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DIRECTORATE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS
PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS
Cumbrian Memories (1973)
By: John Borradaile
page 1 of 1
I joined the Home Office in 1968 as a Wireless Mechanic (WM) after serving about 2 years at RAF Carlisle (No:14 MU) and gained a whole £4 in wages! Which was soon eaten up by bus fares, no car in those days!
I understand I was the first "outstationed" W.M. in the department.
After a year or so, I decided to attend our local collage and gain at least some "paper"
I gained my City & Guilds and went to Kippax Maintenance Unit (MU) as a Wireless Technicain (WT) in late 1976 under Dave Metcalf & George Ramsey. I spent just over a year at Kippax, we only left because my wife's health was suffering, being so far away from home.
I managed a "sideways" transfer back to the Penrith Outstation at my own expense in 1979.
Some amusing incidents . . . or maybe not !
How a WT at Penrith wreaked a BRAND NEW Ford Cortina ..... with moving it an inch. While testing the radio installation, he had revved the engine so high that the flywheel bolts sheared!
Estimated road speed in top of about 180MPH !
.... of hearing reports via local town PR's in the west of the county about a woman ¾ of the way up one of our main site masts down that way (Harris Dyke).
She had climbed up in protest about an extension to an open cast coal mine not more than a dozen yards from her front door.
Both local police & fire service in attendance when we arrived. We monitored the situation while a fire-fighter was sent aloft to help her down.
..... of been towed back to Penrith from somewhere up the county. We were in our Landrover which had broken down, and were "rescued" by our SWT.
Can you imagine being towed down the M6 .......... by an Austin 6cwt Van ????
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