April 14th 1973, i was 18 years old and just 2 days into my first tour of duty in Northern Ireland and was on my first ever VCP (Vehicle Check Point). And, in the very first car i stopped sat a certain Rev Ian Paisley. Despite his protestations - "Don't you know who i am?, I have a very important meeting to attend", etc - i carried out a search of the vehicle, thanked him for his co-operation, apologised for any inconvenience and bade him a safe journey. In return, he congratulated me on sticking to my guns, so to speak, and wished me well for the future. It certainly got my tour of duty of to a confident start.