[Magdalen] Fitting modems (was Re: Talk for St. George's Cathedral, All Saints Celtic service)

[Roger Stokes]

On 01/11/2015 23:54, Joseph Cirou wrote:
> I joined   Prodigy in 1989 when I bought my first computer and I installed the modem myself (I surprised myself that I could do it)

That jogged a memory for me.  Joan and I worked in the Prison Service 
1987-89, she as a psychologist and me as a chaplain.  Our offices were 
in the same suite (another story there) and we attended prisoner review 
meetings together.  Either late 1987 or early 1988 she had brought a 
portable computer up from London - about the size of a portable sewing 
machine but without the weight saving of that big gap below the arm.

Anyway, she was sent a new, faster modem which needed to be fitted. No 
manual (naturally) so she was on the phone to London relaying 
instructions to me wielding the screwdriver.  That was my first 
experience of working on the inside of a computer but at least between 
us we effected the switch so data could get to London just that little 
bit faster.

Roger