[BITList] Emma

[HUGH]

Frank,

In Scotts Engine DO, a rolled up "drawing" was the passport to a nearby shop. Stop at the gatehouse, look at the watch, look at the drawing (usually A3), mutter under the breath, roll it up again and sally forth. But this was hardly ever used - by me, once. The engine works was across the main road and up another street from the shipyard, so there was constant traffic, but sometimes one felt the need for a subterfuge.  One day a young chap, on legitimate business, but lacking a drawing or such, was stopped by the gateman and interrogated.  He abandoned his intention and returned to the DO. The Office Committee told the Chief that we would not be subjected to obstacles between us and the firm's business, etc, so until it got sorted out we would not be visiting the shipyard.  It got sorted out and normal traffic resumed.  There was a "general" phone at the front of the office, used mainly to take incoming calls from wives, but mostly foremen who wanted to speak to us direct. One day the Chief complained about incoming calls from wives, etc, told us to tell wives, etc, not to phone. Tell them yourself, we said, but don't blame us for the reaction you get.  But he persisted, so we stopped hearing the phone.  "Phone ringing? What phone?  I hear no phone." It lasted until complaints from foremen and the like got too much for him.  A variation of that occurred when lower management took umbrage over their wage claim and banned us from answering their phones on the legitimate but weak grounds that they weren't our phones.  We enthusiastically complied, so phones went unanswered. In Kincaids, one of the Design Office staff was asked to come in on a Sunday, which he did, only to be stopped by the gateman. "I don't know you from Adam," the gateman said. "Tough - au revoir," said Jim, and straightway buggered off home.  Life is dull nowadays.

Hugh.
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