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I remember typing pools...

Steve Bridger

I remember my first day at work. The summer of 1981. County Hall. The smell of polished corridors and trolleys laden three-feet high with leaver arch files and buff folders. I opened a door and there it was: The Typing Pool. Page 3 of The Sun were always plastered on the walls of the printing unit whenever I was asked to make errands. We still had a few discussion threads on that topic in the early days here - in 2004!


And I've seen Made in Dagenham, the movie!


I only mention this as the CIPD published a report called Work Audit today, a fascinating look at how the world of work has changed
in Britain since 1952.


I thought we could share our own compelling vignettes of social history comparing changes in the way we work.


What do you reckon?


Steve

Parents

  • At the old days...

    I did get sent home for wearing a divided skirt and told I looked much better in the little tight green one.

    Being told off when the boss asked me where I had misfiled the clients records and I responded honestly by saying it was on your desk.   The senior Secretary sternly told me you must always just agree and say you found it misfiled - WHY I still ask myself.

    pre-fax machines everything was always 'in the post'. 

    I can recall the first computer at work and we put up a sign for new recruits to ask for the anti-radiation visor - which was in fact a cricket helmet and we all used to snigger at the new recruit when they sat inputting data wearing a cricket hat.  We now have policies to protect unsuspecting new recruits - anti bullying!

    Typing speadsheets on the manual typewriter onto A3 paper and trying not to cut a large slit through the sheet when using the underline to produce a table.

    Typing limited company accounts without the use of typex as it was not allowed - pre photocopier.  I was a much much better typist than I am now!

    When the police contacted our boss to evacuate the building as there was a bomb threat in the Allied Irish Bank below being asked to put the stamps on the post before evacuating and pop it in the post box while I was outside.   And I did - try asking me something like that now!

    All while sitting in a haze of thick smoke...

Reply

  • At the old days...

    I did get sent home for wearing a divided skirt and told I looked much better in the little tight green one.

    Being told off when the boss asked me where I had misfiled the clients records and I responded honestly by saying it was on your desk.   The senior Secretary sternly told me you must always just agree and say you found it misfiled - WHY I still ask myself.

    pre-fax machines everything was always 'in the post'. 

    I can recall the first computer at work and we put up a sign for new recruits to ask for the anti-radiation visor - which was in fact a cricket helmet and we all used to snigger at the new recruit when they sat inputting data wearing a cricket hat.  We now have policies to protect unsuspecting new recruits - anti bullying!

    Typing speadsheets on the manual typewriter onto A3 paper and trying not to cut a large slit through the sheet when using the underline to produce a table.

    Typing limited company accounts without the use of typex as it was not allowed - pre photocopier.  I was a much much better typist than I am now!

    When the police contacted our boss to evacuate the building as there was a bomb threat in the Allied Irish Bank below being asked to put the stamps on the post before evacuating and pop it in the post box while I was outside.   And I did - try asking me something like that now!

    All while sitting in a haze of thick smoke...

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