Office Life - Get back to work!

 

There was a time when working for the (British) Civil Service was relatively slow-paced and even boring. This combined with low pay made it an unattractive proposition. However, the pension and job security was a big plus for many. These days there's not much difference between the private and pubic sector. You can now loose your job just as easily in either.

We now live in a time of ongoing austerity. This means that if you're in the public sector you're likely to suffer just as much as anyone else. When money is tight then the employer starts to turn the thumb screws on the employees. It becomes increasingly important to demonstrate your worth and that you're not a piece of dead wood waiting to be put on the fire.

Employees need to be more efficient and effective than ever before. In fact just doing your job is no longer enough. You need to demonstrate that you're pushing the boundaries in every way - in fact, almost a super-hero. Sound familiar? 

Cue the consultants. Time to look at how your team can perform even better. Well, if you've already got a team of misfits then you can't force them to get on better with each other. Lets be honest, almost every team has a few 'odd-balls' or 'loose cannons' who drag everyone else down from time to time. What's the point of trying to turn everyone into robots so you can control them. Everybody is different in some way and we should be grateful for that. OK, some people can be different to the point of irritation but that's life. Unfortunately some managers will use manipulation tactics to turn everyone else against the round peg in a square hole. 

Team building is also another popular office hobby. You either love it or hate it. If you're long in the tooth then you probably hate it because you've 'been there and done it' several times over. Why drag people through this screaming when you can just leave them to do their job. If someone is really screwing up then they can be demoted to the post room (which no longer exists because it was closed to make cost savings).

Next up is construction play. Lets re-arrange the office to make it look more 'effective' even if it doesn't make any difference whatsoever. This usually involves taking down all the walls to resemble a chicken farm. Even you boss is 'mucking in' and trying to look like he doesn't mind being in a giant goldfish bowl. It's no fun when you can't check out the latest sports results or social media in peace and quite. It just creates an epidemic of paranoia - everyone thinks that someone else is watching their computer screen (as if they really care what you're doing).

If you're lucky enough to actually enjoy your job then you're more likely to give it 110%. The reality for most people is that job equals salary. OK, sometimes there might be square pegs in round holes. In this case the employer should try and help them find something they want to do rather than put effort into making their working life miserable. I didn't think a goalpost was meant to be moved so often.

All this might sound very cynical, especially for those who manage to secure employment with a company which is so flush so doesn't care if there's splash of productivity lost through staff enjoying themselves. The likes of Google, Microsoft and Facebook spring to mind. However, such fun isn't going to see you into retirement so milk it while you can. 

Can you spot a fake North Face backpack?

I bought a North Face (TNF) Hotshot backpack at a outdoor market in Bangkok back in 2008 (new without any price tags/labels). Yes, like many others I wanted the label without the price. I had no illusions that for about the equivalent of £14 I was buying anything other than a reasonable copy. Since then it's had a fair amount of use and I'm currently using it daily. In that time it's not suffered any rip, tear or breakage of any kind. Recently I started to ponder buying a genuine new version of my backpack. This interest got me checking out many articles and videos on the web on how to spot a fake TNF backpack. It seems that these days you need to check for the hologram label, integrated whistle on the buckle and YKK zips. Apparently the hologram logo began to appear on TNF backpacks from about 2009, shortly after I bought mine.

At the same time I  bought my backpack, a friend purchased a pair of 'fake' Converse All Star canvass trainers. They certainly looked good. However, by the time we were on the plane home, one of the metal eylets had come away and so had one of the rubber 'badges' which was glued to the back of the shoes. That says it all really.

My fake backpack comes with YKK zips, TNF logos on toggles and even Woojin Flex buckles. The makers labels inside look genuine too. It's only now that I've discovered from the labels this is a women's version of the backpack - oh well. I wonder if that means it's a slightly smaller version than the mens? The place of purchase, lack of price tags and the price are the things which shouted "fake" in my case. The backpack weighs about 930g, which I always thought was heavy due to the inferior fabrics. However, new equivilant TNF backpacks come in just under 1500g which seems to be down to extra padding and fleece lined pockets.

If I did buy another one, I would go to a reputable high street store or online retailer offering some discount. I've concluded that more often than not, the phrase "You get what you pay for" is most often true. There was a time when I viewed certain things as over-priced but now I believe that you're paying for the brand but also decent quality. Everybody loves a bargain but the truth is it's a false economy.

Rather surprisingly, my fake TNF backpack has outlived my Timberland day backpack - the zip of which suffered a catastrophic failure and could not be repaired.

The fact that some people even send their backpacks to North Face to get them authenticated tells you just how good the fakes are!

 

Fake TNF Hotshot backpack

This fake logo looks good but the real one has small gaps between the letters

A genuine logo on the left and fake logo on the right

A genuine logo on the left and fake logo on the right

North Face logo on the toggle

YKK zips

Even the makers labels look authentic

Woojin Flex buckles as used on authentic TNF bags

Was that 'Lofty' Sugden in Huntingdon during the 1970's?

One thing I like about the internet is being able to research things from your childhood. Whether it's music, toys or events, there's often some reference to it somewhere on the web. I find it satisfying being able to fill in the missing blanks from vague memories.

Don Estelle

Anyone who lived in Huntingdon (Cambridgeshire, England) during the 1970's probably caught sight of one rather unusual elderly gentleman. He could often be seen walking the streets wearing a WW2 soldiers khaki tropical uniform complete with pith helmet.

I was very young at the time but remember one boy from our neighborhood telling us that if you made machine gun noises he would run for cover (yes, not very nice I know but children can be rather insensitive).

I've often wondered who he was and his own personal story. I would be very interested if anyone else has memories of him.

The older British readers amongst you may remember 'Lofty' played by Don Estelle in the 1970's television series 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum'. I've used this image as it reminds me of the gentleman I've referred to - no disrespect intended. The title I used was also rather tongue-in-cheek simply to catch peoples attention.

 

Update 2021: I’ve been informed that this gentleman was George Chambers of Huntingdon, but I don’t have any more information about him at this time. 

Update 2025: I've yet to find any more information about this gentleman so please send a message if you can help. 

Canberra plane crash Huntingdon, England 1977

Aftermath of the Canberra plane crash in Huntingdon, England 1977

  

 

Back in 2007 I started researching a Canberra plane crash which happened at Huntingdon, England on Tuesday 3 May 1977. There was almost nothing on the internet when I looked, which was surprising considering the severity of the incident in which two adults and three children died.  

 

Daily Mirror - Wednesday 04 May 1977

 

 

Newcastle Evening Chronicle - Tuesday 03 May 1977

 

 

Coventry Evening Telegraph - Tuesday 03 May 1977

 

Initially, I found only two references. One from 'A History of Firefighting in Cambridgeshire' by Eddie Baker. In Chapter 14 under 'Incidents of interest' appears a paragraph detailing the incident along with a photograph.

 

 

 

The second source of my initial research came from the House of Commons Hansard archives. Questions raised at the House of Commons on 21 November 1977 regarding the Canberra aircraft accident. Ref. tHC Deb 21 November 1977 vol 939 cc568-70W 568W:

 

 Embed from Getty Images

 

 

 

My interest in this stems from my childhood memories of the crash. I was 9 years old at the time and recall seeing a plume of smoke coming from the direction of the crash site from my own school playground. My school at the time was Huntingdon County Junior School. The plane crashed into houses in Norfolk Road which was less than 2 miles from my school. 

Location of the crash site as it appears today

I still have three small pieces of the wreckage which were given to me at the time – two small pieces of aluminum and a piece of perspex which I assume is from the cockpit. I was given these by the son of a Mr Hall, who was the Deputy Headmaster at Huntingdon County Junior School. It was part of a number of ‘swaps’. I can remember children at my school showing me pieces of debris which they had 'appropriated'. 

 

Fragments of the PR9 Canberra

 

The RAF Canberra PR9 was returning from photographic tasks in Scotland.  The crew were instructed to perform a ‘Practice Pan leading to an asymmetric recovery and overshoot’.

Asymmetric flying is when the power to one engine is reduced to idle speed to simulate engine failure. It then becomes critical that the pilot retains balance using the correct sequence of fin/rudder control and speed. If too much power is applied to the ‘live’ engine, or too quickly, then the aircraft will roll, the nose will drop and control is lost. This happens very quickly and if the aircraft is too close to the ground it’s unlikely to recover.  There have been numerous other incidents of this happening during the time the Canberra was operational.  Some of these other incidents also resulted in the deaths of the crew.

The aircraft crashed between two rows of houses at the end of Norfolk Road, Huntingdon. This was just 1.8 miles from the runway at RAF Wyton. Fire from ruptured fuel tanks almost completely destroyed 7 houses and badly damaged 9 others.  Tragically, three children were killed after becoming  trapped in the burning houses. They were aged just 4 months, 2 years and 4 years old.

The navigator ejected at around 100ft, which is about the minimum height required for a seat to work effectively. Although the ejector seat had detached and parachute deployed, the seat trajectory was into the path of the resulting fireball which is why the navigator did not survive. His severely charred body was found close to his ejector seat. Meanwhile, the pilot remained at his controls until the seat ejected his body from the wreckage on impact. It seems he was still trying to regain control of the aircraft in the final seconds before impact. The navigator had failed to secure his helmet which was found intact nearby, although this was not a contributing factor to his death.  The navigators helmet was shown on television news reports from the time (photo below).

The navigators helmet recovered from the scene

 

Here's a selection of photographs from the accident investigation report reproduced here with permission. These may not have been previously published and those of a sensitive nature have been omitted. 

Gas and electricity had to be disconnected affecting about 140 houses on the estate and hot meals were provided at the local school.  The site was cleared of wreckage by 17:00 on Sunday 8 May 1977. Demolition of burnt out houses began Monday 9 May.

The board of enquiry investigating the crash concluded: 

“The aircraft did not roll out of the finals turn but more than sufficient power to overshoot was applied to the port engine. The Board concludes that the pilot must have applied overshooting power before rolling the wings level. On this occasion, a combination of power on the engine outside the turn to the limit of directional control and aileron applied to level the wings or to counter the effect of wind gusts would have been sufficient to achieve fin stall. In the PR9 the powered rudder masks all warning of approaching fin stall, and the pilot probably did not realise that he was close to fin stall when it occurred.  The Board believed that fin stall is the most probable cause of the accident”

 

These two diagrams reconstruct the Canberra's final rapid descent:

 

RAF Canberra PR9 photographic reconnaissance jet

The RAF retired the last of these aircraft in 2006.

Since 2016 I've found more information from various sources and have been able to update this page further, such as these videos found on Youtube. 

Flight International 17 December 1977

The Aviation Safety Network website also provides links to other available sources of information.

 

I was pleased to learn that in 2017 a memorial service was held at the crash site to mark the 40th Anniversary. A memorial bench was unveiled which features five white doves to represent those who lost their lives. A fitting tribute to a tragic event, as reported by the Huntingdon Hunts Post.