Ann Martin

From Ministry of Agriculture to Fielding and Platt.

How it all began
How it all began
"Anne_Martin_People_1_How_Anne_came_to_work_for_F_P6". Genre: Other.
First impressions
First impressions
"Anne_Martin_People_2_First_impressions_of_Works". Genre: Other.
Working day duties.
Working day duties.
"Anne_Martin_personal_4_Afternoon_Office_work_and_FLEX1". Genre: Other.
The Telex machine and Photocopying
The Telex machine and Photocopying
"Anne_Martin_Personal_5_A_typical_working_day_and_TELEX1". Genre: Other.
Ann's office
Ann's office
"Anne_Martin_Personal_6_Sights_sounds_colours_of_offices2". Genre: Other.

 

Ann replied to an advertisement, came to the Company and was interviewed by Fred Davidson.  She was most surprised to be given a lift home at its conclusion.  She started work in the Contracts Department and worked alongside Sid Shorey and Les Wheeler and soon found that her skills from her previous employment were extremely useful.

She found the working environment much different.  It was much dustier and noisier than it had been at the Ministry but never the less very friendly.  Ann found visits to the works a bit of an ordeal at first but soon got used to the wolf whistles!  Whilst there she witnessed presses leaving the factory.

Ann started work at 8.30 and recalls the 3 minutes ‘grace’. Initially she cycled to work but later purchased a scooter.  She well remembers the scooter being adorned with confetti just prior to her marriage.  A nurse was available to visit in the event of any problems which she found most comforting.

The day normally finished at 5.00 but if work demanded she stayed later, but never remembers finishing later than 6.00.

When the ‘Flexi Time’ system of working  was introduced, which she thinks was about 1978, it became necessary to ‘clock in,’ but found this system most useful.

Ann describes  a working day. One of her duties was operating the Telex machine, which she describes.  Another duty was using the Copying machine where incoming correspondence was copied on to a number of  different coloured sheets.  The colour indicated which department  was to receive it.  She typed letter and quotations but in quiet times typed her personal letters and even read a book positioned in an open drawer!

The office she worked in was painted pale blue and was sited adjacent to a disused railway track.  Her typerwriter noise seemed excessive in such a small office and changing the tape proved a very messy operation.  She got on very well with the other three occupants of the office.  Just as well in such a confined space.

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Click on the hyperlink to hear what Ann remembers about presses leaving the works.

Click on the hyperlink to listen to more of Ann’s memories

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