The web site for ex employees of hmso
October 2005 — HMSO Old Boys
Download 310.37 Kb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- 23 October 2005 — From Pat Kennedy
- 26 October 2005 — From Jeanne Southgate
- 30 October 2005 — From Tom McNeill
- 3 November 2005 — From Stuart McLaren
- 4 November 2005 — Overwhelmed by the Boys in Blue and a Charles Clark lookalike
- 4 November 2005 — From Debs Green
- 6 November 2005 — From Gloria John Flynn
- 6 November 2005 — From Alex Smith
- 8 November 2005 — From Linda Lenton
- 10 November 2005 — Bob Allder (Ex St Stephen’s Parly Press)
- 23 November 2005 — From Bob Barnard
- 24 November 2005 — From Tony Gummett
- 24 November 2005 — What The Papers Say
- 28 November 2005 — Catherine Barton 1947-2005
- 2 December 2005 — From Nicola Secker
- 3 December 2005 — From Gordon Robbie
- 10 December 2005 — Bernard Thimont
- 18 December 2005 — Ron Sims remembers
- 20 Dec 2005 — Lavatorial matters from Howard Wheeldon
- 22 December 2005 — From Barry Palmer (in Canada)
13 October 2005 — HMSO Old Boys The annual lunch meeting of the somewhat disparate and (some might say) politically incorrect group known as HMSO Old Boys was held in October, with 23 in attendance.Tributes were paid to three members no longer with us: Archie Foote, Eric Hendry and Ken Gooderham. Our ‘father of the house’ Jim Turner (his first pram was purchased in 1911) is currently at home, recovering after being hospitalised. (Alex Smith tells me that Jim’s son has introduced him to the HMSOldies site, so if you are reading this Jim, all the best to you!) Other Seniors such as Les Birch and George Furn could still also teach the younger ones present some tricks. 23 October 2005 — From Pat Kennedy Dear Reg, Making my weekly visit to HMSOldies website in anticipation of your update, I came across my old friend Harry Teedon’s contribution [see Memories: Mixing with the Mighty] of some months ago in which he recalls attending a senior management seminar. He mentions that he and I were representing the staff side of HMSO and that I used to cycle up and down the Lancashire hills for exercise. Harry must be doting in his old age because it was the Yorkshire Dales and hills that I cycled up and down for exercise. Lancashire does not have any hills worth mentioning, apart from The Trough of Bowland between Clitheroe and Lancaster and a few bumps around Oldham approaching the Pennines. Your date for the senior management seminar held in 1969 was reasonably accurate: it was actually held shortly after my appointment on April Fool’s Day 1970 as the General Secretary Staff Side (GSSS not SSGS). I succeeded Harry in the post, who had served for three years 1967-70, during the hectic period of Dispersal from London to Norwich. Harry provided valuable continuity for the Staff Side by serving as the President of Staff Side for a further three years (1970-73). Regards, Pat Kennedy 26 October 2005 — From Jeanne Southgate I wonder if the Oldies website could give some publicity to the ‘Original Norwich Charity Christmas card shop’ which I (and nearly 100 other volunteers) are working in from now until Christmas? The ‘shop’ has been going since 1966 basing itself in whatever empty shop the volunteers could find and negotiate temporary residence with the owners. Last year it was Queen Street. We hope we’ve now found a permanent home in the Oliver Messell Gallery in the Assembly House (with support from local solicitors). The shop is open from now until 17 December from 10.00am until 6.00pm Monday to Saturday and from 11.00am to 4.00pm on Sunday. Over 20 charities — local and national — have their cards on sale. The shop is run totally by volunteers so 96% of the takings go to the charities. The newcomer in the business at the Forum does have paid staff we understand! Please come and buy — I’m on duty most Wednesday afternoons from 4pm. Jeanne. 30 October 2005 — From Tom McNeill Dear Reg, I have just heard of your site from Jim Richardson and like it a lot. It doesn’t half take me back reading of all those well known names. I was particularly interested to read that Andie Baptie, Ben Pearson, Alex Morris et al are still going strong. Keep up the good work. Best wishes, Tom McNeill (ex Edinburgh PP & Press and Manchester PP & Press). Hello Tom, How good to hear from you . . . I see Jim McDonald, Roy Plackett, George James, Alan Cole, and various other Print/Manchester worthies on occasions and will pass on your good words . . . I see from the Blue Book that you joined HMSO in October 1969. Where have those 36 years gone? All the best, Reg 3 November 2005 — From Stuart McLaren Dear Reg, Ever ready to blow my own trumpet and with Remembrance Sunday approaching, I thought I would let HMSOldies know that there is an article by me in the current issue of Norfolk Roots magazine about a young Norwich lad shot for desertion in 1917. Best wishes, Stuart McLaren 4 November 2005 — Overwhelmed by the Boys in Blue and a Charles Clark lookalike Hi Reg, I’ve just made one of my all-too-infrequent visits to the Oldies website, to catch up. Life has been busy for so many people, but no report from the Beer Festival yet. Spotted at Dunston Hall helping the police with their enquiries, Charles Clarke making his way up the corridor towards the gents, but unaccompanied by any security officers. Then I realised that it wasn’t our Home Secretary but a look-alike in the form of one Robin Chapman, JP, who was there in his capacity as a member of the county Police Authority. The entrance board at the redbrick pile just outside the southern bypass noted a ‘Senior Management Away Day’ which must have left Police HQ at Wymondham quite deserted (at least I hope so — there were more senior managers there than we ever had in HMSO). Respect for my dining companion, who also happens to be in the force in a much lesser capacity, prevents me from revealing what the Chief Constable had in her doggy bag. I hastened after the Laird of Diss and we had a quick natter: he is looking well, though perhaps more like CC than when he plodded the corridors of St Crispins, and with slightly more grey in the beard. But then if you were responsible for dispensing justice in these days of ASBOs your hair would probably turn grey — ah, no, it went beyond that years ago, didn’t it? Interesting to see John Flynn’s IA Christmas pictures as we were only talking about Audit Christmas dinners at the same lunch do. I recalled that Audit could only revisit a hostelry for a Christmas meal if the management had changed as they were routinely banned from every place they went. The upper picture shows Colin Wood’s team in Sovereign House rather than out on the booze. This was prior to the roof repairs which caused our evacuation: only the civil service could have had floods on the top floor of a six-storey building. (Reminds me, I must dig out my copy of ‘The Internal Audit Lament’ sometime.) I wonder who took the photo? Missing from the picture would be John Rowe and Larry Lewendon, and probably Alan Milburn. The young lady’s name escapes me as well, and I don’t think she was one of the secondees from the local accountancy firms that Colin thought would do us so well. Ian Billings 4 November 2005 — From Debs Green Hello Reg, A belated reply to Gordon Robbie’s paragraph about him being a particularly ‘big hitter’. As my dad once told me, when I told him that I had heard this rumour, ‘Yeh, but ask him whether he can hit it straight as well!’. Debs Green, nee Taylor (Mike Taylor’s daughter). 6 November 2005 — From Gloria & John Flynn Hello Reg, Enjoyed reading some of the latest bits. We are in between visits to the Costa del Lowestoft and Bournemouth tomorrow so will study further on return. The person in the IA photo whose name you could not remember was Jenny Helbich, and J.Vince Fitzgibbon was never, as far as I know, in IA. It seems when the bar of the White Lion was suffering from wet rot, Vince volunteered to be a permanent prop! Regards, Gloria and John Flynn. 6 November 2005 — From Alex Smith Dear Reg, Pleased to see that the Web Site is flourishing again and that you are getting some very interesting contributions. The number of hits from foreign parts is amazing and shows how your idea has blossomed. Keep up the good work. 8 November 2005 — From Linda Lenton Hi Reg, Just to let you know that the small group of ex HMSO Finance types will be meeting again on Monday 14 November, 8.30pm in the Glass House, Magdalen Street, Norwich. As always, everyone is welcome to join us. Regards, Linda. 10 November 2005 — Bob Allder (Ex St Stephen’s & Parly Press) Bob organises a Christmas Dinner for ex Press staff and any HMSOldie would be most welcome. This year’s dinner is on Friday 9 December 2005, 6pm for 6.30pm, at The Old Session’s House Clerkenwell Green, London EC1, £30 inclusive of wine and gratuities. Click here for more details or contact Bob Allder on 020 8599 5198. 23 November 2005 — From Bob Barnard Dear Reg, Sorry I have not emailed you before now to thank you for sight of the ‘Retirements 1976-1986’ article. One item which interested me in particular was the reference to Code 13 21 and Ray (Fish) Whiting ordering the same. (I don’t think he really liked being called Fish). This code of course refers to MG glazed toilet tissue, which, from memory was 24 gsm (grammes per square meter) with a bursting strength of 21 lbs per square inch weighing 12 ozs per roll and a minimum of 800 sheets per roll. In my day as the EO in charge of S3D, the Section responsible for ordering toilet rolls, Mrs Lacey was the CO placing all the orders after I had agreed the quantities but because of the size of the orders they had to be signed by the HEO WAG Garwood and subsequently Mary Eagles. We ordered about 6 million rolls a year for the whole of the Civil Service, the Armed Services and Hospitals from Kitty Brewster and Japa Paper Products and a small firm in Tottenham (Cresta Products). Ray didn’t order toilet rolls, he either processed the ad hoc tenders or arranged running contracts. I can still remember a lot of Supply Codes for tags laces, cellulose tapes web straps to name a few. I can also remember a good many service chargeable codes but never used them after leaving Supply in 1964. I’m preparing to lead a walk on Norwich over the Water but once this is out of the way I will get down to writing something about when I joined HMSO on 19 March 1951. Regards Bob 24 November 2005 — From Tony Gummett Dear Reg, Greatly delighted to find HMSOldies on the net, thanks to one of my daughters who discovered it. (She, incidentally, lives in Diss and has a friend — Jackie Starling — who says you were her SEO when she was employed in HMSO.) Found the references to many old colleagues I knew or ‘worked’ with during the years I spent in the Department (1951-1987) brought back many memories. I was saddened, however, to learn of the deaths that were mentioned — particularly that of my old friend Bob Carey. After he retired, we regularly exchanged ‘newsy’ Christmas greetings, and his message last year was as cheerful as ever. It will be with sadness that we will not be passing on each others news this Christmas. Bob Youl was another friend on my Christmas list who is no longer with us (he died several years ago). I am still living in the Ilford area (on my own since becoming a widower), but get up to London frequently and often pop into the Civil Service Club — keeping an eye out in case any of the old HMSO crowd might also have called in for a pint. I will have a trawl through through some of the old photos I have accumulated over the years, to see if I still have any that might be of interest to you. With all best wishes, Tony Gummett. 24 November 2005 — What The Papers Say Simon Hoggart’s column in 19 November’s Guardian contained the following item: ‘. . . a friend of mine has been trying to find the terror debate from last week in Hansard. But Hansard is now virtually privatised, a day’s record costs £5, and, she reports, the website is almost impossible to navigate. This leads her to wonder if the owners are looking for fresh ways to make us pay to learn what our elected representatives are saying. The old HMSO has been replaced by The Stationery Office, or TSO, which has this beguiling strapline, or mini-mission statement: ‘Managing and delivering your publications and websites and improving performance of your document supply chain.’ Aaargh!’ A follow-up letter claims that ‘Hansard can be accessed for free in those public libraries which subscribe to Hansard. Check the online catalogues and give them a call or email to check availability.’ The Eastern Daily Press dated 15 November 2005 featured ‘Tom Mackie. a Norfolk photographer, who takes pictures of landscapes you want to jump into. Now he is sharing some of the secrets of taking successful shots in a gorgeous new book (Landscape Photography Secrets published by David and Charles — £20 if you email dcdirect@davidandcharles.co.uk quoting code Y834). Tom, who was born in America, is known to HMSO for his work in producing the popular calendar featuring Norfolk Countryside. Roy Plackett — who used to play squash with him and has visited Tom’s exhibition at The Forum in Norwich — has pronounced the pictures ‘excellent’. 28 November 2005 — Catherine Barton 1947-2005 Chris Ladbrooke (Banner Business) has passed on the sad news, via Nicola Secker, that Catherine Barton — who joined HMSO in 1989 and originally worked in Finance — has died following a short illness. She was well known in later years in St Crispins, particularly as TUS Representative. She will be missed by her many colleagues. * * * * * 2 December 2005 — From Nicola Secker Dear Colleagues, Some of you might have heard by now about the sad death of Catherine Barton, who was the Union Secretary working alongside Mick Hardy in the days of HMSO. Catherine died suddenly last weekend after a short illness. Catherine worked tirelessly for the Union for many years and cared deeply about issues concerning her work colleagues. She was somebody who campaigned endlessly for the rights of others and was loyal and dedicated to the end. Her funeral is next Monday but this will be a private family occasion. The memorial service will be next Friday at All Saints Church at High Kelling at 11.30am. Most of her friends and colleagues will be attending. I will be going along. Anyone else who might like to go is welcome. Banner PCS is arranging some flowers to be sent to the Memorial Service as her daughter Sarah said she would love as many flowers as possible. If anyone would like to donate please let me know as I will be setting up a collection. Regards, Nicola Secker, Banner PCS Secretary, 01603 696995 2 Dec 2005 — Disclaimer Some of you will know that the Editor of this esteemed organ is a regular reader of The Guardian (Ich bin ein Berliner), and may have seen the article in the Diary column dated 2 December 2005. It seems that the diarist had successfully bid for a voting form for the impending Conservative Party leadership conteSt He wrote as follows: ‘Mild apathy greets our question: who should the Diary back after buying a Tory leadership ballot paper from eBay? The debate continues online at The Guardian’s politics blog, where we leave you with these words from a man called Reg: ‘Bloody voting, what good did that ever do for the country? Makes me want to puke. Sod off.’ Come on, now, of course it wasn’t me. I would never be that temperate. 3 December 2005 — From Gordon Robbie Gordon never tires in his efforts to educate the Southerners in whose midst he has lived for nearly 40 years. The following is the full text of his letter published in the Eastern Daily Press on Saturday 3 December 2005, (Ed). Sir, You have previously allowed the freedom of your columns to connoisseurs of the haggis and the week of St Andrews night seems a good time to return to the subject. I had the good fortune on the night of celebration to enjoy two prime beasts reared organically on the south facing slopes of Braeriach in the heart of the Cairngorms, where the longer exposure to summer suns concentrates the sugar and the tannins in the heather. This exceptionally rich grazing translates to a well-fleshed haggis with a marvellous sweetness combined with an impressively gamey depth of flavour — provided, of course, it has been properly hung. The quality on the plate of such animals reared virtually in the wild is appreciably better than farm reared haggis even to the untutored palate. Those with more discerning palates, however, will still debate the comparitive merits of animals from the famous Sron na Lairige herd, running only a few hundred metres from the Braeriach pastures but, of course, on the other side of the ridge and west facing. The difference made by this different orientation is quite marked but there is no less quality and the flavour is a matter of personal preference. The increased exposure to prevailing western winds sweeping in from the vastness of the Atlantic and the lochan-rich landscape of the Western Isles and Argyllshire, finally reaching the slopes of Sron na Lairige over the dark bog-fed depths of Loch Einich, gives a hint of saltiness and an unrivalled gentle hint of peat on the palate. These different characteristics should be, of course, be complemented by the whisky accompanying the meal. For a Sron na Lairige haggis, nothing is better than one of the gentler Islay malts, perhaps a 12-year-old Bunnahabhain or a 15-year-old Bruachladdich. I was lucky enough to find a rare special bottling of 1989 Miltonduff, a highland malt which proved an ideal foil for my Braeriach beasts — a feast fit for a king. It is highly gratifying that such splendid specimens as Braeriach haggis and some rarer bottlings of single malts are becoming increasingly available south of the border. Scotch whisky has already proved itself as a product which travels well across the world, and I would hope that organically reared, estate specific haggis are now treading the same path. Cheers, Gordon Robbie. 10 December 2005 — Bernard Thimont We are sad to report that Bernard Thimont died on 5 December after a short illness. He was Controller, HMSO, 1977-1980. The funeral will take place at Sacred Heart Church, Edge Hill, Wimbledon on Tuesday 13 December 2005. John Dole will attend on behalf of HMSO colleagues. Bernard leaves wife Joy and two children. Any donations, please, to Cancer Research. 18 December 2005 — Ron Sims remembers Ron joined HMSO in 1967, having entered Established Service, at 17, in 1940, with the inevitable break for war service. His wife Iris, according to old Information Circulars he has provided, joined as Unestablished Messenger on 7 July 1969 (she appeared in the same circular as AM Cole, Unestablished CO in Supplies, who joined on 21 July 1969). Iris was promoted to Paperkeeper, Finance, in September 1971. Meanwhile, Ron was EO in various posts, memorably in Accommodation, from which days he has several photographs of the construction of Sovereign House. He was also to the front of the queue when the pub on Cherry Lane, immediately opposite what is now St Crispins, was transformed from the Cherry Tree to the Golden Sovereign (see Picture Gallery). It was subsequently transformed further into Godards Tailors and is now Richer Sounds. Ron held his retirement there on 22 August 1983 20 Dec 2005 — Lavatorial matters from Howard Wheeldon Dear Reg, Bob Barnard’s recollections of his toilet paper purchasing exploits reminded me of an incident in the mid/late 1960s when I worked in S4d (and a young fresh faced pre-pubescent whippersnapper called Reginald Walker Esq. was apprenticed to/labouring in the vicinity of, one Stan Adams of Brooklands motor racing fame) and was asked by Norman Parker to reply to a letter of complaint re HMSO ‘Soft Tissue’ Toilet Paper received from a somewhat irate Matron responsible for a Maternity Ward in one of Her Majesty’s Hospitals. (Apparently Hospitals/Maternity Wards were among the somewhat select band of organisations allowed to purchase ‘soft’ toilet tissue as opposed to the standard carborundum impregnated rolls of Kevlar reinforced haemorrhoid removal ‘tissue’ issued to our more robust and insensitive customers.) The nature of her complaint was, to put it delicately, that the tissue was TOO soft, and frequently disintegrated during its application (hope you’re not reading this over your breakfast Guardian and bowl of nourishing Complan and finger lickin’ good KFC Chicken Nuggets?). Having contacted the good lady and ascertained that she was from the Irene Handl rather than the Hattie Jacques School of Matrons, I dutifully explained that it was HMSO policy to treat all complaints with expedition, respect, and a due measure of concern (those were the days . . . or has dementia finally struck?) but added — somewhat tongue in cheek — (forgive the pun) in order to undertake the necessary investigation, damaged/faulty goods had to be returned for the requisite investigations to be undertaken by HMSO Laboratory in order to identify the cause of failure etc . . . This she promised to do, and the nameless and shameless Clerical Officers of S4D gleefully scrambled to open the necessary Complaints File and decide on an acceptable and non-scabrous title. Several days later the expected package arrived and having exercised my managerial privileges as an EO, lots were drawn to identify which unfortunate Clerical Person would open the package and extract ‘EXHIBIT A’ even a Promotion Board Results letter was never opened more circumspectly and with a higher sense of anticipation! After much forensic probing with a Stock Issue Desk Knife, the contents were found to consist of a heartwarming covering letter thanking HMSO for its diligence and concern etc and a wad of obviously used soft toilet tissue, heavily stained with . . . brown shoe polish! Following ‘established procedures’, the Complaints File and its odiferous contents were expeditiously dispatched to the HMSO Lab, somewhere in the bowels (sorry) of the Department for the faulty goods to be tested on the legendary Toilet Paper Testing Rig, which rumour had it, tested the tensile strength of damp toilet paper (a task undertaken by singularly incompetent/incontinent Lab staff approaching retirement in the event of the Rig malfunctioning). Why S4D became involved with Toilet Tissue issues, and how this particular problem was resolved — apart from the privatisation of our hospitals — I never did discover, but I do remember that Norman Parker was a trifle concerned at what David Robert’s reaction would be when, as was his wont, he undertook his weekly perusal of all correspondence dispatched from his fiefdom and he scrutinized our rather lighthearted correspondence. Perhaps that is why I was transferred to the Central Computer Bureau shortly thereafter — an institution that, in view of the number of re-runs of HMSO invoices etc, had no need of soft toilet tissue or toilet tissue of any description. Regards and tastelessly yours, Howard Wheeldon Howard, Wonderful stuff! I have just left a Pub (surprised or what?) which contained AM Cole and IG Williamson (nee Bond) who were both also EOs in S4 — IGW was also a bog-standard EO. By the way, nice note recently from Mrs Bill Wickham (Maureen) who says the old fella is in good form. And I understand that ND Parker is still alive, well, and looking for his next commission in the Cotswolds Submariners. DN Roberts is an avid reader of HMSOldies so I hope for some response. Reg 22 December 2005 — From Barry Palmer (in Canada) Merry Christmas to all my friends and acquaintances whom I have had the joy to come into contact with in 2005. It has been a good year and a bad year, good because I have renewed friendships with old friends (Mike, Jan and Philip), found a new friend (Reg), met an old friend from the very start of my printing career (Jan) but not so good because we are apart at Christmas. Hopefully one year in the not too distant future this may change. Sorry I can’t offer you fireworks or scantily clad young ladies but have a great Christmas and a very good New Year. Should any of you ever manage to fly, sail or swim the pond there will always be a warm welcome waiting for you (Mike, Philip and Reg) and Jan can always hop in the car. I will try to be more eloquent and more frequent with my dissertations in the future. Barry Palmer (and family) Thank you for your kind words and Seasonal Greetings, heartily reciprocated from Norwich (I will be staying here over the next week with wife, children and granddaughter). As you suggest, one of the great pleasures of HMSOldies is the renewal and initiation of contacts. You never know — we may meet one day. All best wishes, Reg Directory: uploaded files uploaded files -> Mr. Donald S. Moss Du Quoin Community Unit District 300 Educational Foundation 2011 Excellence in Achievement Award uploaded files -> Professional experience uploaded files -> 1996 atlanta olympic games sailing competition 470 women uploaded files -> Etchells Fleet 4 Perpetual Trophies uploaded files -> Etchells Fleet 4 Perpetual Trophies uploaded files -> International Journal of Enhanced Research Publications, issn: 2319-7471 uploaded files -> Sberbank information (materials) uploaded files -> Review on Wireless Sensor Network Techniques for Security in Railways uploaded files -> Design and Implementation of Home Energy Management System Based on gsm network uploaded files -> School Strategic Plan for Puckapunyal P. S Download 310.37 Kb. Share with your friends:
|