To take on her first job in Bletchley Park Lila had to undergo the usual investigations and be cautioned under the Official Secrets act.

Following a job advertisement Lila was invited for interview at Euston Station in London and consequently took the position of Signal Box Operator around 1951.

The signal box was situated where the TA Centre was located at one time near to Flettons factory approximately 100 yards along the line back of Buckingham Road, serving the Bletchley to Oxford line.

The signal box was “manned” by a small team of women - Lila, Madge, Doreen Griffin and Jessie Bloggs - working full time shifts covering 24 hours a day. The women were considered competent enough to operate the line at all times without male supervision - except when the Royal Train was using the line when a senior Signalman was deemed necessary!

It was hard physical work but there were some lighter moments, in particular when a “flasher” appeared near the signal box, his antics amounted to dancing about, baring his genitals and bottom, laying on the grass but craftily hiding when trains were passing. It was obvious that help from the police was necessary; their first advice was to keep his attention until they got there! Of course Lila did her duty!! When the gentleman saw the policeman’s helmets appearing over the horizon our chap (married with children) ran away, however, he was consequently caught, charged and fined.

In the early black & white days of television there was a programme called “What’s my Line when celebrities like Gilbert Harding and Lady Isobel Barnet led the panel to try and guess the contestants job by their mime and questioning, unlike to-day there was no video to capture Lila’s lively, smart and attractive appearance when taking part in this very popular programme.