MY colleague Alan Calvert tells me he enjoyed a chat with the BBC's Michael Buerk at a dinner in Manchester last week.

The affable newscaster, who has carved out a distinguished journalistic career all round the world, revealed rather unexpectedly that he had once written to the BEN for a job.

It was 1966 and he had decided to tackle journalism after poor eyesight prevented him from entering the RAF.

Sadly, the BEN did not want him.

Alan, who is now our Industrial Editor, could not resist pointing out in fun that he too wrote for a job in 1966 and WAS successful.

Mr Buerk eventually started on the Bromsgrove Messenger and later embarked on a 30-year BBC career which has seen him win major journalistic awards and become a popular newsreader known to millions.

"It makes you think," says Alan.