Chapter 12
Using technology
Arthur was keen to take the department into the 21st century
and insisted on buying in and using computers to aid us in our attempts to
spread knowledge and awareness of French language and culture. His prescient
thinking was ahead of its time to the extent that internet access was not yet
available throughout the school at that time – few departments had gone in that
direction, though the Doc (in the room directly across the corridor from mine)
knew a lot about computers and had organised the installation of an internet
access point in his base.
Arthur got the go-ahead to share science’s internet connection, so all
that remained to be done was to set up a cable connecting the computer in our
base to the socket in the science base across the corridor. Running the cable
along skirting boards, up door frames and across the corridor ceiling was the
obvious solution, but visible wiring offended Arthur’s sense of aesthetics so
he sought a solution that would be more pleasing to the eye.
At that time, quite a lot of work was being done to the school – a lift
shaft was being built and the entire building was being rewired, but the new
wiring was channelled into conduits fitted along the join between the top edge
of the walls and the ceiling. Arthur decided he would run our cable in these
conduits which ran along the top edges of our corridor walls, so it had to run
the width of my room plus the width of the corridor, then back 20 feet or so to
reach the window above the science base – a fair-sized job, but it did mean
there would be no ugly wiring running up walls and door frames, and across the
ceiling.
His first attempt was not a great success. In the lift shaft several
workers were busy setting up the pulley system and the electrics within a dark
and enclosed space, illuminated only by artificial light. After inserting a
length of our cable into a section of conduit, Arthur slapped the cover into
place and this was accompanied by a bright flash immediately followed by yells
of panic and confusion from the gentlemen at work in the lift shaft as it was
plunged into darkness and chaos.
The electrician took it very well and repaired it very quickly, shaking
his head yet amused at the same time. We decided to wait until the next
in-service day before persevering in our task.
Shortly afterwards, on a day when there were no pupils to disturb us and
no construction workers for us to disturb, Arthur set about opening the conduit
casing, inserting the cable and closing it again, while I was to take care of
the connections themselves.
Clearly, I could not do my part until Arthur had completed his task. At
morning interval, I stepped out of my room and into the corridor where Arthur
was working. He was about halfway along the width of my room, perched on a
large table which allowed him to stretch up and reach the conduit casings
running along the top of the wall. I engaged the Doc in conversation at his
doorway, so still in the corridor itself.
As the Doc and I casually conversed about what we had done that morning
and the progress Arthur was making with the wiring, we were suddenly
interrupted by a loud and persistent shriek, “AAAHHHH…”.
I spun around to see Arthur on his table, arms stretched up and hands
seizing the conduits, his body shaking violently as he screamed incoherently.
The man was being electrocuted!
Instinctively, I started running toward him to help but it struck me
that I also would be electrocuted if I touched him, so with reason-defying
logic I put my right shoulder first and prepared to launch myself at him,
hoping to knock him off the table and break the flow of the electric current.
When I was about four feet away from the table, Arthur suddenly released
the conduit, crouched, pointed at me, pulled a face and cried out “Na, na,
na-na, na” in the manner of a child who has just fooled a friend. I don’t know
if I have ever felt such a wave of mixed emotions – relief, anger,
embarrassment and amusement.
I no longer remember exactly why, but for years after that our computer
was connected to the science base internet socket by a cable that ran across
the ceiling between our two rooms. I suspect my nerves couldn’t take the
pressure of pretty wiring.
Despite such an inauspicious start, this was the beginning of what
proved to be a life-changing development in my life and I owe a debt of
gratitude to my Higher class, my colleague Arthur, and of course my wife for
leading me to the water of Les Mis in the first place.
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