Bristow: Bristow's romances

As already noted in Soul of a Buying Clerk, Bristow is unmarried and has no girlfriend. He is however keen to have one and frequently embarks on diligent searches for a suitable partner to share his vision of executive success.

Bristow's main contact with women is at work, though his apparent contempt for the massed ranks of the girls in the typing pool is well known. So he is more vulnerable to the charms of outsiders, and who better than a young lady in a trim uniform who performs intimate services for him at his very desk? strip 1319

Strip 1319 was published in the Evening Standard in April 1965. Apologies for poor quality of scan.

The trouble is that he is not the only one in pursuit of the angel of the aerosols - every red-blooded male in the building, from experienced Don Juans like Sampson of Sales and Casanova Cooper of Costing to the innocent youth that is the post-boy, have her in their sights.

Clearly Bristow is never going to get off with Miss Pretty (unless he becomes a brain surgeon in which case he is in with a great chance, seeing as how her father is the world renowed brain surgeon Professor Pretty). He must find someone where he has the field to himself.

Normally the office across the street is part of the Myles & Rudge building. But because the Buying Department moves around the C-P building from time to time this is not definite. Anyway, should a comely young lady appear at a window you can sure that a C-P clerk will be staring back with his tongue hanging out. Jones succumbs early on, damaging his existing liason with a member of the typing pool. Bristow too finds the prospect irresistable and is quick to identify a potential soul-mate.

I've made friends with the girl in the office across the road
She thinks I'm a scream…I’ve been pulling funny faces.
I started by rolling my eyes...after that I put my tongue out
After that I rolled my eyes and put my tongue out
After that I ran out of conversation
strip 165 - published in the Evening Standard in September 1962

However it becomes clear that the girl across the street is not that interested - a story developed further in Bristow (1966)

This strip was published in Bristow (1966). It was not published in the Evening Standard

That well known manual for would-be executives, Space at the Summit has a lot to answer for. For one thing it convinces Bristow that only a beautiful scheming ruthless woman can spur him on to success. He sets out on this ambitious course in May 1963, and is still at it nearly 40 years later, with the connivance of the post-boy strip web221

Strip 221 was published in on Frank Dickens website in February 2002

But where to find this highly desirable female? Naturally Bristow turns to the only two places he can think of - the switchboard and the typing pool. (Strangely, he ignores the other main employer of women in the C-P organisation, the canteen, but perhaps one Mrs Purdy is enough for him). But the girls are too rough a bunch to fill the role he requires. Any that are even slightly passable are either already spoken for or would not look twice at him.

Although absolutely convinced of the importance of having the right woman behind him, Bristow does not seem have to much of a clue about to find her strip web677

Strip 677 was published on frankdickens.com in November 2003

. It seems that he will probably not find a dizzy blonde to inspire him and must remain a humble, and single, buying clerk.

During yet another ambitious phase, convinced that the right woman can propel him to success, Bristow conceives the arguably insane idea of getting off with the dragon of the typing pool. What on earth made him think that Miss Glockling, who holds him in even more contempt than the girls in the pool, would find him even remotely interesting? But it does not come to pass strip 2945

Strip 2945 was published in the Evening Standard in August 1970. This scan is from the Sydney Morning Herald, October 1970

Miss Sunman has, course, her own page in this site. But how serious is her interest in Bristow - and will he ever reciprocate? We first meet her when Bristow selects her to type out Living Death in the Buying Department and she quickly customises it.

Miss Sunman offered to type my book for me...
Like a fool I accepted. How was I to know?
She has introduced new characters and changed most of the dialogue
Instead of a searing saga of office life it now tells of a lonely spinster who is seeking romance!!
She has renamed it autobiography
strip 134, was published in the Evening Standard in July 1962

Not long after the unnamed but highly influential "new man in the accounts" says that he has always bracketed Bristow with Sunman. But there the matter rests, as far as Bristow is concerned. She may scheme to bring him to the Annual Dinner & Dance, send him aftershave, worry about him on holiday but he remains callously indifferent strip 10349

Strip 10349 was published in the Evening Standard in December 1998

Some of the recent strips confirm the point as once more Bristow wonders how he can make it as an executive strip web678

Strip 678 was published on Frank Dickens website in December 2003

and strip web680

Strip 680 was published on Frank Dickens website in December 2003