The interior of the planner's office may have appeared more modern but that was somewhat far from the truth.

Obviously the drawing boards give that impression.  The heating system (gas fires in each room) was antiquated and of the all or nothing variety.  Jeanette Allen (clerk) was always cold so the heating was run full blast.  The rest of us merely sweated!

When the cottages were demolished for the redevelopment; the three Victorian fireplaces were purchased by Partners much to the annoyance of the demolition workers, who considered those sorts of things as bunce.  Prices were agreed by the then Service Manager, Basil Yalland and paid into the Committee for Claims.  One of the kitchen planning clerks, Fiona, bought one.  The Display Manager, Jackie Garrard, bought the second and, if memory serves, Basil himself bought the third.

I started my eventful Partnership career in the Cottages in 1979.

We often felt we were working for another company tucked away in the Cottages; but one of my first jobs (clerk to the planners) entailed daily visits to the main shop with post etc and then a walk through the car park to Kinghams with typing for the Correspondence dept.  Winter was a problem.  It took a while to get kitted out for the rain and snow!  It couldn't have been bad as I stopped nearly eight years.  Happy days.
Jenny