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[burakkucat]

Attached, below, is an image of a piece of BT infrastructure. I refer to such an item as a Giant's Thimble.

Would one of our gentlemen of the holes, poles, pairs and cabinets please educate this burakku neko by telling him their correct name?

A Joint Closure X (where X is a number), perhaps? 

[Black Sheep]

'Tis a UCJ (Universal Clip Joint). They come in various sizes from as small as 2/5pr cables, up to the enclosures for the Fibre cables which can be wide and long.

They were introduced as part of OR's plan to reduce the need for technicians to carry gas on their vans. HS (Heat Shrink) joints are slowly becoming the minority in the network, they wont go away completely, but have definitely decreased. Give this lad a UCJ or it's even easier cousin, the MJ (Mechanical Joint), any day of the week over having to blast a HS off !!!

[renluop]

'Tis a UCJ (Universal Clip Joint).

Are they modified for use beyond Soho in LOndon?

[Black Sheep]

I wouldn't know what you mean, sir ?? Even when I spent 4 months working down The Big Smoke, and frequenting 'Browns' (Near BT's Paul St. premises), and popping into Soho a few times, all I saw was beautiful architecture.

[Black Sheep]

Hope B*cat doesn't mind going OT, seeing as the question's been answered ?? It's just renluop's got me reminiscing about my time darn sarf.

The 1st week I spent in a posh place on Tottenham Court Rd, cost £45 quid a night back then (1989). After making friends with a few other BT lads down there, we ended up staying in 'The Union Jack Club'. £7 a night was all it cost, but my god, what an eye-opener !!  Everything, and I mean everything, was communal.

As an aside, used to see Buster (Great Train Robber) every morning selling his flowers outside Waterloo Station, his pitch was pretty much outside the entrance to our new 'Hotel'. Great, great memories ....... or should I say, great, great drinking days. 

[4candles]

Hmmm. The most exotic places I got to were Glen Parva in Leicester and Shirehampton in Bristol.

'Tain't fair!

[Black Sheep]

Ha ha ...... don't fret mate, we had Stone (Staffordshire), and Harrogate (Nr York) as our regular 'Boot Camps'.

Have to say, Harrogate was always a great time. Stone was on-site accommodation, and it really was prison-cell like. Was down there last year on a course and the new accommodation blocks are fabulous, real luxury. Heated towel rails etc ...... the food was also spot-on.

[renluop]

I wouldn't know what you mean, sir ?? Even when I spent 4 months working down The Big Smoke, and frequenting 'Browns' (Near BT's Paul St. premises), and popping into Soho a few times, all I saw was beautiful architecture.

You mean with the upper storeys hanging out?

[burakkucat]

'Tis a UCJ (Universal Clip Joint). They come in various sizes from as small as 2/5pr cables, up to the enclosures for the Fibre cables which can be wide and long.

Much appreciated. Thank you, Black Sheep.

. . . had Stone (Staffordshire) . . .

That got me grummaging through some old issues of the POEEJ until I came across VOL 63 PART 2 / JULY 1970 in which, starting on page 77, I found an article titled "The Post Office Technical Training College" by N. FOX, C.ENG., M.I.E.E.

The synopsis reads: The primary function of the Post Office Technical Training College at Stone, Staffordshire, is to provide vocational training for up to 750 engineering students, who are drawn mainly from the Technician and Technical Officer grades. This article gives a brief survey of the object, training organization, accommodation, teaching techniques, training methods and working policy of the College.

[4candles]

Ah, I remember it well - good times - well, mostly.   

Shirehampton and Glen Parva were one-offs - all other courses were at Stone. Or Yarnfield Holiday Camp as SWMBO called it.



Wish you were here?

More pics and info on POTTC

[Black Sheep]

Quick trivia question ........ just outside the entrance gates to the Stone training facilities, there was a pub.

What is it's name, and why did it have to remove its signage ?? 

[4candles]

   Was that the Labour in Vain?   

No idea about the signage being removed.

It was all a long time ago...

[Black Sheep]

Yup, the pub name is correct.