YOU'VE got to hand it to Steve Fletcher. The former miner turned airline pilot has proved that if you want something badly enough and are prepared to work for it, the sky's the limit - literally.

It took Steve three years and £50,000 to get his airline pilot's licence, working full-time at Sherburn Aero Club and studying in his own time. Now, instead of working on a coalface 3,000 feet below ground, he will be flying Boeing 727s 30,000 feet above it.

It's a story to set the pulses racing, one that should act as an inspiration for us all. And it set me thinking. If Steve can turn his life around so dramatically, why can't the rest of us? Let's face it, there are plenty of people around who could benefit from a career change....

Bob the Builder. It's not poor Ainsley Hammond's fault that the nation's kids have suddenly gone crazy about a cartoon character in work overalls, big boots and a hard hat. Ainsley, who lives in Holgate, York, has been nicknamed Bob the Builder for years. But when the cartoon Bob suddenly found he could sing and beat boy band Westlife to the top of the charts, builder Ainsley's life must have become hell. He's had endless flak from friends, and even received a Bob the Builder video for Christmas. Obviously time for a change. Perhaps he should sign up as cartoon Bob's agent and try to make sure he's the Christmas number one this year as well.

Anne McIntosh. The Vale of York MP has always been highly gifted at jumping on the bandwagon. You only have to look at how quickly she took up cudgels to support breast cancer patient Eileen Quigley, who's been denied a potentially life-saving drug because the NHS won't pay for it. The fact that she did so the day after the Evening Press and our sister paper the Northern Echo publicised the case is, of course, a complete coincidence. Given her talent for easy point-scoring and self-promotion, Ms McIntosh is surely a natural as a regular contestant on the TV pop quiz, Never Mind The Buzzcocks.

Eddie Vee. Anything, absolutely anything, as long as it's got nothing to do with Elvis. MP for the Vale of York, perhaps?

Dome Minister Lord Falconer. Well, he's got to do something now the biggest white elephant of the 21st century (so far, anyway) has gone to that great Dome retirement park in the sky. He was such a spectacular success in ensuring we all took the Dome to our hearts he should now be put in charge of something really important. We could do with someone on 24-hour York bollard duty to make sure that monument to traffic planners' folly doesn't get pranged by any more Volvos. He'd be an ideal candidate.

The designer of the York bollard. Must be something he could do. Perhaps find a nice, quiet room with padded walls where he can design exotic moving art objects to his heart's content.

Whoever's in charge of the railways. If anyone can find out. Don't care what they do, as long as they're never put in charge of anything again.

The lottery commissioners. We all know they made the wrong choice of who should run the lottery. Sack 'em and instruct them to apply to Sir Richard Branson for a job - so we can have the pleasure of watching him tell them where to go.

Bill Clinton. Co-presenter of the Bill and Monica Show, late night Friday, Channel 5. Adult only.

Which only leaves me. I've always been useless at planning ahead, so ... any offers, Railtrack?

Updated: 10:45 Wednesday, January 10, 2001