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Pam Reynolds

Page history last edited by Alan Hartley-Smith 5 years, 7 months ago

 

Pam in c.2016

 

Introduction

From The Chelmsford Chronicle 16 Aug. 2018

 

"REYNOLDS Pamela Mary -

Adventurous, funny, clever, a true friend - unique and will be sorely missed."

 

Tributes

From Don H:

Many older Marconi-ites will remember Pam as a formidable member of the Marconi Publicity Department headed by Raymond Raikes. She served in the WRNS in World War 2 and once wrote a sparkling review of her experiences on VE Day to add to an article I wrote for News and Views on Marconi at War to mark the 50th anniversary of peace.

 

I first encountered Pam through the Marconi Dramatic Society, probably in the very late 50s. She was an accomplished actress, who could hold her own against such as Dan Boyle, also of Publicity, when it came to consuming beer during rehearsals. There are numerous examples of her work in the archives, not least the brochure celebrating Marconi's Centenary. After retirement she edited the MRSL News and Views for many years, until it fell victim to yet another round of cuts, at which she instantly vanished from my sight.

 

On the basis that she was probably at least 10 years older than me she must now have been in her 90s.

 

The short notice in the Chronicle sums her up very well, I feel. I am glad to have known and worked with her. RIP, Pam.

 

from John M B:

Dear Don, thank you so much for notifying us of the death of Pam Reynolds; anybody who encountered Pam, very quickly were captivated by her personality, her sheer professionalism, and wonderful sense of fun. I can still recall her voice when I used to ring her, answering in that deep inimitable voice ''Miss Reynolds''. That was quite an office set-up: Dick Raikes Head of Publicity (ex-RN and Commander of the Cockleshell Raid) whose office was off to the left, the middle office occupied by Pam (as you say ex-WRNS) and by Peter Welch - also ex-RN;  and off to the right, the Press Office, in the charge of Dan Boyle, also a personal friend.

I worked closely with Pam, both when I was in Radar Division and at the launch of Space Communications Division on articles for 'Aerial' (for which she was Editor), Sales brochures, and our own House Magazine.  

I remember that when Microcircuits started at Witham, she was the first to coin the expression (for one of her features) 'Chips With Everything" - which some purists rather 'sniffed at'!  We both worked very closely with Marcus Cooper (the documentary film-maker) on numerous occasions.

It was a great privilege to have known her and to have worked with her, in those wonderful days at Marconi's

in the 1950s and 1960s. RIP Pam.

 

from Alan HS:

Like Don I also knew Pam through the MDS - we acted together in several productions in which she more than held her own in verbal contests! And like John I knew the crew in Publicity and worked with Pam on Aerial and other publications in which she demonstrated her very sharp mind and command of the English language. I wish I had been able to maintain contact in later years.  

 

 

From Rob C:

I knew Pam when I was a “thick sandwich” graduate apprentice at Marconi in the 1960s. I’d spent some time at Aeronautical Division in Basildon working on the navigation systems for Concorde and was interested in joining the Publicity Dept and transitioning from engineering to marketing communications. At the time I was writing Technical Descriptions (TDs) in an office on the corner of Rainsford Lane (now gone for the A1016 and 1060 junction), which was part of the department producing handbooks down the road at Waterhouse Lane. 

I had met Pam socially and she wrote an article for the staff magazine about me and my newly married wife and some charity work we did in the East End of London. So we got to know each other very well. She subsequently introduced me to a contact at my future employer, Roles & Parker, a large technical advertising agency. 

I have fond memories of working with her…

 

Further info from Don H:

She died peacefully on July 12th, aged 97. There is a suspicion that she might have been frustrated not to make 100 - which would be Pam all over.

Apparently she was living in the Chelmsford area until she eventually moved into a home in North London. Immediately after News and Views folded I recovered from her desk in Eastwood House some material and archive photographs intended for the next, ill fated, edition, which she had abandonned. I rang her to let her know what I had done, but got my ear bent for dragging her in from her sunbathing.

My contact is, I believe, the nephew of Pam's companion, Olive. Pam decreed 'no funeral' but there is to be a wake some time in September, so I have promised to forward the various bits we have in terms of tributes, history snippets and her piece on her VE day experiences for folk to share. So if anyone has other memories, perhaps they could provide them in the next week or so.
● I just thought to look up Pam in the MVA records. She 'came on board' in 1960.
● Here's a link to her VE Night article - the photo above accompanied it.
● I came across these two video clips, recorded in February 2016. Her VE Night memories are a marginally extended version of what Pam wrote for me in 1995 for News and Views. In the other short clip Pam recounts a ridiculous 'Dad's Army' moment: Private Pike, perhaps?

 

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