Our Telephone Pole By Mo

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Both Cilla and I have this theory that everyone and everything has a story to tell. Well this piece just goes to prove the point. It's about the telephone pole that was replaced outside the front of our house. She was out mending a slew of friends computers, when I heard a knock at the door.

It was about 10 am when a sprightly young fellow knocked at the door to let me know the phone lines would be down for a few hours whilst our telephone pole was replaced. Donning a construction hat, bright yellow coat and mining boots, Richard informed me I could have a temporary line to continue working on the website whilst this took place. It was on my return upstairs, to my corner of the bedroom, that I took a peek out of the window to see the long arm extension of a Cumberland Communications Van carrying another engineer and cab to the top of the pole.

Poking my head out of the window I asked "Can I take some pictures for the website?". "No problem", came the reply from Alan, the team leader, looking up from the base of the pole. "Another story lands in my lap", I thought, as I unloaded the battery charger and slipped the first rechargeable into our 150 quid Minolta digital camera. It's something about the mention of being on the web that brings out a gleeful smile in almost all of my interviewees, not the panic of being ripped apart in the News of the World but a curious excitement of being shown to the new world of the internet.

Still, none of this can happen without this Pole stuck some 1.5 meters underground, having carried the burden of between 20 and 40 telephone wires emanating in a star shape to all the properties nearby for sometimes as long back as 50 or 60 years.

Outside I was introduced to the team, Alan the chief, his two sons Colin and Jonathan with Richard, all working together for a single young (4 yrs old) company called Cumberland Communications (not forgetting Alan's wife Joy who I never met, but who undoubtedly coordinates this enthusiastic group of fellows from head office - upstairs at their house). This job is called "Polling" and the boys are subcontracted by Kingston Communications to continue replacing Hull's telephone poles for the next three years as part of a six year program.

That's quite an achievement for a small company, to win a contract for that period of time from any major telecommunications supplier. Despite zero backing from the high street banks, even with that asset on offer, raising sufficient capital to support the heavy equipment and skilled labour to carry it out still needs Alan and his wife to put their house up as collateral. Perhaps a reflection of the government and an institutional lack of entrepreneurship, even leadership, in fostering growth of small companies. Small companies form the foundation of any economy. Why? Because it's the nature of their size that promotes efficiency. When a shovel goes missing from their equipment, it's felt and decisions are taken immediately.

"HVM, our vehicle maintenance and supplier deserve credit for the great service they give us, it's not all just about money to make a small company survive", adds Alan who's quick to add a promo for " Peter Taylor Signs, who paint logos on our vehicles".

Alan used to work as a subcontractor on the motorway infrastructure. "Take the A1/M1, where two companies went bust over the delivery. It was our third year in operation that was the most difficult" he explains. Motorway work fatality rate is high. Alan recounts an accident where a member of the team was killed outright simply laying motorway cones. "Most of that crew moved with BT up to Scotland, but we decided to start out alone here in Hull, gaining work from Kingston Comms.

Richard twists the pole, Alan gets good news.

Continued .. Next Page

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