MovieChat Forums > Home Fires (2015) Discussion > Very easy to get a job as a telephonist

Very easy to get a job as a telephonist

posted 9 years ago by prterry
6 replies | jump to latest

I know that criticising this kind of fluff is like shooting fish in a barrel, but I think it was a bit more difficult than just asking if the job's still open, then turning up.

My mum left school in 1941 and went to work at the telephone exchange in Netley, Hampshire. She worked as a telephonist, on the Post Office counter, and delivered telegrams (often bad news, being wartime). In addition, the Post Office was in the same shop as the chemist's, so she had to do prescriptions as well! Not bad for a girl of 14! She had to deliver telegrams to the Royal Military Hospital, which the US Army ran in the run-up to D-Day. The Yanks insisted she was cleared for security before they would let her into the site. She once joked that there's probably a file on her in the Pentagon basement! She's 87 now, and often talks about the war.

[–] jameskelly23 9 years ago

Something that is bothering me is the lack of hats in the out door scenes the only person we see wearing a hat is Francesca Annis. It's 1939 for gods sake! men and women would not have gone out without a hat on, and as for the girl who's the miad she needs to put her hair up who ever heard of a maid with free flowing locks!

[–] xerses13 9 years ago

jameskelly23; Your right and on dress occasions gloves also would have been worn. Like on DOWNTON ABBEY, my S.O. (Ms. xerses13) picked up they were not wearing the correct hose, which had a prominent heel, sole and seam. Here non at all which would be a real fashion faux pas. It may be acceptable in the 21st Century, but not in 1939 or through the rest of the 20th Century.

Such mistakes are becoming more common on these English made series. They used to put a lot of work getting the details right. Now it appears it is a cost cutting measure or just being lazy.

[–] emuir-1 9 years ago

Apart from the fact that it is probably impossible to get the kinds of stockings worn back then, with the seam and prominent heel, although they could do what women did back then, draw a line up the back of their legs with an eyebrow pencil, stockings were made of silk or cotton and became almost unavailable during the war. Nylon stockings did not appear until later as Nylon was needed for parachutes. I can remember my mother using leg tan, a dye which covered the bare white legs. If applied too thickly orange legs were the result, and if caught in the rain, it ran leaving white streaks.

[–] xerses13 9 years ago

emuir-1; Actually they are not hard to get at all. My S.O, She gets them from a outfit in England that makes them today from original equipment. There is also a firm in France and Italy and are available on Amazon and E-Bay (originals). No, this is a case of slipping standards or just plain laziness.

[–] nmgal10 9 years ago

I agree on the hat business. Wonder why it was omitted? Usually the Brits are so good with period detail.

The Cranes of Maine have got your Living Brain

[–] xerses13 9 years ago

nmgall0; They are just getting lazy or cutting cost corners.