Other Memories

THINGS I REMEMBER ABOUT MY LIFE IN BIRMINGHAM
UP TO AGE 6

A Farthing (¼ of a penny or cent) bought a sweet

Going with my Dad to some public ponds and catching small (I suppose) carp and taking them home in a jar with string round the top to carry.

A holiday at the seaside with cousins catching crabs and weilding a bucket and spade in the sand.

Having Whooping Cough and my parents being very concerned at my constant nose bleed. Bringing up great gouts of blood which I had swallowed.

Going with Dad at Christmas to a toyshop with a wonderous selection of toys.

On the “Rotorua” on the voyage out to N.Z. Going through the Panama Canal and the “mules” which towed the ship. The cavernous mens toilets and washing facilities. Having kippers for breakfast. Having a toy clockwork engine and running it in the joins in the deck until someone overwound it. Being given an icecream by a first class passenger and being sick. Stopping off at Pitcairn Island and bartering for fresh fruit from the rowing boats which came out from the Island. The magnificent sunsets which we saw ahead of the Ship. The vision of motorcars and buildings close to the ship which I think was Oriental Bay in Wellington where we arrived. The view from the train as we approached Dunedin. Living in Green Island Dunedin. Going to school there. Being taken by my mother to a theatre in Dunedin. one afternoon. Dad growing huge cabbages and selling them at the railway station. The brickwoeks [brickworks] at Green Island and also I think a small coal mine. Watching a neighbour making scones in a large kitchen.

Correspondence

Copying the old fashioned way which was part of my job when I joined Mr. K.E. Gleadow’s office in Napier about 1934. Prerequsites: One Letter Press. Bound book of Onionskin paper, Indelible ink, Blotting Paper, specially prepared sheets of cardboard. Note when using a typewriter you used an indelible ribbon.

Open book at an unused page, Insert piece of cardboard, using a paintbrush wet onionskin paper, carefully partially dry paper with blotting paper. Place document face down on onionskin paper, cover with a prepared piece of cardboard. Close book and then compress by rotating top section of press. Leave for a short time then extract document which would have left an imprint on the onion skin sheet thereby leaving a permanent record. The original document, i.e. a letter whould [would] then be sent out. Much care would have to be taken in leaving the right amount of dampness on the paper otherwise the copy and the original would have been smeared. This method was also used in copying returns to Insurance Companies.

Have you ever heard the comment “Blotting your Copy Book” methinks this may have had its origins from this operation.