment. I was brought on board to help drive an ambitious Volvo Group web project, a role that saw me traveling across Europe, heading over to Brazil, and jetting into the United States. I loved the projects, the travel, and above all, the incredible people I worked with.

Yet the entire trajectory of that chapter could easily have never happened at all. In reality, it all hinged on a single, high-stakes split-second decision made over an empty table.

My interview was scheduled in a tiny town just outside Cambridge. I caught the morning train up from London and met with Mats and Caroline, two brilliant individuals who would go on to become cherished colleagues. The formal part of the interview went smoothly enough—the scope sounded exciting, I expressed enthusiastic interest, and we wrapped things up on a positive note.

Then came the unexpected second stage.

"Would you like to join us for lunch down the road?" they asked.

A few minutes later, we were settled into a gorgeous 1660 English pub called The John Barleycorn a few blocks away, joined by several other team members. The conversation was warm, relaxed, and full of lively banter. Then the waitress arrived at our table, notepad in hand.

"Can I get you all something to drink before lunch?" she asked.

Mats turned to me, fixed me with an attentive look, and said, "What would you like to drink, Graeme?"

In an instant, the lively chatter vanished. A sudden, palpable hush descended over the table as every set of eyes turned directly toward me.

My internal alarm bells started ringing. What is the protocol here? This was a middle-of-the-day corporate interview lunch. Was it a trap to see if I was overly casual during business hours, or a test of social ease? I wasn’t even a big beer drinker to begin with.

Caught in the crosshairs of professional etiquette and workplace ambiguity, I threw caution to the wind and said, "I'll have a beer, please."

Instantly, the tension broke like a snapped wire. A collective wave of relief swept across the table, the noise returned at full volume, and every single person promptly chimed in: "I'll have a pint as well!"

We had a fantastic meal, the rapport was effortless, and a few days later, the formal job offer arrived in my inbox.

Once I started, I quickly discovered that after-work pints and pub culture were central pillars of team life. As it turned out, that sudden hush in the pub wasn't an accident—Mats offering me the first drink order was very much the decisive final test of the interview. As qualified as I was on paper for the role, had I played it safe and answered with a polite "I'll just have a lemonade, thanks," I am fairly certain I would have caught the train back to London empty-handed.

The John Barleycorn where we had lunch

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• Working in Duxford

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There's something rather beautiful about fighter planes, despite the destruction they cause. They're so sleek and predatory, like steel falcons.

I liked the reflections of the clouds in the glass window - and the way the plane inside (hung to the ceiling) looked like it was soaring in its memories of days done by.

We were very excited to explore the inside of this concorde. Such a pity they don't fly anymore - almost the end of an era.

D Day Landing exhibition

Volvo life at Duxford

Our cozy office

Here's the inside of our Volvo offices. That's Andreas's head you see in the corner, a lovely guy from Germany who is part of my team. My computer is the one to the left of him. The two girls in the foreground are both swedish (Anna and Jenny) - as is at least a quarter of the office. The next couple of photos show the Volvo building from the outside.

Bowing to the Volvo Flag

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Our Volvo Lake

The office may not be the most beautiful building in the world but we have a very nice lake. The sliding doors you see on the closest wall is the caffetaria - and on hot days, we regularly eat our meals outside on the lawn. The lake attracts herons too so i even get to do some twitching now and then...

Working in Duxford

From 2003 to 2005, I worked at the European headquarters of Volvo Construction Equipment in Duxford. During 2003, Ally and I were still living in London, so I often stayed overnight at a lovely B&B in the village; in 2004 and 2005, we moved to nearby Cambridge. I grew very fond of Duxford, with its old cottages, village green and medieval churches. Almost every day, my colleagues and I would take a walk around the village, soaking up its wonderfully quaint and timeless atmosphere. The thatched John Barleycorn, originally built in 1660, became our local pub, and we enjoyed many memorable lunches there, particularly when celebrating a birthday or a business success. Just outside the village was the famous Duxford airfield, established in 1918 and later an important fighter station during the Battle of Britain. It is now home to the Imperial War Museum Duxford, and during its air shows we would sometimes look up to see magnificent historic aircraft, including Spitfires, flying overhead. 

The Volvo CE Offices

John Barleycorn Pub (Established 1660)

Whittlesford Parkway

Air Museum