Don't even know where to start with this one - bucket list

[bucketlist]

I'm looking to fulfil a bucket list. I've some health problems and there are some places I crave to revisit before I can't get about. This is my "ask BT" for one of those places.

I've recently lost my dad. He was a BT engineer, and I remember when I was a kid he'd take me to his workshop and we'd mend fax machines on Saturday afternoons. He'd spend his life there, he loved his job, trained with BT straight from school and stuck around for decades, going from the yellow Austin Maestro Van to a later blue Ford Escort van. Everything I know I learnt from him and it's forged my own career. His dad before him, my grandad, a loyal BT engineer, exactly the same. 

That would have been mid 80's. In the mid 90's he left BT and had a shot at his own business, it didn't end well, and of course, he had regrets. By that time though, later age was looming for him anyway.

I have no idea how to make this happen, or whether this is the most ridiculous thing anyone could possibly crave, but his absence has left a huge void and everywhere feels empty, there's a weird voice in me telling me to go to that workshop. I'm not superstitious, I don't claim to be psychic, I just can't explain that pressure, the voice telling me that he's there, still mending fax machines in his happy place.

I feel like I need to go to that room. Just for a minute, just to see why that urge is so strong, to see if he's there. I guess I'll just know when I get there, if I'm being stupid or not.

I know the location of the building and I remember the lift, I remember the name of the lift attendant. I remember the vague layout of the room and I remember its very distinctive smell, I smell it sometimes now in vintage electronics. I can't remember how we got there from the lift or what floor it was on though, so that's kind of a hurdle, and I'd imagine things have changed a lot so I'd have to poke around until I recognised the layout, or not. 

Is there anyone here who's within BT or can perhaps offer some kind of starting point? Having had a stroke last year I don't do too well with spoken words and prefer to type so I'm just looking for email addresses really, within some department somewhere that looks after property services or whatever they may call it.

I don't have any malicious intent, I'm not looking to steal copper, I can prove all my claims and I'm happy to be chaperoned.

Where do I start?

Thanks for reading

[iniltous]

Condolences on your loss , unfortunately many ‘BT’ buildings now have no resemblance to how they existed 30 , 40 years ago , the exterior may look the same but internal configurations can and do change , many buildings once ‘full’ of employees are basically empty , with only the occasional visit from staff , even operational buildings have no staff the majority of the time .
BT back in the day had ‘ARC’s area repair centres, and ‘Datel’ workshops , that may be the part of the business your dad was working in , ‘tech’ that was cutting edge back then but would be museum pieces now ….it may well be the workshop you remember may have been converted to anything over the years , an equipment area , office area , storage, it may have even been repurposed a few times , so the interior of the building may be nothing like it was when you visited it .
I doubt you will receive anything more that good wishes with you endeavour on this forum site , you could try contacting the BT Chairmans office , it may be something they could make happen ….best of luck with it .

[Paul608085]

@bucketlist 

I doubt that it will make any difference, but you haven't said where in the country, (town/city), this building is?

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[Peter_W]

Good morning @bucketlist.

Thanks for reaching out to us here on the BT Community, and my sincere condolences for your father's recent passing too. 

I was really touched by your story, and can see that the visits you made to his workshop within BT must have really meant a lot to leave such lasting memories. 

Sadly like @iniltous has mentioned here, it's very unlikely that the building you visited will be operating in the same way it did during this time period, or that this particular room will be accessible or configured in the same way.  

The security of our sites needs to be treated as a top priority too, so they aren't typically places we're able to facilitate visits or tours for members of the public. 

I'm really sorry that this isn't the answer you were hoping for on this occasion, but thanks again for taking the time to share your story and memories.

Peter

[bucketlist]

It's in the Midlands UK. It's still an active exchange and workshops for BT

[tonysmini018]

Do you remember which exchange it was? Some towns and cities have a few?

[36ULW]

Seriously doubt the Workshop is there anymore.

Years ago BT outsourced any Electronic Repair Work.

Said room would’ve ended up as probably an office or most likely a Store Room.

Chances are now it’s completely empty and closed off. BT are currently on a Building Clearing Programme where all old Offices, Store Rooms, Old Equipment Rooms are being stripped bare in readiness for either the Exchange to be handed back to its owner (yep, BT sold off most of their Exchanges back in the late 90’s) and the ones they kept, like the ones with Optical Head Ends and Metranodes are also being stripped bare to make way for more Power Rooms, Head Ends and Data Racks.

[bucketlist]

Yes I live nearby and pass it daily

[bucketlist]

When I pass it I always find myself looking up at the windows and it does look rather empty bar some shelving but it's hard to see from ground level and I still can't be sure I have spotted the right room. It's still a busy place, there's always a few BT vans in the car park and coming and going.

I don't suppose it matters really if I say this is Stafford. From street view I have a rough idea.

I know it's a long shot but if there's any Stafford based engineers by any remote chance reading the forum, maybe you could enlighten me what happens in those rooms now, and if it's really worth me pursuing (despite it probably being a pointless exercise), I'd like to be able to rest knowing I tried.

[36ULW]

Done a few jobs in Stafford but never needed to go to the ATE. 

If I ever go back I’ll have a look around, providing I can get access to that part of the Building.

Large ATE’s like these usually only allow people to apply for MUA, Multi User Access, which doesn’t require Justification/Authorisation.

Offices, Specialist Equipment Rooms, etc normally need Authorisation from a nominated person though as they’ll want a work related Justification reason for you to be in there.