This just has to be my favourite telegraph pole photo of all time. It’s got everything… Firstly an esteemed member of this very society: namely Ronald Coleman (#0481) , now 85, who started his career as T2a Telephone Engineer rising to Technical Officer, Special Faults by the time he retired. He will have been up more poles than I have had hot dinners, cold ones, and all the lukewarm ones in between.
Ronald has fond memories of telegraph pole ceramic insulators as he says they made great impromptu tea-mugs.
This photo also features exceedingly rare, though once common, wide arms wood as well as insulators that actually have tied off wires.
And it was taken in Canterbury – the population thereof might well wonder what that white stuff on the roofs is – it’s called snow – and we get it up north and you used to get it in Kent too in those days. Yes, really!
So there’s Ronald on the phone to someone – when he should be fixing things – up a pole, no helmet, no gloves, just a pair of wellies and a donkey jacket – they were made of tougher stuff in those days. I have a friend who’s a health and safety officer, and I think it might just prove too much for him if he saw this though.
I bet Ronald only has to look at the tarry splinters embedded forever in his hands and it’ll take him right back. Special thanks to daughter Lynette for sending it in.
Oh, and one last question… Where the hell’s the photo taken from?