OH, Pleeeeease !

[donna255]

Oh, it seems Boots have launched their own brand of skin care for women going through the menopause. The bandwagon must be overflowing now.

 

[Totally Loopy Lou]

Oh, hockey. I was always put in goal. Netball goal again, and I was one of the shortest in the class.

Another hockey hater here too!

We played mixed too which is positively dangerous!

I always remember my head of year who was also head of PE, telling my folks are parents’ evening that “it’s almost as if she is actually running AWAY from the ball in hockey!!”

Damn right I was

I swam for the county and we were put into sets on the basis of our swimming ability (why?!) so I ended up in the top set!

No matter that although not bad at netball (tall so in goal of course!), I loathed and literally let the team down in games and half of athletics!

I was in the office last week. Was talking to one my my team and touch typing at the same time. She was absolutely in awe. QWERTY trained. Most folks seem to use two fingers to type these days.

When I was about 17 and at sixth form, I took a touch typing evening class - it was on electric typewriters too not even PC’s (and it must’ve been about 1996?)

SO useful!
Never got great speed or accuracy but made so much difference at uni and work etc.

Just shame I now spend my life on teeny tiny phone keyboard!

I even got dad to do the same class when he was about 60yo and no longer had a secretary to dictate to!

 

[donna255]

I say to people I do not like tablets as I am a touch typist. I manage quick text on the phone, but prefer to email on a proper keyboard.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

When I use the iPad I use one finger but it’s the ring finger on my right hand but on a proper keyboard it’s touch typing- phone keypad I can’t cope with it’s too bliddy small

 

[Muttley]

I learnt to type at school on a manual initially, then they got a couple of electrics which were amazing. I got 3 RSA qualifications from school and being able to touch type has been a great help as I've always worked in an office with a fair amount of typing. Nowadays I spend most of my work time creating and editing Excel spreadsheets so my skills aren't really used sadly.

 

[Brissles]

I was put in as goalie too Donna. The most bloody dangerous place on the pitch. I shiver now at remembering this hoard of beefy girls heading towards me with sticks flailing, and the only protection I had was knee pads !!!! dear God.

 

[Toril]

When I use the iPad I use one finger but it’s the ring finger on my right hand but on a proper keyboard it’s touch typing- phone keypad I can’t cope with it’s too bliddy small

I can type on a normal keyboard, but on my iPad and iPhone I use a stylus.

 

[Snowstorm]

I did RSA too. It was called Office Practice and Typing, we covered so much layout, indentation, audio and lots more. It takes me back. I do try and type on the iPad using all my fingers. I find that the iPad is slightly slow to respond if that makes sense. Lovely seeing so many that know what querty trained means

 

[Lilo Lil]

Another RSA participant here. Calculating how to centre the typing on paper.

I think we used to type to the William Tell overture and ‘carriage return’ is in my dna ..
lol…

 

[stratobuddy]

Another RSA participant here. Calculating how to centre the typing on paper.

I think we used to type to the William Tell overture and ‘carriage return’ is in my dna ..
lol…

My ex did shorthand and typing and became secretary to a local council head of department, and later got RSA quali as a typing teacher and became a part-time teacher in a college and for a private typing school (it was well known but I can't remember its name, any ideas?)

 

[donna255]

Dear old RSA, who remembers hanging paragraphs?

 

[alter ego]

My ex did shorthand and typing and became secretary to a local council head of department, and later got RSA quali as a typing teacher and became a part-time teacher in a college and for a private typing school (it was well known but I can't remember its name, any ideas?)

Would it be Pitman's? My parents sent my sister there to learn office admin in the late 60's. We both worked in the family business but I just did night school. She's 22 years older than me and took over all the VAT-related admin when it was introduced. Pitman's was incredibly useful training.

I did a few RSA courses and managed to do quite well. I trained in QWERTY touch typing, too, but it's pretty useless for me these days as I can only use one hand.

 

[candycane]

Oh, hockey. I was always put in goal. Netball goal again, and I was one of the shortest in the class.

You're me, aren't you? I refuse to watch netball to this day.

I did RSA typing at nightschool when I moved to London and I got a lot of temping jobs. I can type blindfold and get every word correct. When I get to do any typing at work (I help out the office sometimes) they are amazed that I don't need to look!

CC

 

[Brissles]

Sometimes when I was doing audio typing at work (NHS) I would sit with headphones on and eyes closed - just to rest my eyes don't you know, banging away on the keyboard. It used to amuse my colleagues no end that I never had any typing errors - well, one or two maybe. Such was our grounding in our early years. Possibly THE one thing that aided me through life - learning touch typing at school.

 

[madaunty]

I did have a few good secondary teachers, and at least I was taught typing which put in good stead for my first job in a typing pool when I left school in 1965. I then went to night school to learn Shorthand - which I can still do !

Hockey was my nemesis though, I loathed it, and I remember going to the 'hut' where all the equipment was and there was a huge pile of black hockey plimsolls that we had to pick through for our size. God knows how old these things were and I couldn't bear to think of all the feet had worn them before over the years. ugh ugh !

I used to love hockey. Very different to how they play now though, nowadays all on artificial pitches? We had to use muddy playing fields. I’ve discovered recently that they don’t start a game with the “bully off” any more. Not since 1981 apparently. Who knew!?
I remember playing silly beggars with a friend and we were doing an exaggerated bully off. I managed to smack her thumb with my stick and bruising it very badly. Unfortunately it was her right hand and she couldn’t write properly, so as punishment I had to write all her homework up for her.

 

[Muttley]

I did RSA too. It was called Office Practice and Typing, we covered so much layout, indentation, audio and lots more. It takes me back. I do try and type on the iPad using all my fingers. I find that the iPad is slightly slow to respond if that makes sense. Lovely seeing so many that know what querty trained means

And I still put my fingers on the Home Keys (the middle row) before starting to type which ensures your fingers are in the correct place. It's weird as I could not tell you where each letter is on a keyboard but if I were blindfolded my fingers know and I will type correctly! And I bet all the typists on here know "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Muttley i agree! When a keyboard question is in a quiz I have to put my hand on an imaginary keyboard to work out the answer as it is so automatic to just type without thinking where specific keys are.

My dad typed from the age of 15 until 90 and he was the fasted 2 fingered typist you ever saw.

 

[stratobuddy]

I even learned touch-typing myself up to a certain level, hours of repeating asdfg ;lkjh (taught by my ex of course)

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I worked for a man who stood behind you and dictated letters as you typed and this was on a typewriter not computer so it had to be correct first time - i only had to do it when his secretary was off and I hated it as he spoke very fast and didn’t need thinking time!

 

[Snowstorm]

And I still put my fingers on the Home Keys (the middle row) before starting to type which ensures your fingers are in the correct place. It's weird as I could not tell you where each letter is on a keyboard but if I were blindfolded my fingers know and I will type correctly! And I bet all the typists on here know "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"

Oh goodness yes, yes and yes. What a wonderful trip down memory lane.