Interior Design

    The manager’s office of the Labour Exchange isn’t exactly the run of the mill sort of office. Instead it’s a circular, underground chamber, on the same lines of Number 2’s office with a green wall, and a number of grey arches, which gives it an expressionist style of German films of the 1920’s. Also the desk is much reminiscent of Number 2’s, and the room has a wall screen, and yet the chair is a simple office chair. And once again the design of an eye is set in the floor.

   As for the Labour Exchange manager himself, he’s dressed in what we are pleased to call morning dress, of grey top hat and tails. He also seems to have nothing better to do with his time than to play with a child’s building set. Perhaps that’s why he was eventually removed from his position. But at least he was in the perfect place, the Labour Exchange, to see that his next position was as assistant to Number 2!
    When Number 6 finds his way into the manager’s office a second time, he’s treated as a friend by Number 20, and gives Number 6 a nice cup of tea. 

   He seems a kindly gentleman who likes to keep the old style of book-keeping, by the employment of an old style ledger to hand write information in. But as well as appearing a kindly gentleman, this new manager is efficient, and treats us to a demonstration of Village technology. By the press of a button the chair Number 6 sits in is instantly electrified, preventing him from rising. This electrification of the chair always reminds me of another character played by actor George Benson, the Marquis of Shropshire in the 1967 series ‘The Forsyte Saga,’ in which the Marquis was overly keen on electrification. He wanted to see everything electrified, from kitchen appliances to the milking of cows.

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