G.P.O. Nostalgia Home Page

Overview

Turning 60, made me seek out a bit of nostalgia from my younger days. Having found my apprentice's notebook, containing sketches of the overhead plant from the early nineteen seventies, I began to notice how much still remained fifty years later, so it seemed prudent to start taking photographs before it finally disappeared.

This website has been in existence since 2000, growing in size as I began to document the communications systems from the days of the 'Cold War'. Fellow anoraks from the GPO and BT may be interested to reminisce about the 'HANDEL' early warning system. Described Here

Steve Scanlon - The Web Site Owner

1998 ID Card photo

When I started as a Trainee Technical Apprentice (TTA) for 'Post Office Telephones', the syllabus for the apprenticeship training included erecting 40 pound copper wires, even though all new installations used dropwires.

At the end of my apprenticeship, I worked in the Strowger Group Switching Centre (GSC) at Kettering, firstly as a T2A and then a TO. Later in the seventies moving sideways, covering the absences of other TOs at the local strowger units, Customer's PABX, Test Desk and Special Faults Investigation. In the early eighties, I was promoted to Birmingham where I remained until my retirement.