Tiny Tuesday: Typewriter

I was given this tiny solid silver typewriter by Mum and Dad for passing my RSA Stage III Typewriting exam with Distinction.  It was to go on a chunky charm bracelet I wore at the time.  The carriage can actually be moved back and forth, though the keys don't function.  It's gone a bit tarnished now, but luckily that shows up the detail better.

At the Southend High School 6th form we had a very strict teacher, a tiny Hungarian lady called Miss Zombor.  She insisted that we took shorthand dictation accurately and neatly, and banned us from having messy correction fluid anywhere near the typewriters.  I can still hear her now, after looking at our early attempts at Pitman's New Era, shouting "vot ees theessss?  Eet ees rubbish!!  Eet ees no good if you can't read eet back!!"

I have my fear of Miss Zombor's wrath to thank for attaining above average speeds at both shorthand and typing, which helped me land my first job at the BBC in 1977 straight from 6th form.