The web site for ex employees of hmso


March 2005 — Eastern Daily Press article by Cat Bartman



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5 March 2005 — Eastern Daily Press article by Cat Bartman
HMSO WORKERS CAN NOW REUNITE ONLINE
If you want to find out what that person you fancied in school is up to now, you usually just tap away on Friends Reunited. But what about if you worked at one particular office block in Norwich? Now everyone and anyone who was involved with Her Majesty’s Stationery Office (HMSO) in the city will be able to log on and track down their long-lost friends and colleagues, whether they were employees, contractors, suppliers or customers.
The government department was established in 1786 to procure stationery ‘with economy, efficiency and the curbing of private gain’ and was originally staffed with 15 men, two women, two horses and a cart. When its headquarters moved from London to Norwich in 1968, there were more than 7000 staff nationwide. The ground around Botolph Street was cleared to build the now disused Sovereign House as the HMSO headquarters.
During the 210 years of its existence, more than 100,000 people were employed by the organisation, which was privatised, in 1996, with up to 3000 of them in Norwich at one point. Around 540 staff opted for early retirement or voluntary redundancy in a reorganisation of the firm before privatisation. The website — www.HMSOldies.co.uk — contains information about what people are doing and where they are, as well as old articles from the circulars, and photographs.
Reg Walker, the website editor, who was director of customer care when he took redundancy in 1996, said: ‘Before we were privatised, we used to have an information circular which told everyone about who was getting married; who was leaving the department, and someone said, ‘Why don’t we do this on the web?’
‘We mulled it over and there seemed to be a lot of local interest It’s like a Friends Reunited for an office block.
‘It’s just passing on information. When you get into your 5Os or 60s, you wonder what happened to people. Most of us are retired and it’s a means of passing on information and reminiscing.
‘It will appeal to people not only from Norwich but around the country,’ said 58-year-old Mr Walker, from Norwich, one of about 1000 people who moved up from London. ‘I would never have met my wife, if I hadn’t moved up here. A lot of us didn’t know anything about Norfolk. We found what a lovely place it was to live in. It was a lovely place to work, very friendly. Almost nobody moved back to London.
‘There are still people who work in the privatised part of it who are interested in what it was like in the beginning,’ he added.
In 1966, staff were even given the chance to vote on where the headquarters should move to, with Norwich beating off competition from Swindon and Basingstoke.
© Archant Ltd, Eastern Counties Newspapers


Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 March 2005 — Diary
What’s this? Weekend overtime? Surely this is only authorised for annual stocktaking (‘I’ve got Orsman Road. Oh bliss!’) or when somebody up the line had really got it in the neck from HM Treasury? No, it seems to be ‘Smothering Sunday’ (that’s what my 1986 HMSO pocket diary says: (you remember the 1986 — the one with 16 March twice?) so I am hiding from the washing-up. If I ever find out who it is that does all that cooking I’ll have them out of this house as quickly as Brian Ekers out of a Quality Council. But for now, more Dispatches. Back from the Front:
First off the blocks, and especially to spike the guns of the ‘it’s all for you lot up Norwich’ brigade, the shouts of ‘Letsby Avenue’ seem to have reached the Hermitages of France, John Elderton and Margery Kraszewski send warm regards. If I were to say that, when I was in Supplies, John gave me infinite challenges as S13c, and Margery gave me infinite points in our lunchtime game of HMSO Surname Scrabble, you would say that I was far too emotional to continue this Sunday overtime and should report to E. on Monday morning. Shan’t. I get my pension from some ninth-hand sell-on from the Paymaster General’s Office, so it could take twenty years to get me sacked from this job.
Sorry, John and Margery. How dare I use your space for all this rubbish. Start again. If I can find the delete you won’t even know. No wonder you went to France.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch. Margery was kind enough to say that ‘John and I just spent a nostalgic time going through the pictures and other memorabilia — so many names that took us back in time. We have just celebrated our tenth anniversary of living in France, and we have enjoyed every minute of it . . . we recently saw a letter in French News from one Roy Arscott.’ (the same Musical Mundesley Roy Arscott, who joined HMSO in 1970 and spent time in Basildon, PS Training and Pubns? — Enough clues?) ‘We are going to Australia soon to visit our families in Perth and Sydney . . . and return at the end of April . . . thank you again.’
John Flynn (another Supplies survivor) writes from Norwich ‘. . . what a good idea and a good website . . . ran into Phil Storey a few days ago (Phil was in Supplies for years around the ‘60s-’70s and still rushes around in his braces and his ‘80s). We are off to Kentucky shortly and will contribute when I return’.
Talking of Supplies, Frank Lynch was there (you remember him — mean, moody, and something else beginning with M. Miserable, that was it. If the tea trolley ran out of lemon, they got him round to frown at the milk), and then there was that beautiful, young, free ray of sunshine among the clouds of F4c2ac(t/ac), Rosemary Lynch (surely they are not related?). They sent kind words and sightings of Muriel and Roy Keavney in Lanzarote Airport in January (surely Robin Kelly could have found them a Security job nearer home?). The last time I saw their daughter, Samantha Lynch — now Watson, her husband, being the Holmes to her — oh good grief I can’t find my way out of this. Come on Ian, you’re 35 now. Surely you can come up with a punchline. Just think of Durkin. (Enough to make you want to punch anything.)
Back to sanity. David Roberts (mainly Supplies in the 1960s/70s but a long and varied career) promised to send news of the site to former colleagues abroad. He also sent in the most wonderful reminiscence of his work with HMSO in the late 40s-early 50s. When we print it, everyone is in for a real treat. He paints a picture of Post War HMSO to which we can all add our own colours. Lovely.
Enough of being nice. Who can I have a go at? Eric Bone (my 1968 Staff List squeezes him between Noel Warr and Stan Thompson — they were all boys from CS in those pre-decimal days) comes unbidden to front of tabs. His first email was courteous and just testing the ground. Old pro that he is, he waited for my rejoinder, and blasted me with a series of seriously libellous ideas (all of which will be taken up, even if we have to go to a Dutch ISP, for sure). The ‘HMSOldies List of the Shortest Books In the World’ (eg ‘The Peter Macdonald Guide to Giving Up.’ Karen! Where are my fags? Karen!’ (Sorry, I made that up. Eric’s were much worse). Seriously, though — and one I like personally — is ‘Affectionate Obits’ (Memories of the lamented departed). Robust souls such as Joe Delaney, Stan Smith might be candidates (among many HMSO-wide) but we need to be aware of sensibilities.
So who does that leave us? Dave Crump sent a lovely message. Memories of his double-act with the late SA (Digger) Dungate on the Fat Training Course (well, it made me fat) then a name from years ago — John Morgan who was very complimentary and added ‘it was SO Review 1979-82 that started me out on what has since passed for a . . .journalistic career . . .(John was in various locations from Pubns through Supply to Training 1975-82, and sometime Staff Side DGS. Now hiding in Cromer).
Malcolm Dunsdon (E&E Norwich; Edinburgh; Supply Machinery; PMA2A, P&T Bookshop replacing Gerry Gold (who, incidentally, was born in 1918. Now that was a job). Currently with Norwich Union as UK Health and Safety Manager, and still has to visit St Crispins occasionally (if my spare teeth are still on fifth floor, trap two . . .). Nice reunion to coincide with the birthday of Bill Scott (forget the teeth — Bill will have pawned them to buy a round). Good to see John Wild, Olive Monton, Keith Smith, and the ever-young John Galley. Malcolm’s current NU colleagues include Ann Clancy, Sheila Crowe, Pauline Kirkpatrick, Penny Poole, and others who have paid to remain anonymous.
Connie Burgess (with whom she worked in PS with her late husband Don) is still involved with the local Women’s Institute, and gets all her Glad-to-be-Gonners news from John and Ann Eason. Come on, we can do better than that for her. Who wants stories based around Mansfield FC, Milwall, and the fact we can’t get a decent pie for lunch? Alright, it’s John. And me. Without Manswall and Milfield or who?
Marguerite Finn has given me more pleasure standing up fully dressed than any cultured Irish person would ever admit, and has ‘LOADS of HMSO photos, all of which she will send me, and most of which could embarrass plenty of you. Blackmail is a dirty word. Let’s call it Soap. That’s a clean word. Sorry, it’s getting late. Last one coming up.
Advertising. Thorny chap that. Do we or don’t we. My opinion (and I see nobody looking over my shoulder) is that if somebody is doing it for a decent cause, and I don’t personally despise the ground on which they sashay, then why not?
So Ivor R Hosgood (PP, Music etc) is first under the net as follows, mainly because he is a decent soul, the cause is good, and he wrote a literate note with which I didn’t have to mess about. Viz.:

I’ll take you where the music’s playing.

The book will be launched with a Champagne party at my home on Sunday 10 July at noon. Copies will also be available by poSt Its 256 page content is a mix of autobiography and essay and includes contributions from the Poet Laureate, four more poets, and three Churchmen. All have East Anglian connections. The East Anglian poems from the estate of John Betjeman are also included. There is also an 80 minute compact disc containing some of my favourite music. Production costs have been generously donated by Xerox (UK) Ltd. and all proceeds from the sale will be donated to The Norfolk Youth Music Trust — a registered charity with origins going back to 1977. The cost is £10.95 (only £9.95 for all orders placed on or before 10 July 2005) plus packing and postage where applicable. Please contact: Ivor R Hosgood, The Norfolk Youth Music Trust, Wahnfried, 4 Church Close, Buxton, Norwich, NR10 5ER. Tel/Fax 01603 279742.


Thought for the Day: Brevity is the soul of wit.


7-9 March 2005 — Diary
First of all, just because my name is on the site, it doesn’t mean that the credit for its creation is mine. It isn’t. Honours go to Robert Stutely and Philip Marriage. As usual I came along late, didn’t put into the kitty but went home with the raffle prize.
One of our technical experts, although delighted with offers of pictures, has asked me to say that if people want to provide good scans on CD rather than releasing their valuable original photographs, then this saves ages over sending them as Email attachments and downloading them. I am told that a good standard is 300dpi, with each picture 9 inches wide or 9 inches deep. Don’t let that put you off copying pictures to me in the usual way if that is all you have at your disposal. Personally, the only thing I have tried to copy to CD is Ellington at Newport 1956. The result was more like a famous work by John Cage.
We mentioned the sad loss of Bob Carey on 14 February. Bob’s grandson, Stuart, has written to ask us ‘to please pass on our thanks to all those who sent messages of condolence and those who attended the funeral on 14 February.’
This week I had the great pleasure of entering St Crispins (a pleasure I ration — there is more noise in the Co-op funeral parlour, and I find it unnerving compared with the old days when Tony Smith, Stan Smith and Dick Smith (among many other Smiths) could be heard crooning softly into their stenographs. Anyway, Robin Kelly presented me with the original Sovereign Staff Club Visitors’ Book for 1973. The names bring back some memories. More of this later. Can I tempt you with CH ‘Frankie’ Day?
I will continue to include the names of people who write in (after all, that’s what it’s all about) but in an effort to get the entries down quickly, I will summarise. Vic Kefford is a name from the past Although he started in Atlantic House in 1966, he went to CSD in 1972. He remembers many of the HMSO cricketers we pictured, and supplied a photo.
I received a lovely note from somebody I have never met. Angie Rennie, of Norwich, wrote to say that her mother used to live at 152 St George’s Street, and our photo of the Sovereign House site brought back many happy memories. I know that Stan Smithson, one of the early messengers, used to live in what became the MS2/1 and MS2/2 room on the first floor. Sometimes we would wake up in the afternoon and swore his old mum was rattling the dolly against the copper. Or was that Frank Payne trying to get us to work? Christine Hawthorn (still with tSO) was enthusiastic, as were Peter McAuley (ex Pubns Belfast, now doing well in DHSS (NI). And Maureen Wickham, who I first remember in Cornwall House Registry in 1963 (alas, she didn’t know I was there in ITW1c, and only had eyes for the urbane Bill Wickham of the prestigious A4d section. Bill finished his office life in CCTA and Maureen in MOD. They have lived in Buxton, Norfolk, for many years. Chris Ladbrooke still works in Banner (Office2Office they want me to call it now. What next — Lymeswold?) with Julian Favell, Jason Groves, Karen Nash (what news of father-in-law John Nash, the man with Isle of Wight engraved on his bunion?). Chris recalls happy days in The Golden Star (why does no-one recall happy days in Quality Council?) and tells me that Jane Helgerson is working in NCC Library and Jeremy Goodchild is back from Argentina (grief, even I didn’t know that the Director of Business Supplies had the authority to deport). A nice picture from Duncan Dawdry (also still with Lymeswold — sorry o2o) which will cause some head-scratching. We might even use it as a game of Pelmanism — match the pairs (it’s a BS Sales Conference, so could be any number of combinations). Jo Flint stopped handling our sick records in 1995 and now contents herself with cruises. If we had all been sent on cruises, we might not have been sick so often. Another professional websiter (and philatelist, along with Larry Lewendon and Chris Southgate) wrote in — Ian Billings. I think I may have been overtired (George Brown, 1965) when I replied to Jill Speed of the PC. Something about Nine Elms Lane makes me all wobbly. Sorry. Thanks. John Hopping also sent me rushing for the tablets (nothing to do with his role in CPSA) when he mentioned Maurice Patrick Shipp Epstein. Paddy to his victims (as he liked to call them on Pay Duty, Atlantic House. He is 90 this year, I hope. John also intrigued by saying that a book entitled Random Abstract Memories contains a chapter about HMSO and various staff. It is by Hattie Hayridge, comedian who also played the part of Holly in the TV programme Red Dwarf. She was Carol Bayford when she worked with HMSO.
Ron Sims was always Ron Sims, as his wife Iris and daughter Hilary Goreham would atteSt He has just had Papworth heart surgery, but is a tough old stick and will be about to keep me minding my manners for years to come. Malcolm Jones (Bristol) and Joy Kinsley (Finance) have made contact, and Paul Radbourne has been back to say that his old Supply colleagues Trevor New and Dave Jones are working in a poultry firm and a Diss florist’s respectively. I hope its OK to say this, and they are not under a Witness protection programme following the great Tea Trolley Scandal of 1993 . . . Julia Martin worked in Supplies Machinery Maintenance once. She became a Quality Manager and left during the reign of Tactica. Jane Henderson (o2o Quality Manager) told her about the site, and she writes to say how she is enjoying her job working for Meltemi Clothing, Bowthorpe. She keeps contact with Ann Eason. Also a note from Michelle Favell (nee Coman) who mentions various people she worked with in a favourable light, not least Isobel Williamson and, incredibly, Denis Moloney. Can’t wait to tell his boss at Neopost — that’ll destroy his hard-man credibility. She and her husband Julian (working with o2o) have a six year old son. Finally, a compliment from Fred Stubbs (GD). I like it when a GD/IT professional says something good. When I was ‘working’ it was always followed by the word ‘but’.


11 March 2005 — Peter Matthews
We are sad to report that Peter Matthews died at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on Friday 4 March 2005. He was 57, and joined HMSO in February 1969. He worked in Print Procurement. There is a Service of Thanksgiving at Trinity Church, Thorpe Marriott on Friday 18 March at 2.15 p.m. All are welcome.


10-12 March 2005 — Diary
And still they come. I don’t pretend to understand these analytical websites which log how many pages have been ‘hit’ over the past week (sounds more Sopranos than Software) but the site we use claims that there have been 8083. A proportion of accessees (alright, so why can’t I make up words? Everybody else seems to. ‘I texted him a message’ Did you ever hear such slovenly talk? Whatever would Mrs Rust have said?) seems to have only accessed one single page, which suggests one or more of three things: (a) people logged on by mistake — possibly looking for a pornographic site allied to a different sort of Oldie; (b) they had a quick look and thought that the ‘Welcome’ page was too trivial for them to look further (goodbye Ken; goodbye Brian); or (c) they were not paying attention when their five year old grandson told them how to use the computer (‘damned nonsense gadget-overblown adding machine — only got it so your grandmother could use it to play patience’) and think that the first page is the only page. That’s alright then — I’ve turned off most of the audience now, so it doesn’t matter what follows. Just like the old Monthly Reports.
In no particular order, I have had another note from Fred Stubbs (GD) who writes ‘along with John Rumball and Duncan McEwan and others, I am a member of the John Jarrold Printing Museum. We have just announced a web page ‘http://www.johnjarroldprintingmuseum.org.uk/’ which is a link with HMSO, as one of HMSO’s Linotype machines is on display and many books have been donated by HMSO.’ Michelle Favell (Isobel is pleased you still have the duck) writes again to remind us of the differences between our old Public Service grind and the land of milk and honey which embraces the lives of Astron/tSO/o2o/Lymeswold workers ‘Last year I was lucky enough to accompany my husband Julian to Dubai, along with various other employees who won their places . . . I have deleted the names to protect the ecstatically happy. I once won a place to spend a month in Park Royal warehouse, and if it wasn’t for a kindly old cleaner who let me out and gave me the tube fare home, I would be there yet. God bless you, Tom Kingsley.
Another repeat correspondent (just how much do I have to insult them before they lay off?) Ian Billings puts me to shame — an easy target, I know — with his two websites and his determination to continue working post-HMSO . . . ‘some weeks as a relief postman in the village, followed by a six month contract at Shipdham Post Office delivering by van to outlying farms and villages etc.’(This is a local postal service for local people. We’ll have no trouble here). ‘After that I had some intermittent delivery work for an agricultural oil depot in Dereham, delivering as far away as south of Ipswich to Wisbech and Spalding. Then, when Tesco started delivery from Dereham, I did 21 hours a week delivering to single mothers in Sheringham, pensioners in Wells, and plutocrats in big houses all over the area in between; also to shift workers and holidaymakers who were trying to find their cottages at the same time as I was. Oh, the fun! . . . in the end I got fed up with bad management and left.’ So, Jim, there is useful life beyond Management Accountancy, but not as we know it. By the way, Eric Bone’s HMSO’s Shortest Books’ idea is taking momentum, I’m afraid, but nothing publishable yet. Who do you think I am — Kenneth Tynan? Speaking of which — and this has just occurred to me — did you see that article in the paper recently where Ash Attallah (comedy scriptwriter, The Office etc) casually asked his readers to meet him in a certain Pizza Express in London. Loads turned up. Should we do that? Any ideas of location? My first choice is Café en Seine, Dawson Street, Dublin. Despite the name, it’s a real Dublin pub and big enough to take — oh, 250 of us? So both of us, you and me dear reader, should have no trouble getting in. But I digress.
John Fox took the trouble to write to me on his 51st birthday. He worked in PP (MOD section) and is at present Commodity Buyer for Jaguar/Land Rover. John Grundy ‘started in Publications in February 1993 as part of John Smith’s sales force, leaving tSO in August 1998 . . . a colleague at the time was Mike Chevins, Bookshop Co-ordinator, and I currently work with him again at Shropdoc Out-of-Hours Medical Company in Shrewsbury.’ Geoff Woods also worked in Pubns, in the Controller’s Library in Norwich. He is now devoting his time to stained glass work (the occasional owl motif, perhaps?) but life has not been all tinted frames: he is just back from a cruise in the West Indies. My dear, the heat! The steel drums! The lack of decent beer! Only one Macdonalds to choose from! All that rum, fish, cigars, erotic dancing. Glad to be back, I can tell you. Sorry, Geoff. I don’t get out much. John Hopping is back again with his reminiscences of Pubns names (are ex-Pubns people the only ones with computers/electricity/time to spare?). Hats off for P9, Cornwall House. George Finch, Dennis Smith, Jack Daly DFC, DFM, Will Halloran, Brian Minett, Bill Stowe. And another Cornwall House hand, Les Crawford (from Mech, to Manager, OMTS) says hello. Hello Les, the only surviving M/OMTS. Got any WD40 and Swarfega to swap for a ream of copy paper and box of biros?
Away from the London-Norwich corridor, praise be, with a note from Malcolm Jones (‘Bristol . . . outstaying Malcolm McNeill, Sandy McCabe, and probably my welcome as well. Before that I had been ten years in Norwich after joining at Harrow Press and moving to Atlantic House in preparation for dispersal.’ And finally — a welcome note from a current St Crispins employee who I remember from golden times in that building. I will respect his anonymity, but Anthony (not his real name), you know who you are. And I will pay top rate for Certain Photographs which I know to be in your possession. Why should Richard Desmond have all the good stuff?
And, to what I am sure must be intense relief to all who worked with him, John Cripps (world class athlete first, Accountant second) reports that he is ‘just as good-looking and modest as ever.’ Phew.
Note to Webmaster: with all the padding, I make it just over 1000 words. Can I go home now?


13-26 March 2005 — Diary
We cover the Waterfront. At least, the waterfront from Melton to Melbourne, from North Walsham to North Wales. So much easier than sending a letter (especially now they have shut half of the Post Offices. Grumpy old men? Grumpy old women? They ain’t seen nothing yet).
First of all, sad news I’m afraid. Over the years, many of us dealt with the select band of Government Reprographic Managers. Some may have been present at the retirement of the larger-than-life Tom Daniels at DSS, Elephant and Castle, 18 or so years ago. Tom was resplendent, as ever, in bow-tie and Vauxhall Car Society badge, and the retirement party lasted all afternoon, overspilling into the Firkin over the road. Sadly, Olga Daniels telephoned Peter Colman (ex DTI Rep Manager) and Les Crawford (the last surviving M/OMTS) to say that Tom died suddenly on the evening of Friday 18 March. He will be sadly missed at the annual reunions still held in The Ship, Borough, London SE1.
Back to the working classes. Sorry, back to the classy workers. Terry McCrum is one of the three McCrums left in St Crispins (will they never find their way out?). At one time there were five. There would have been six, but he couldn’t persuade Robin Kelly to hire their dog as Security. Anyway, Terry still receives copies of FOCUS (‘the most widely-read MOD publication . . . 67% of the service and civilian personnel . . . read the newspaper, which targets readers across the forces and defence Civil Service’). Page 22 of the March 2005 issue contains a review of a book entitled The Civil Service Rifles in the Great War: All Bloody Gentlemen by Jill Knight. Published by Pen and Sword, £19.99. John Pitt-Brooke’s review refers to the ‘Territorial Army Regiment made up of gentlemen in the clerical establishments of HM Government Offices’ and includes the following paragraph: ‘ . . . the regiment found itself in Palestine, fighting the Turks for control of Jerusalem. Sergeant ‘Bulldog’ Harris (of the Stationery Office, no less) died leading a counter-attack with bayonets under severe shell fire against superior Turkish force . . .’ Anyone with more information on this HMSO hero is eagerly invited to submit. Are you out there Neil?
Steve Adcock joined HMSO in 1970. RS2b. Must have been one of Norman Parker’s lads. Or one of Vi Wilson’s. Then he went to Finance. Then he went to South Norfolk District Council. Then in 2004 he got married (my mum always said everything good is worth waiting for. I’m still waiting for my 1951 Festival of Britain badge, but that is an entirely different story). Then Toni Warden (also ex HMSO Supplies) told him about HMSOldies, so now you know what he is up to. Easy. Why doesn’t everybody do it? (No correspondence will be entered into by the management etc.) Well done Steve. Debs Green worked in HMSO. 1985-88, Publications. Some of you might have known her as a Taylor. Clue: daughter of a London-exile printer — she was the one without the pipe and golfclubs. Now with the Norwich Prison Service, so I hope we never meet up professionally. Is writing rubbish on a website an imprisonable crime yet?
Janice Sowerbutts joined the SPICE (Supplies Project for the Improvement of Clerical Efficiency or some such strangulated acronym) as Janice Colk in 1978. She is currently living in North Walsham with two young sons and sees Sue Ellis, Adrienne May, Roma Fairweather and others wandering the streets of North Norfolk. She remembers Brian Cockram. Which is more than he does (sorry, Brian. Was it you who came to work with one black shoe and one brown shoe, ‘having got dressed in the dark’? Those were the days — when you could afford two pairs of shoes).
Helen George joined HMSO Supplies Machinery as Helen Bryant in 1987. She rejoined OGC (the latest but by no means last acronym for CCTA) once weapons of mass destruction were found in HMSO in 1996, as did Fran Pomlett, Tony Brown, Rob Chapman. Kevin White is now Senior British Officer there (I remember having a glass of Burgundy with his mother-in-law in the wine bar under Hepworth’s in Gentleman’s Walk. Now that was a year or two ago). Helen is currently off on sick leave for several months, but still sees Gordon Harrison (84 and proud to be so) Jane Burgis (48 and wishes it was so), Sue Whitaker (just how many photographs can you get onto an A4 election leaflet?) Janet Grimes (moved to Swainsthorpe and still ringing those bells), Geoff Sinden (is he still on the egg round?). But doesn’t see anything of old ADS1 Rod Durkin (60 on 19 March 2005) so things aren’t all bad.
You thought I was making it up about Melbourne? Mary Robinson has lived in Airport West, ten minutes from Tullamarine Airport, for 15 years, close to her youngest son Paul. My 1968 Staff List shows her as a Typist Grade 1, in the same list as Miss P Gordon-Foxwell and Mrs E Regens but (then) yet to aspire to the heights of Mrs MK Lansdell (Grade I) and Miss R Hutson (Grade II). Mary finished as CST in Norwich and still keeps in touch with Beryl Deane, Jean Wilkin, Diane Johnstone. She has also seen Derick Moore and his wife when they were on an Australian visit, and is due to return to England for 8 weeks on 15 June, so watch out for her wandering the streets (she is a practised Outback walker) looking for somebody to take into the Golden Star for a few stubbies and a grilling on what’s happening here these days. Perhaps we could employ George Rokahr as a bagpiping kissogram?
Several contacts, some of whom (including Brian Puplett and Phil Leach) we have turned into short biographies in the ‘People’ section. All contributions are welcome. Why not incorporate a subtle advertisement for your latest concert, invention, election onto Big Brother or court appearance?
Paul Radbourne is keen to organise a Norwich reunion — Golden Star? — and is, by the way, complimentary about his two Supplies division EOs Sue Ellis and Sue Lea.
Hugh Chatterton joined HMSO Publications Division in Nine Elms in 1990 and left tSO in December 2004. He wonders whether the site was open to post-privatisation staff. Certainly — we are always interested to know what the new buyers have done with the old house (thrown out the Adam fireplace and replaced it with Ikea; put decking over the Palladian mosaic in the back yard etc). Bob Barnard (school of ‘51; Publications and Belfast among other posts) was complimentary about HMSOldies — ‘just what is needed.’ He is in touch with E Sidney Brooks (school of ‘46; Post and Trade before the move to Nine Elms and in charge of the original team which included Leon de Brunner (who moved to DTI) Gavin Turner (who became Director of Furniture) and John Tunbridge (who left for the Court Service).
Brian Puplett passes on the sad news that Peter Crisp (OMTS testing section) has died. Brian saw Doug Stimpson and Dave Cousins, at the funeral in Kent.



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