Yes, David B, I worked at Gestetners for two years, 1967-69. In fact I was working there when I got married. Don't remember any of the shenanakins that you refered to though colleagues did make a fuss of you when there was a wedding, infact I still have some of the bits and pieces that were made for me. I worked in the wages office and remember that our supervisor was called Miss Trett, no first name terms in those days. I have fond memories of the tea trolley coming round, much better than any machine and the dripping sandwiches were brilliant, don't think cholestrol had been discovered. Tottenham Hale is now just another retail park. Generations of my family worked at Dickenson, close to Gestetner. I believe that the Alexander Cafe may still be there. Unfortunately, these factories disappeared when Britain ceased to be a manufacturing country and the national pass time became shopping!!

David,

We definitely had page 3 girls in the Sun in the 1970's, not only that but one such page 3 girl was an Edmonton lass who occasionally
frequented the Exhibition with her mother. I can't recall her name now but on her debut in the Sun they came into the pub the day her picture appeared on page 3 to ensure that all the regulars saw it, her mum was very proud of her.

I recall Gestetner at Tottenham Hale, one of the massive local industry sites. I guess it folded because it couldn't compete with Xerox
initially and then the coming of the computer age.

Brian


QT - davidb wrote:

Haven't posted for quite a while, life takes a few right angles
at times. I just looked in (I did from time to time) and saw
mention of the old IBM punch card machine. Brought back
memories, I started in IT working for Gestetner in Tottenham,
round by the Hale. The punch room was staffed totally by girls -
men would not last long in there - and the supervisor was called
Pam in my day. It was a rowdy place not for the faint-hearted
but the cards got punched.

When one of them got married she was given a 'Marriage Book'
which were pornographic (it was the 1970s and I don't think the
Sun had Page 3 girls then did they?), they generally had a
condom inside.

But, as mentioned the unused punch card was the finest note pad
yet developed by man, fitted neatly into the pocket, was durable
and about the right size for a note. Sad day when the Punch Room
disappeared.

Did anyone else on this site ever work for Gestetners?? Odd
place by today's standards.

Haven't posted for quite a while, life takes a few right angles at times. I just looked in (I did from time to time) and saw mention of the old IBM punch card machine. Brought back memories, I started in IT working for Gestetner in Tottenham, round by the Hale. The punch room was staffed totally by girls - men would not last long in there - and the supervisor was called Pam in my day. It was a rowdy place not for the faint-hearted but the cards got punched.

When one of them got married she was given a 'Marriage Book' which were pornographic (it was the 1970s and I don't think the Sun had Page 3 girls then did they?), they generally had a condom inside.

But, as mentioned the unused punch card was the finest note pad yet developed by man, fitted neatly into the pocket, was durable and about the right size for a note. Sad day when the Punch Room disappeared.

Did anyone else on this site ever work for Gestetners?? Odd place by today's standards.

Regarding Howard Hall,thanks for info,photo was great.Its good the building hasnt been pulled down.
  Rgds Carol

Wetherspoons was "The Howard Hall" Now called The Picture Palace.

http://tinyurl.com/yjl49hd

http://tinyurl.com/ybrbvx3

Alan.

The Howard Hall is now a Wetherspoons,so we must not grumble about that.

7168, not sure about Howard Hall Carol, maybe someone else can come in on this, but wasnt Howard Hall changed into a Wetherspoons, I have eaten there recently but cant remember what it was before either Howard Hall or a cinema? picture palace springs to mind.

DAVID - forgot to also mention Nigel Firth had a younger brother at TGS, too. His name was Eddie. Both highly intelligent lads but I think Nigel was the brainiac of the family - he even had a small laboratory for his use at the rear of his parents home. I believe Nigel went on to either Oxford or Cambridge University after being a pupil at Harrow Public School but not entirely sure about that. Sorry we lost contact once Nigel left TGS. Do you have any further info as to his current whereabouts?

DAVID PAYNE - well, I was at TGS too with Nigel Firth. We started at the school in September 1951. Nigel left around 1953 to go to Harrow. Yes, his father did have a medical practice in South Street. Wonderful family.

Thanks Margeret,i will let you know how i get on,and what i think of the place.Not been there for a long time.Is Howard hall still there, my husband played in a group there when Spurs won the cup, I have a photo of the cup on the stage.

Rgds Carol

Thanks Margeret,i ll let you know how i get on,and what i think of the area not been there for a long time.�A;�A;�A;Rgds Carol�A;�A;�A;-----Original Message-----�A;From: QT - margaret baker <qtopic-17-wvHV7HBtyqae@quicktopic.com>�A;To: QT topic subscribers <qtopic-subs@quicktopic.com>�A;Sent: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 10:04�A;Subject: lower-edmonton.co.uk�A;�A;�A;�A;�A;�A;�A;�A;--QT-------------------------------------------------------------�A; Reply by email or visit�A; http://www.quicktopic.com/17/H/wvHV7HBtyqae/m7163�A;--------------------------------------------------------------- -�A;�A;Hello Carol 7150, there are loads of different places to eat on�A;the green, Fat Boys do a very nice fry up and you are bound to�A;see some local characters in there, Alaskan Coffee house, a�A;rather nice Italian bakers/coffee shop and several other�A;eateries all on the concourse near the bus station Asda on the�A;South Mall also have a dining area but service can be a bit slow�A;in there. N9 cafe is in North Mall and simlar to Fat Boys.�A;Enjoy your day.�A;�A;Sorry to interupt the boys games talk, I used to play with my�A;brothers fort, my dad had made it, we had both lead and plastic�A;cowboys/indians/knights in armour a fantastic cannon that fired�A;matchsticks, what happy memories you have stirred up of war�A;games all jumbled up together with cowboys fighting knights lol.�A;_________________________________________________________________�A;To unsubscribe: http://www.quicktopic.com/17/X/wvHV7HBtyqae�A;Start your own topic in 20 seconds: http://www.quicktopic.com |QT�A;�A;�A; �A;�A;�A;�A;�A;

Sticking to the subject of Home Work. My mother when we lived in Islington, painted puppet heads and then lead soldiers. The soldiers were Brittains, and I must of had one of the best collections around in those days. Just before we emigrated to Edmonton, Mum was assembling Swappits. Now if we had stayed there I'm sure I'd have had the best collection of them as well!

On the subject of forts, many were home made just as doll'd houses were. However, I am thinking now of toy castles in the early 1960s. I never had one but the kids next door had a kit to make different castles. As far as I recall there were separate turrets, keep, drawbridge, stone walls etc which were all painted metal parts that could be slotted together to recreate castles of different shapes and sizes. I never did know what it was called, in those days I was busy with Meccano which lasted until I was bought some Lego.
Sticking with soldiers etc they definitely were rather faddy much as I suppose all toys were to a point. My pride and joy were WW1 British Cavalry lead soldiers given to me by my grandfather, there were just five of them in the box as I recall. Until I graduated to Airfix 25mm figures as a young teen they were all the soldiers I had. At the time mediaeval soldiers were quite popular and then cowboys and indians. Of course Airfix models were very much railway, aircraft and WW2 armoured vehicles in the early 1960s and as Tamiya came along with motorised models then popular figures were very much WW2 soldiers. I actually believe the 1960s was the heyday of chidren's toys. By the 1970s it all moved swiftly forward into the beginnings of the computer age, even model railways were becoming technology laden with the Zero 1 system enabling locos to be individually controlled on the same tracks.
I guess what I'm remembering here really is that half of growing up was about role play and imagination using fairly simple toys and while there is no doubt that kids today have imagination I don't think they spend any time with role play, life is so instant to them. Give it time and kids will be texting from the womb given half a chance!

Brian


QT - margaret baker wrote:


Sorry to interupt the boys games talk, I used to play with my
brothers fort, my dad had made it, we had both lead and plastic
cowboys/indians/knights in armour a fantastic cannon that fired
matchsticks, what happy memories you have stirred up of war
games all jumbled up together with cowboys fighting knights lol.

Colin Cumner;
            I believe that I may have gone to school at T.G.S. with Nigel Firth, I could very well be wrong as I am talking of sixty years ago. Was his Father a Doctor in South Street ? who I seem to remember advocated,
( he didn't himself ) the non wearing of socks.
            In regard to homework I remember so well the poor hard up Mothers, working with all their family day and night to earn a pittance. Talk about Exploitation.....David.

Edited by author 05-11-2009 09:09
Hello Carol 7150, there are loads of different places to eat on the green, Fat Boys do a very nice fry up and you are bound to see some local characters in there, Alaskan Coffee house, a rather nice Italian bakers/coffee shop and several other eateries all on the concourse near the bus station Asda on the South Mall also have a dining area but service can be a bit slow in there. N9 cafe is in North Mall and simlar to Fat Boys. Enjoy your day.

Sorry to interupt the boys games talk, I used to play with my brothers fort, my dad had made it, we had both lead and plastic cowboys/indians/knights in armour a fantastic cannon that fired matchsticks, what happy memories you have stirred up of war games all jumbled up together with cowboys fighting knights lol.

I also remembering my mum doing homework for MK, must have been late 50's she had boxes full of just the 'switch bit', and wearing a apron would put loads in her lap, select one switch toggle, then with a metal file take off the rough edges.

my posts would appear to have the characteristics of busses....

of punched cards...

i still have hundreds of them around the house and as Graham suggests, perfect for scribbling notes on the back

my first experience of these punched cards was when i worked as a computer programmer at the London Borough of Enfield, circa 1971.

At the time all data input was via paper tape which was prepared in the 'punch room' by the punch girls. Their age was around 20-25 and they were all very easy on the eye, especially for an 18 year old lad, as i was at the time.

In the corner of the punch room was an IBM card punch which was mainly used to prepare new computer programs. whenever a new program was needed i was always the first to volunteer to escape the computer room and spend a few hours punching cards. ;)