In the early 1970s one of my first jobs as a "support programmer" with ICL was writing software on F.W.Woolworth's site in Castleton outside Rochdale. This often involved working at night and over the weekends because we needed access to the computer when it wasn't running "real" work. We mostly kept to the computer room and its associated offices, but we were warned that if we had cause to leave that area we absolutely must ring the security guard so that he could retrieve Fang the alsatian. Fang was a very single-minded guard dog. So far as he was concerned, no one had any right to be anywhere in the buildings except him and his security-guard master. Once the place closed down for the evening, and the last worker had gone home, Fang would be let out of his kennel to roam the corridors and stairwells at his leisure, and on his own.
On one particular day Sam, one of the computer operators, was sent to go out and get some hot meat pies for the team from the pub up the road. As per SOP, he rang the guard who retrieved Fang so he could get out of the side door in safety. Somewhere communication broke down, the guard thinking that Sam had gone home. Sam thinking that Fang was being held in limbo until he got back. Happily letting himself in through the side door he set off for the lift with his pies. As he arrived at the lifts he heard a scrabbling noise from down the corridor and saw coming towards him an enraged Fang. He just had time to jump into the lift and press the button for the computer room floor - the top floor. Relief was short lived however, because the doors opened to reveal Fang just negotiating the last flight of stairs to the landing. Quick as a flash Sam slammed the doors close button and set off back to the ground floor. As the doors shut he could see through the windows Fang turning in his own length to set off back downstairs. This happened a couple of times until Sam thought of delaying Fang on the ground floor by throwing him a meat pie. This appeared to work, because on arriving back on the top floor Fang was nowhere to be seen. To get back to safety Sam had to get through the canteen and he was half way across when he heard the crackle of claws on vinyl. Fang was back! Sam had no time to get to the opposite doors and climbed onto the serving counter just ahead of the enraged Fang.
At this point Sam got really scared and began screaming for help while simultaneously throwing his remaining pies, one by one to Fang. Fortunately someone in the computer room heard the commotion and rang the security guard. The story has a happy ending in that Sam's pies didn't run out before his luck, but it was a long time before he'd risk going through those corridors even when he was assured that Fang was firmly restrained.
On one particular day Sam, one of the computer operators, was sent to go out and get some hot meat pies for the team from the pub up the road. As per SOP, he rang the guard who retrieved Fang so he could get out of the side door in safety. Somewhere communication broke down, the guard thinking that Sam had gone home. Sam thinking that Fang was being held in limbo until he got back. Happily letting himself in through the side door he set off for the lift with his pies. As he arrived at the lifts he heard a scrabbling noise from down the corridor and saw coming towards him an enraged Fang. He just had time to jump into the lift and press the button for the computer room floor - the top floor. Relief was short lived however, because the doors opened to reveal Fang just negotiating the last flight of stairs to the landing. Quick as a flash Sam slammed the doors close button and set off back to the ground floor. As the doors shut he could see through the windows Fang turning in his own length to set off back downstairs. This happened a couple of times until Sam thought of delaying Fang on the ground floor by throwing him a meat pie. This appeared to work, because on arriving back on the top floor Fang was nowhere to be seen. To get back to safety Sam had to get through the canteen and he was half way across when he heard the crackle of claws on vinyl. Fang was back! Sam had no time to get to the opposite doors and climbed onto the serving counter just ahead of the enraged Fang.
At this point Sam got really scared and began screaming for help while simultaneously throwing his remaining pies, one by one to Fang. Fortunately someone in the computer room heard the commotion and rang the security guard. The story has a happy ending in that Sam's pies didn't run out before his luck, but it was a long time before he'd risk going through those corridors even when he was assured that Fang was firmly restrained.
