Chingford’s Telephone Exchange Silverthorn

A Memory of Chingford.

My first job when I was 15 was in Silverthorn Telephone Exchange. I remember, when I went to the Telephone Managers Office for my interview. I had wanted to work in Directory Enquiries but was told that although I spoke well and passed the hearing and writing tests I had a regional accent and would not be able to get a position in central London. It’s not as if I spoke cockney and mum had always made us say yes and not yeh.But thats how it was.I was asked to give two referees before I got the job.
‘Will you be my referee’ I asked Susan Cavenagh’s mum the next day. I must have said it wrongly as she exploded with laughter saying she didn’t play football. Anyways, I got the job at the Silverthorn telephone Exchange which was situated in The Ridgeway, Chingford. Sometimes I walked, but sometimes, if I had enough money, I took the bus. It was an imposing building with large front entrance doors and lobby and curved stairs going up to the telephonists area. There were two of us starting that first day, me and Pat Bentinck. The training was with Miss Paddock the supervisor who was really nice. We would listen in to other operators working and then we would have a go ourselves. We had to learn about looking up dialling codes, making out tickets for call charges, and the jargon for answering a call. I think in my first week I was on the bus home and instead of asking for a 3d ticket I said to the conductor “Number please" I met loads of lovely people there. Christine Playle, Jeanette Middleditch, Jo Parfitt, Linda Walsh, Linda Vizitelly, Rina Ward, Jean Clarke, Jean D’eath, Valerie Doidge, Elsa Crow, to name but a few. The engineers were always fun and quite a few telephonists ended up marrying an engineer. I learnt to play table tennis and snooker from the great Fred Gibbs. Other engineers names I remember were Peter Jeffery, David Cornhill, John Gillard, Alan, Chris . I ran the book exchange. I helped in the kitchen. I joined the telephonists football team. Wonderful memories. If you remember working for the GPO in 1966-1969 it would be lovely to hear from you.