I was just seventeen.
I had been working within the Inland Revenue (Bootle) for approximately a fortnight, and had been placed with a small group of clerical assistants (mature women) for training. In those days, desks were grouped in four and there was a tier of post trays raised above each desk for sorting purposes. I was sat between two desks, observing and taking instructions.
In the centre of the office were the filing ranges. Rows of huge metal bookcases, filled with company and individual tax related folders, each placed according to reference order. Every employer was allocated a reference number and each employee's tax details were filed according to that number and alphabetically thereafter. This office had all the tax details of predominantly Manchester based employers. The filing ranges also marked a division in each office. Clerical assistants were on one side and Tax officers on the other. At one end of each side sat the Higher Executive Officer, who presided/supervised each group.
The office, at the time (1980), was updating tax details. Pre-computer, this involved handwriting onto new 'Concards', I was told this was an abbreviation of Control Cards. Every taxpayer, at that time, had a control card detailing their tax code and all the relevant details that applied: Name, address, national insurance number, along with any reason for variation in the basic (standard) coding. Older concards were either attached to the newly completed version or disposed via the office 'confidential' waste.
Concards were held separately from the individual files, to aid the Revenue Officers in response to queries. They were a quick means of reference and also allowed fast preparation of various annual reports and individual notifications (all hand written). Working allocations for each member of Revenue staff (numbers of tax related size) was also determined by these concards.
Learning this as I updated details, I sat between two desks and more experienced members of staff. I also listened to the conversations around me. This mostly involved what was discussed by these four women and whoever approached their desks. Various officers came along intermittently to query specific points. Often this appeared to be the result of a recent change in a tax payers employer and to aid other officers in clarifying specific tax details while ensuring all post related was now with them - as the appropriate tax officer. Occasionally it was more social in nature.
I had noticed there was a young disabled man working somewhere else in the building. Whilst filing near the office entrance, which led to internal stairs and access to the lifts, I had seen this man manoeuvring his wheelchair through doors. I had held our office doors open to assist him when he left.
Whilst I sat working between two desks, he had been called over by the two women sat at the desks adjoining/opposite. They called him, "Kev". I listened, while I continued completing details, as he talked and joked. I don't think he saw me sitting on the other side because of the row of post trays.
A few weeks later, I was moved to provide cover for a member of staff on long term sickness absence. I was led to a ground floor office and shown the desk where I was to sit. The desk joining, I noticed, had no chair and I wondered if some quick minded tax officer had replaced theirs and not swapped. I was introduced to Chris, who was a 20 something, hippy, bookish young man who sat on the other side of the desk group, opposite the desk without a chair. He explained where everything was in the office and introduced me to the other clerical assistants. When we returned to our desks, Kev was sitting at the desk next to me (which was without an office chair) and I realised why - he preferred to use his wheelchair.
