The FAB blog spot

My career as an operator gradually migrated towards communications and IT support.   The communications support was a great time – being immersed in new technologies like protocol conversion between ICL and IBM data from mainframe to mainframe, and I feel privileged to have been involved at the cutting edge of that technology, albeit it commonplace today. It kindled in me the desire to move off of shift and into a more 9-5 workplace in our offices in Moorgate(OK, so it was my impending marriage that sort of gave me that impetus).   Speaking of my marriage (a digression from my normal narrative, but bear with me…), eventually, having previous had two venues which had to be cancelled (one due to the sound system restriction of 93dB, the other because of the NUPE strikes at the end of 1978) we lighted on the Glaziers’ Hall at London Bridge, adjacent to Southwark Cathedral.   As I knew I’d be driving home that night, I’d previously parked the car outside the hall the ni...

We were more of a family than a team at the American bank I’ve been writing about the past couple of editions.  Like all families, we had our squabbles.  Also, like all families, there was a mix of personalities and types of people. One of the most notable squabbles occurred one Christmas period: I had previously mentioned that there was a mini-kitchen in the basement, along with the lavatories and the data safe.  The kitchen was used all day by all shifts for lunches, dinners and hot drinks, and there was a proper oven installed and one Christmas we decided to have a proper Christmas meal with all shifts, admin and programming staff and management invited. While our girl Friday slaved over a hot stove getting the turkey and all the trimmings ready, those of us with less manicured hands (i.e. NOT the programmers or management) prepared the upper floor ops area with several trestle tables and chairs.  I guess there must have been around 16 people sitting down to ...