Nostalgia 375 – Celebrating GT&T, 1991 to 2011
– World Telecommunications and Information Day May 17th
– By: Godfrey Chin –godchin1@aol.com
The Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Co celebrated its 20th Anniversary February 2011, with much fanfare, and a record of outstanding accomplishments significant to the advancement of Republic Guyana. While as expected there is the usual dissatisfied partisans, – as a Nostalgia buff, I hasten to record what it was like growing up in the mudland just after WWII., without much telecommunication service.
‘He had no shoes and cried until he met a man who had no feet – is the applicable cliché’. The local populace and ex-wives have always been so hard to please. They either big-eye – never get enough for their money – or never get enough ‘house money. Life is a beach!
From the dawn of History, mankind has sought indefatigably to improve their communication with each other. This is what differentiates between man and animal. Messages were passed from one person to the other by voice, horns, while beating drums carried messages through the air. The early methods of communication relied on how far people could run, see, hear or shout.
From the early grunts in cave dwellings – they graduated to handshakes to distinguish between friend & foe. There were pictographs on cave walls – hieroglyphics in Egyptians tombs – tom-tom drums in African jungles – smoke signals on the Indian plains – carrier pigeons – semaphore signals – Morse codes – telephone and telegraph – and today the ubiquitous cell phone.
If the cell phone was available yesteryear much of history’s events would have been unnecessary. Paul Revere could have avoided his wild ride ‘The English are coming’ that saved the rebellious Colonies. The English would have avoided the anxiety of waiting for relayed signals that their Lord Horatio Nelson had won the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805.
The Battle of Britain 1942 may have been shorter, and London saved the destructive bombing since they had to rely on relayed messages from spotters on the Coast, looking out for the invading Luftwaffe. Even ex-President John F Kennedy carved a message on a coconut to secure rescue for his crew of PT 109, in the Pacific Islands during WWII.
I mention these incidents to magnify the importance of GT&T Telecommunications today and instill some appreciation to the naysayers locally where everyman jack can now own a cell phone and it has become a ‘status symbol’ Must mention half don’t have ‘use time’ and scratching for ‘top-up’. Ya think it easy.
The first messages to travel further and faster than eye-shot were sent by Telegraph in the 1830’s. The Telegraph consisted of a special code of ‘electric beeps that traveled huge distances along wires in a few minutes. At the other end the receiver sorted the beeps into words and delivered the message in morse code that operators learned to understand and translate back into words. In 1851 the first Telegraph cable was laid under the English Channel from Dover to Calais. By 1866 undersea cables provided the first transatlantic telecommunications link. Guyana is connected to the outer world by cable – while Satellite connection is the method in vogue today.
GT&T has dedicated new cell towers to improve their service to this Hinterland area. This is part of the ongoing expansion service the Company is committed to, and continues relentlessly.
As WWII ended I had my own homemade private telephone – 2 tin cups and a long string leading to my next door neighbour’s window for small boy ‘gossip’ and ‘young talk’. Ol Talk is for 16 year plus. Pull the string tight – speak into one container – and the person at the other end can hear what you are saying.
Don’t laugh – the string worked and could do miracles. I had a friend who kinda deaf wore a ‘button in his right ear with a short string attached. Teasing him that earrings was girlish or he was an ‘auntyman’ he excused that he was kinda deaf and his parents couldn’t afford a hearing aid. The string and button helped – as in conversation he listed his head – they got the message – and spoke louder. Guyana’s ingenuity at its best!
By high school Odel Adams and I (even though a straggling 5 yr tenderfoot) represented the Central High School Scout team in Semaphore Signalling at the annual Scout Camp Competition at Governor’s Ground next to the Everest Club (then EICC). We were always runners-up to the skilled Sea Scout Team comprising Lennie Shuffler, Alan Mann & Lawrence Van Sertima, who met at T&HD wharf, Kingston.
Work from 1955 at the Public Buildings brought me in ‘close’ contact to the Hello Girls’ at the McInroy Building Lombard and Hadfield Sts opposite then Auto Supplies Pawn Brokery. These were the days of ‘duals’ to get around the city- either your two feet or two bicycle wheels. There were so few motor cars then – that copying and collecting motor car numbers was a major hobby. For special occasions wedding & funerals you hired a taxi from Bookers, Tower, Cyril’s, Norman’s for $1.00. Thank Heavens there was then no mini-buses – the scourge of the road today.
The Public Buildings’ employees entrance was at Hadfield St where there was a long bicycle shed – and intro to tackling – escorting – sharking the ‘hello girls were double motivated.
These charming girls were called Hello Girls – because they manned ‘push and pull’ switch boards – with earphone and mouthpieces and answered your calls with charming seductive voices ‘Hello’, and made connections so people can talk to each other. Today’s connection is by automatic switching – and recently GT&T has installed connecting stations throughout the length and breadth of the country to improve telephone service.
Man, I knew most of the gals working there, and above and beyond, ‘my raging hormones’ – familiarity with the hello crew had special privileges.
You got through your calls instantly as your voice was recognised – and with bachelor eligibility – you got instant connection locally. Of course calls at pre-arranged times when your ‘friend’ on duty earned ‘free overseas calls.
One evening I escorted my favorite banner to night duty – at 7pm and then entered the Public Buildings to use the telephone on the Reception Desk
on the second Floor rotunda. We chatted until 12 midnight – continued to chat on her break in the staff room until 3am – and then to 7am when she went back to the switchboard – Hell. Should have claimed a Guinness Record – 12 hours non stop with that heavy ceramic phone to your ear. Escorted her home – and had to reach to work for 8am. Thank Heavens – I worked in the Civil Service and sleeping on the job was possible! Ya think it easy. The Hello Girls were a ‘wonderful bunch – and must be included with the local nurses and teachers in accolades ‘So proudly we hail! To quote Sir Winston Churchill “We owe so much to so few’. Hell I nearly forget to mention ‘The Mayor & Town Council’ Oops – Don’t get upset – Just joking – Buelah & Hammie always arguing ‘but their hands tied if ya understand the Party Position on Local Government administration while the Citizens suffer.
For relevance I take the liberty to mention a few distinguished Hello Girls. Will use their maiden names as these would now be changed and hardly recognizable in the Guyaspora Enclaves abroad. These included Ms Thelma Lashley – Joyce Farnum – Elsie Vallidum – Lynette Agostini – The Sylvester Sisters – Annie Chow-How – Liela Reece – Pat Chin. We partied – moonlight picnicked on the sea wall – and went on regular excursions to the rural area including Red Water creek, Atkinson Field – a favorite retreat.
Those were the days my friend – the best of times. Comraderie, cupid comfort & closeness between the sexes, who looked out for each other. Soney James ‘Young Love’ was the Hit Parade, and ‘Our hearts were young and Gay’ indeed.
When I dated where the parents objected to my visit – I telephoned the neighbour upstairs – let the phone ring 5 times – hung up – just as it was answered with a ‘good cuss’ ‘ But that was my ‘on my way date signal – for pick up at the gate outside. Guyana Ingenuity at its best. Ya think it easy
Must mention my near miss experience working at the CSO Office, Post Office Building 1960. The voice of the Telephone Operator was seductive as Tokyo Rose in WW11. After 2 months nuff ‘telephone soor’ needed to check-out the ‘goods – before asking for a date, which seemed assured. Promised on the phone for cochoor to present her my latest Englebert Humperdick LP with hits ‘Winter world of Love’
‘Walked up to the Switch board for the surprise of my life – Oops a Wizened madam – looked like the witch in Disney’s Snow White – probably had great grand children and her false teeth was in a saucer on the switch board. Oh Hell – I about turn like The Italian Troops in WW11. Luckily I didn’t introduce myself – so I responded ‘Can you direct me to The Record Store run by Matt Baptiste – which blind eye just passed downstairs.
We win some – we lose some. Whew a close call – Thank Heavens my Father taught me ‘never buy a pig in a pork – Ya think it easy!
For more Nostalgias check out Godfrey’s Nostalgias -1940 to 1980 or go to http://godfreychin.com/book.php – Order his Nostalgias – Golden Memories of Guyana 1940-1980 from that site.
