Anna Stone

Rhymes from past times

Anna Stone 11 July 2008
Subjects: History - Interesting stories   History - Staff memories 

The past few weeks have been unusually busy in the archive strong room. During the refurbishment of the surrounding buildings one end of the room was invaded by fine white dust and we have had a specialist disaster recovery firm in to remove it all.

During the clean, members of the archive team had to be in the strong room at all times and I took the opportunity to look through some of our series of staff magazines. As someone who enjoys reading and writing poems, particularly parodies, I was struck by the quantity and quality of poems submitted by the staff for inclusion in the magazines.

Our best known poetical alumni is John Drinkwater who worked for The Northern Assurance Company between 1897 and 1909 but the pages of our staff magazines are littered with unsung heroes of verse. Naturally, the subject is often insurance as in the A A Milne parody When We were Very Busy - Albert Square by H L M which appeared in the Northern Staff Magazine of September 1934 and ends with the verses:

"I got a little Life Case,
My first little Life Case,
I took my Life Case
To Albert Square,
I thought I'd get a cover,
At last I'd get a cover,
Though it seems that cover
Is very rare.

But they said my "Life" had arterio sclerosis,
Tetanus also, and asbestosis,
Housemaid's knee and silicosis,
So I didn't get a cover not anywhere there.

I had nuffin',
No, I hadn't got nuffin'
So I didn't go down
To Albert Square"

A little more research has revealed that Albert Square was the Manchester office of The Northern. Other poems in the magazines reflect staff reactions to company events such as this from The Four In Hand (staff magazine of the North British and Mercantile) in 1959:

Nature Corner by JB

I'll tell you all a fable
Of great morality,
The Norbrit and the Seayew
In Bird Mythology.

They once were bitter rivals,
And this was so because
To combat competition,
They both grew longer clause.

They'd fable'd spots for moulting,
For once I heard them say
They'd lost a lot of feathers
Within the Yewessay.

(I can't think why they lost them,
Not long ago I heard
They always went in cycles-
Most oddly for a bird.)

And then one April morning,
When fighting in the dust,
They thought a thought together -
"Amalgamate or bust."

The Norbrit and the Seayew
Made friends, as you can tell,
With all their small relations;
(The Claw-in-Claw as well.)

I hope the pair will prosper,
And even more that they
Will stop this loss of feathers
Within the Yewessay.

Perhaps they'll have some over,
Perhaps they'll think it best
To send me down a sackful
To help me line my nest. 

The poem refers to the merger of the company with Commercial Union (CU or Seayew) and to problems both had been having in America (Yewessay). The poet even managed to include a reference to the Hand-in-Hand which I'll leave you to spot for yourselves.

Sometimes the poetry touches themes not only applicable to insurance such as the following from the Commercial Union staff magazine of 1911 about the changes caused when companies began to take on female staff.

Angelina Disillusioned by R D Y (with original punctuation)

Twas in the "CU's" palmy days.
Ere typists had become the craze
Ere tariffs were the verbal maze
Concocted by committee.
Young Edwin to his office sped
With glossy topper on his head.
And Angelina, sighing, said -
"He's SOMEONE in the city."

While Edwin (rising to the game)
Was wisely mute - but all the same,
T'was clear some firm of city fame
On him alone depended.
And Edwin's imitators glib
Referred to some "important crib"
For though they scorn to tell a fib
They've frequently pretended. -

But ah! since ‘Lina came to town
This house of cards has toppled down.
Says she with supercilious frown
I'm perfectly disgusted.
"Your grammar! I'm ashamed to quote
"Your spelling, too I'm bound to note
"I've seen you in your office coat
AND SO THE BUBBLE'S BUSTED"

Illustrated original version of Angelina Disillusioned by R D Y

If anyone knows who our shy poets R D Y, J B and H L M might have been I would love to hear.

Contact details

Aviva Group Archive
PO Box 4
8 Surrey Street
Norwich
NR1 3NG

Telephone 01603 682 645 
E-mail anna_stone@aviva.com