Odd work practices

[GaryMG4]

Whilst answering the Tomato Energy thread some memories from when I started working for one of the regional gas companies back in the late 1970s. I went there as a senior programmer, grade SO 5 or 6,grades were so important then. On my start day I was introduced to what I can only describe as the stationery monitor. This man's job was to sit in his office, about the size of an average bathroom and hand out stationery as required. So I was duly issued with my coding pad, a spiral bound notepad a couple of pencils, a ruler, a red biro and a blue biro. I was told I had to take my empty biro back to have it replaced, I can't remember what happened about the rest. I think this man retired not long after I joined and it was then just a stationery cupboard.
They did have a tea trolly from which you could buy a tea or coffee and in the morning they often had crusty rolls with either a slice of ham or slab of cheese, so not all bad.
Anyone else have memories of like this?

 

[Ian Key]

I remember at school we used to have a "rough book" in which to write notes about homework and memory aids that didn't need to be written in the lesson book for that subject.

When it was full you had to take it to the deputy heads office at 12 o'clock to get a replacement and he used to examine every page to make sure it was full. If he found even a quarter of a page unused somewhere in the middle you were told to go away and come back when it was full. Which was fine but you could never find those notes again.

It was his way of exerting power over teenagers as he was 5 foot nothing and most of us were nearly 6 foot

 

[GaryMG4]

'Little man' syndrome. As an IT contractor I came across a few people like that over the years. Mostly it was just hostility because we were contractors and outsiders but occasionally they were people who had absolute control over their tiny empire and needed everyone to know it.

 

[EvTek23]

Yep, I remember back in the 80's the tea trolley. 10.30 in the morning you'd hear the cry "Trolley trolley trolley" and there would be Pearl waiting to serve you. The tea and coffee was free, but rolls and snacks had to be bought. A great time to catch up with people who would otherwise be buried away in their departments. It was a great leveller of peoples jobs and skills,, engineers, managers, secretary's all there for a common purpose and a chin wag!
We also had a technical stores, and stores catalogue with a specific pad to write out what you wanted. A ring on the counter bell and Charles would appear and scuttle off to get the bits in your list. After several trips having bought out the wrong component you'd get the right bits in the end and off you'd go to put them in whatever you were working on.
Great days of organisation, now all gone, a pantry and coffee machine replacing the trolley, and a much depleted stores within each department resulting in things having to be ordered for each job.

 

[T1 Terry]

Whilst answering the Tomato Energy thread some memories from when I started working for one of the regional gas companies back in the late 1970s. I went there as a senior programmer, grade SO 5 or 6,grades were so important then. On my start day I was introduced to what I can only describe as the stationery monitor. This man's job was to sit in his office, about the size of an average bathroom and hand out stationery as required. So I was duly issued with my coding pad, a spiral bound notepad a couple of pencils, a ruler, a red biro and a blue biro. I was told I had to take my empty biro back to have it replaced, I can't remember what happened about the rest. I think this man retired not long after I joined and it was then just a stationery cupboard.
They did have a tea trolly from which you could buy a tea or coffee and in the morning they often had crusty rolls with either a slice of ham or slab of cheese, so not all bad.
Anyone else have memories of like this?

What about pepper and salt on the tomato?

T1 Terry