Roger Bunce

What did TOTSIs stand for and what did the qualification entail?

Bill Jenkin

Technical Operations Training Standing Instructions.  

As opposed to ETSIs "Engineering Training Standing Instructions."

Did you have to have completed an STO course before you were qualified under TOTSIs? (as you did  a "C" course for ETSIs).

Roger Bunce

I think you had to complete the STO course before you were fully TOTSI qualified – not that there was a certificate or anything.

In the days when I was Union ‘Equality Officer’, I was working with a Producer named Nicci, who was looking at Equality from the Management side. She had a meeting with John Lightfoot, who was Head of Tech. Ops. (or whatever), to discuss the numbers of women in technical roles. I met up with her for a drink, shortly afterwards. She said that John seemed a well-meaning chap, but, "He seemed to be referring to female operators as ‘Totsies’!"

Tony Miller

I joined as a Direct Entry engineer in ODs at Wembley Palace of (F)Arts in 1963 and did an EESIs 2 course. When I transferred to Tech Ops sound I did EESIs 3. I do not know what the initials stand for, probably Engineering Establishment Standing Instructions.