The sad news that Marjorie has died was received in an email from Alex Mackie on 28 January 2021: ‘I have just heard that Marjorie passed away last night. Apparently she fell some weeks back and had been admitted to hospital where it appears she caught the virus. Her quality of life had gone down…
Author: Robert Stutely
John Walford Rose 1948–2021
The sad news of John’s death was notified in the Eastern Daily Press dated 27 February 2021. John joined HMSO Supplies as EO in 1972 and moved to Internal Audit. He was a successful musician and teacher in his spare time. The funeral – by private invitation – will be held on 18 March 2021.…
15 February 2021 – From Peter Wells
Reg, Hi – trust you are weathering ‘Lockdown3’ OK? I’ve been caught in the ‘over 65’ trawl-net so am booked for my first Covid jab at the N&N tomorrow. There IS light at the end of the tunnel – not just a train coming in the opposite direction! I have at long last got around…
The Jolly Tilers: A Secret Society?
I have been passed an intriguing piece of paper from the estate of the late Jim Curtis. It seems that on 1 May 1975 he attended a meeting of The Jolly Tilers convened at The Maids Head Hotel, Norwich. 17 were in attendance — some from CCTA. Names minuted were Cedric Dickens, Bill Houldsworth, Jim…
Atlantic House, 1971
By John Wellington Wells I ought to begin with an apology: I now work for the organisation that demolished Atlantic House and replaced it with a functional but anonymous post-modern slab. (Nobody asked me about this, let me say.) Not that the old Atlantic House was a thing of beauty, but it had a certain…
Geoffrey Thomas Dickinson 1935–2021
Eastern Daily Press dated 6 February carried this family notice. Geoff joined HMSO Norwich in August 1975 and was subsequently promoted to Senior Messenger (Support Band 1). His wife June was also a messenger in Sovereign House and Saint Crispins.
Barbara Anne Robbins 1937–2021
The sad news that Barbara has died, in the James Paget Hospital, on 18 January 2021 came from Dorothy Sellar via Marilyn Nisbet. She had successfully gone through a hip operation following a fall but subsequently contracted pneumonia. Barbara joined HMSO Norwich in December 1968 and was promoted Personal Secretary in 1977. I knew her…
21 January 2021 – Printing and Binding Division Steams Into 1961
Alex Mackie, who joined HMSO in November 1960, was pleased to feature in this cover article from the S.O. Review dated February 1961. It featured a cartoon drawn by Jack Palmer with caricatures of printing staff in the PG5 area. The caption reads: ‘The P&B Railway on this month’s cover was constructed in Room C90, Atlantic House,…
20 January 2021 – From Stuart McLaren
In Tim Riley’s memories of Pubns in the early 70s, he asks: ‘Do we know who holds the record for longest tenure of the same HMSO post?’ Working on the logic that alone among HMSO employees the Controller cannot raise any higher up the greasy pole, I had a look in Barty-King’s history of HMSO…
People
We are grateful to those readers who have contributed brief accounts of their time with HMSO, and beyond. Please feel free to join them: modesty is not essential. Any embarrassing events you may wish to divulge will be rigorously edited to protect both the innocent and the guilty. Especially as regards Christmas parties. Listed…