Introduction

by Ian Gillis

Geoff was a bright, young graduate who came into Marconi at a time when there were lots of seasoned analogue engineers but few who were into the new-fangled digits. He came out to Mariepskop, one of the reporting posts of Project Nassau, to help me when I was Site Systems Engineer for the overall System Trials.

Geoff's Memories of Marconi

from an email from Geoff

I did the one year graduate scheme from Sept 1968 and then in Sept 1969 I worked in the PCTA at Baddow. During this time I got rather interested in a senior manager's pretty daughter, and she in me.  On Jan 1st 1970, I was despatched to West Drayton - presumably at the instigation of said manager!

I worked first on Linesman and then on FPPS.

While there I remember Pete Crosby (sadly drowned in Saudi?), Alan Tustin (the boss) and Bob Giddy (who I am still in touch with and who went on to become the CEO of NEC Semiconductor). Also, Keith Nisbet who is still a friend. Another good friend was Alec Campbell - sadly died in 1990.

In Sept 70 I got called into Mike Bartlett's office and was told that I was going to SA! A South African Marconi guy at West Drayton, Gordon van Doran, told me what I would be in for. Snakes etc!

I was in SA for a year from Oct 70 to Sept 71. I was the Myriad man! The site manager was Norman Faulkner, who is on the list. I remember one of the Atlas guys, Frank, who had a pretty young wife Anne. I was quite a good mate of Terry Barnsley and also Ted Jones. I also remember Dido Slaney, wireman who lived in a caravan at Ellisras.

The boss at one of the sites was Syd White. Poor Syd was a most interesting bloke in that he couldn't string a sentence together. For example a typical conversation might be:

Sid: “Geoff, nip down to the whatsername and tell whatshisface about the thingamyjig”
 
Geoff: “Sorry Sid, could you run that by me again”.
 
Sid: “You know what I mean, the doodah that matey fixed yesterday, tell ‘em it’s got a problem with the whatsit and needs a new youknowwhat”.

Poor Syd became very ill while I was there and was taken away in a helicopter.

In 1971 October I went back to the UK on the Edinburgh Castle (cheaper than the flight) where I met my first wife and then to West Drayton to work on the Air Traffic Control Myriad. One job I had was to install a 4K RAM store the size of a wardrobe! I also once opened up the Plessey Memory Box and found a pair of pliers and an old fag end inside!

In 1972 I left Marconi and had a year off travelling. In 1973 I went into sales in the electronics industry. I than joined Analog Devices, a US semiconductor company, and was a divisional marketing manager. In 1987 I started a PR company for the semiconductor company. It is still going strong.

I retired in 2005.

Photographs

Here are a few photographs that Geoff has kindly sent us (click the thumbnails for bigger versions):

Brian, Frank, Anne, Ellisras	Brian, Robin, pub @ Mahalapye	Chris Foster, Blyde River	Ellisras domestic site
Ellisras radar site	Frank, Anne, Ellisras	Frank, Ann, Sordwana bay	Geoff…
Ian Gillis, Blyde R Canyon	Ian Gillis Lorenço Marques	Mariepskop domestic site	Mariepskop radars
Cyril Froggatt, Mariepskop	Devon radars	Walter, Frank, Ann, Sordwana Bay	Steve Williams, Springs
Steve Williams, Ellisras	Steve Williams, Springs Zoo	Ted Jones, Mariepskop	Albe?, ?, Cyril, Geoff (pic by IJG)