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  Telex and manual switchboard trained here too, buy a GPO trained operator who I relieved at lunchtime in the firm I was printing at from time to time.
  
  Telex - Load a reel of 2ply paper and a dial by the side of the keyboard, you could type direct once the other side had answered with their ID number, but much quicker to have a secretary type it on the 'Wang' and get a tape cut to feed into the machine after dialling, then...whizz it would type madly to itself till message end.
  
  Used to look forward to messages from far-flung places, one copy (red) went in my file while the black top copy went off to the person it was addressed to.
  
  Switchboard - Had 25 incoming lines and 130 extentions, so could be quite fun joining up incoming calls answered by headset and a cord and plug into the line, then holding that cord whilst pulling out another to 'buzz' the extension and join them up - much more instant control than a digital pabx and you could see who was in convesation at a glance, butt into a call and dial international and also answer peoples directory requests from huge books full of telephone numbers kept there.
  
  Used to get some oddball callers sometimes and some downright rude ones too, many of whom should have known much better (names witheld!).
  
  Happy days

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