Good afternoon, Reg and the HMSOldies staff, You wait all year for correspondence from me and then two turn up almost at once. Over the last week or so a few things have caught my eye. The first one was about accents, British accents. It was an article I read in the BBC about what…
Author: Robert Stutely
Gordon Grant Robbie
1936-2025 The sad news that Gordon died, at NNUH, on the evening of Thursday 23 January 2025 was reported by Lynda Marshall. His last hours were calm and peaceful, with his family around him. Gordon joined HMSO London in January 1961, as Executive Officer in Accounts Division. His final post was in Publications Division, Norwich,…
17 January 2025 – From Nodge Carnegie
Dear Philip and Reg, Hope you are well. I hope you like one or other or both of these pictures showing Bleeding Heart Yard (in 1972) and St Mary Woolnoth (19 August 2014). ‘Found’ this image of Bleeding Heart Yard (1972) in my book on British Woodcuts. The print is by an artist new to…
Eric George Pointer
1937-2025 The sad news that Eric Pointer died on 17 January 2025 was reported in the Eastern Daily Press. Eric joined HMSO in July 1966 and worked as PB8 in Finance and Planning, Norwich. Brian Cockram adds: Barbara saw the obituary notice for Eric Pointer in the Eastern Daily Press. I worked with Eric…
15 January 2025 – From Tony Garrett
Hello, hope you’re surviving 2025. So far! Happy New Year, if it isn’t too late, anyway. LINOTYPE: The film – In Search of the Eighth Wonder of the World (2020) Don’t know if you ever worked with these Linotype machines but we used them in my early days at New Society magazine, not that I…
Norma Peggy Groom
1933–2024 John Betts has passed on the sad news that Norma died, at home in South Africa in November 2024. Norma was born on 8 March 1933 and joined HMSO in April 1958. She worked in Duplicating Division, which later became Reprographic Division with the move to Basildon. She transferred to Norwich following dispersal and eventually…
Ronald Percival Lyons
1932–2023 Pat Gormley has heard from Anita Lyons that her husband Ron died, at their home in Royston, Herts, in November 2023. Ron joined HMSO in May 1968 and worked as P&GO in Print Procurement, Norwich.
27 November 2024 – From Nodge Carnegie
Dear Reg, You probably know of the sad news about about the planned closing of Smithfield Market. I happened to hear the story on Radio 4’s ‘World at One‘ today (intro at: 23:00, main item: 38:50). The programme managed to pack in a lot of information in a slot just a few minutes long. One…
Richard George Higgins
19 March 1946 – 15 April 2023 Bob Allder has sent HMSOldies this appreciation of Richard Higgins, who worked at HMSO Parliamentary Press in London, and who died in 2023: Richard worked as PB7 in the Planning Office at the New Parliamentary Press as a Customer Services Officer around the late 90s, having joined HMSO…
Mary Burgoyne
1937–2024 We have heard from Lynda Marshall that Mary died, in Norwich, during October 2024. Mary joined HMSO in June 1986. She worked as AO in Print Procurement. Her late husband PT Burgoyne – Paddy – became Staff Side General Secretary during the 1990s. Funeral will be held at 1100 hours on Friday 22 November…