These are the recordings from the tapes which Noël had kept from what  mum had probably brought back from England, because the sound is quite good, as you'll hear, whereas we had copies at home whose quality was much lower. You'll hear Mummy (Cath), Monsieur Père here and there, and mostly Tini and myself happily reciting nursery rhymes: Simple Simon, The grand old duke of York, Hush a bye baby and many others. What strikes me is Mum's very low, almost husky voice, I don't know whether she changed her voice as she grew older, or if it's what her voice still sounds like when she speaks English (but I've heard her speak English, some times!)

It's sickening that the last word of the recording, indicating the year, is cut: Grandpa is heard saying "All that was recorded on Monday evening, before you went back to France, on April 8th, nineteen hundred and sixty-" Going back to France: would this departure have been the end of our long stay at 9DR, or an intermediary departure? If it's the first case, then I'd say 1963, but we'll have to ask mummy.

Here's some more of the same, which was found recorded on the same tape, but after what you have already heard. There's a mention of Margaret's and Andrew's birthdays, so if I'm right, this must mean 1963 (Marg couldn't have had a birthday unless she was at least 1, and I rather think she was born in 1962...)

Anyway, tell us what you think! Noël promises some more, with Grandma this time.

One previous article had dealt with Monsieur Père paraphernalia; this one is going to do the same, but with the specific attention to his work. As we all know, he used to work for Standard Telephones and Cables limited (STC) at its New Southgate plant. There's a website which has been put up with lots of information on the company: see here. Unfortunately, none on our grandfather, as far as I could see. But Mum says he started working there as his first job, and it is where he met his first wife, Ethel, who was working there as a secretary! In the end, when ITT became STC, he apparently had stopped going to the plant, but worked at home, as a company writer and corrector (confirmation for this, anyone?)

I remember him having to go to Antwerp, where the Wikipedia page on STC says that the US company Western Electric had a plant, and mentions the fact that STC started its life in 1883 as an agent for this firm. I still have an adapted copy of his "Handbook for ITT writers", which had been published by the Public Relations Dept of ITT, 67 Broad street, New York 4. When I have time, I'll type it (it isn't computerized), so you can have an idea of what he used to think was important in technical writing! On the STC website, we learn about a number of interesting facts, such as the first ever transatlantic broadcast of speech, which was received there on Jan 14, 1923. Then we can read about the V1 bomb attack on building 8 of the factory on August 24, 1944, which killed 35 people and wounded 200+.

Also the site shows pictures of its company holiday home for employees, Ranch house at Playa de Aro, in Spain. There was a plane that flew them there, which was full of test electronics!

Anyway, back to Monsieur Père. Here are the paraphernalia, with special thanks to Noel's stealthy manoeuvres at Bonnebosq! First, a kind of large wooden box which must have carried some equipment to repair, or something else. My dad used this for a long time in his medical business: he carried a supply of medicines inside, to be of use during visits to clients. The box was in the boot of his car, and he had a handle screwed on the top of the box, so it could be placed flat and not straight, and give access to the boxes of medicines more easily.

then there are some STC documents which mum still had:

some installation plans for telephone machines. Below, one for a "discrimating selector" (check here)

a Crown numbering machine:

and a very large stapler which we were pleased to have inherited at home, because it could staple at the middle of documents, where no other stapler could reach:

Some extra information on the FB page here.