However, this James Bond-like CV is a world away from Hugh Clay’s initial career aspirations – he had planned on becoming an accountant to exploit his talent with mathematics. The 77-year-old grandad from Waterlooville, then a fresh-faced teenager, only applied to the Ministry of Defence ( MOD) to gain precious interview practice. He said: “I had no perception when I was 17 that one day I would be managing major projects for the MOD with a good outcome. “I’ve been here a long time. I like the camaraderie, I like the technical challenge, I like the variation so I just like coming to work.”