I remember typing pools...

Here are a few classics from 1988 - 1992:

1. Producing training OHPs using permanent fine line marker pens (choice of 4 colours - red, black, green, blue), praying that you did not make a spelling mistake or something changed only days after creating the training pack. And if conifent in the duration, frame them on cardboard surrounds (with numbers on them to keep them in order). And avoided carrying them in the rain, to avoid any hint of water damage.

2. Working in a Finance function where you could identify where someones' job (and therefore the person) sat in the organisational hierarchy, by the type of office chair they sat on (black leather chairs with arms for Dept Manager, blue chairs with arms for supervisors, blue chairs with no arms for clerical graded staff, and orange chairs with no arms for trainee / YTS / under 18 staff). Made life very simple!

3. To issue a annuity quote letter when working for a pensions firm in 1988, I had to:

• photocopy an "Annuity Quote Paper Template" and, with ball point pen, enter the figures I got from a memo returned to me from the Actuarial Dept

• get a bit of lined A4 paper and write a covering letter (long hand) in clear ball point pen

• staple both together, fill out an A5 Typing Pool covering memo and take up to the Typing Pool

• wait 1 day for Carla (who I use to buy a tin of Quality Street and 2 bottles of wine for at Xmas, in order to obtain guaranteed typing priority) to return it all nicely typed up on headed paper (or wait 3 days, if Carla was not in, as it went into the typing pool backlog instead)

• correct any mistakes in red ink and take back to Carla for amendments (done within 1 day if Carla was there, or 1-2 days if placed in the general backlog).

• place in white envelope and walk down to Reception and get them to frank it and post for me.

Sort of thing I can do now in 5 minutes on my own PC and laser printer, or get the customer to do themselves online!! 

Fond memories!!!

Here are a few classics from 1988 - 1992:

1. Producing training OHPs using permanent fine line marker pens (choice of 4 colours - red, black, green, blue), praying that you did not make a spelling mistake or something changed only days after creating the training pack. And if conifent in the duration, frame them on cardboard surrounds (with numbers on them to keep them in order). And avoided carrying them in the rain, to avoid any hint of water damage.

2. Working in a Finance function where you could identify where someones' job (and therefore the person) sat in the organisational hierarchy, by the type of office chair they sat on (black leather chairs with arms for Dept Manager, blue chairs with arms for supervisors, blue chairs with no arms for clerical graded staff, and orange chairs with no arms for trainee / YTS / under 18 staff). Made life very simple!

3. To issue a annuity quote letter when working for a pensions firm in 1988, I had to:

• photocopy an "Annuity Quote Paper Template" and, with ball point pen, enter the figures I got from a memo returned to me from the Actuarial Dept

• get a bit of lined A4 paper and write a covering letter (long hand) in clear ball point pen

• staple both together, fill out an A5 Typing Pool covering memo and take up to the Typing Pool

• wait 1 day for Carla (who I use to buy a tin of Quality Street and 2 bottles of wine for at Xmas, in order to obtain guaranteed typing priority) to return it all nicely typed up on headed paper (or wait 3 days, if Carla was not in, as it went into the typing pool backlog instead)

• correct any mistakes in red ink and take back to Carla for amendments (done within 1 day if Carla was there, or 1-2 days if placed in the general backlog).

• place in white envelope and walk down to Reception and get them to frank it and post for me.

Sort of thing I can do now in 5 minutes on my own PC and laser printer, or get the customer to do themselves online!! 

Fond memories!!!