I don’t know if anyone takes propert shorthand typing courses these days. I have seen some lovely jobs that still call for these skills – usually in a particularly hi end magazine recruitment pages. They are the sort that have embassies anonymously advertising for a fantastic Girl Friday or whatever they’re called these days. When I was growing up, this was my dream job – to be important and look after a boss. I hadn’t got as far as deciding what kind of boss – just one who could speak nicely and not too fast seems to be my limit. I could do a certain amount of the shorthand, but the classes at school had been interrupted by the teacher having to go on long term sick leave and she was never replaced. I excelled with the typing side of commercial studies though. Ahh the happy sound of a trainee typist whizzing along to the William Tell Overture . . . .
