GPO Telephones

[rospaul]

There has been many good photograph of EEB staff members posted in recent times and very good they are too, seeing that I know or have worked along side some of them over the years.

So I thought for a change you would like see some pic's of old GPO Telephone gangs from the 1930s. No hard hats and high visibility jackets, no cones or road signs, just a few “old boys” in flat caps.


The tall fella on the far right is Arthur Lemmon, he was my foreman on the GPO for a short time in the mid 1960s just before his retirement.















...

[apollonine]

Love them pictures..

[EWW]

Great pictures RP. Is old Grassy on any of them? I do not seem to recognise him

[rospaul]

....... A little bit before Fred's time me thinks EWW

[jennifer]

Hey..just wondering if that Arthur Lemmon in those photos is any relation to me? My grandad was Fred Lemmon and Fred's dauaghter June Lemmon was my mum.Is that possible?

[rospaul]

....... I’m not sure Jennifer. I think the Arthur Lemmon I knew many years ago had a brother Sidney and a sister Ruby, their fathers name was James Arthur Lemmon a railway engine driver.

[jennifer]

Well....that explains a lot....my grandad had a brother called Sidney and a sister called Ruby,who I remember as she looked after him in their advancing years...I never heard of Arthur though.Sounds like you have many fond memories of your times together....

[Tresagreen]

When I worked for the telephone exchange back in the 60's, I had to attend a course in London. Going through some (very) old papers today, I came across these and a few other pamphlets we were given at the time. Are there any old ex GPO engineers out there who would be interested in having them? I would willingly post on if so. TG

[Tresagreen]

A few more for the telephone buffs.

[supergt1971]

My father in law Wally Newson had a load of stuff much the same as this when we cleared his cupboard out after he passed away,meaningless to us nowadays but meant something to him back in the day.

[rospaul]

I knew your dear old Father in law Wally very well he was always whistling, never in tune but always whistling His younger brother Ted also worked for GPO Telephones, I see him along the river bank at W/Lynn at times.
I too have loads of old paper-work from many courses I did at Bletchley Park in the loft, some day my son and daughter will like you have to sort them out. I look back on those days with a great deal of fondness.

[Tresagreen]

Hi Super, I suppose the only folks interested in this sort of thing, would be telephone history buffs. As telephonists, we hardly ever got to see the 'other side' of how things worked. I saw many different exchanges and switchboards when I went out 'on relief', some were nightmares! I remember a few of the old engineers from Lynn. Rod somebody, Graham Nurse, Maurice Skipper, Derek , Laurie Malt etc etc. Good days back then in the 60s. T