How Things Have Changed!

                              

My first post-school job was as a Blue Button (trainee stockbroker with attitude) on the London Stock Exchange. Other than my general trading duties, I also had a lot of 'adding-up' to do. It amazes me to think that in those days the above primitive machine was as good as it got.

I often sat at my desk with a telephone in each ear, punching numbers into my wretched machine; praying that I didn't make any silly mistakes; or that some other idiot Blue Button didn't set light to my tie. For an 18 year old it was a bloody nightmare.

Nowadays all that has changed. Dealers sit in front of computer screens, and make complicated deals with the click of a button, and all the resulting accounting is centralised. It's still a nightmare, but more cosy.

I mentioned once before how I regret that my mother never experienced the miracles of our modern digital age. She would have loved Email, Skype, instant photos, and everything else that we now take for granted.

Sometimes (like at this very moment) I look at my laptop and small digital camera, and frankly I'm amazed by all the magic. We take so much for granted these days, when some of us can still remember pre-TV days, rationing, polio, listening with mother, buying salt in large blocks, and Charlie Drake.

In my pocket I have a very small torch key ring, which operates thanks to a tiny solar panel and three LED's; unimaginable a few years ago. Amazing

From hand cranked calculating machines to non-battery light; we've come a very long way in 50 years.