Bristow: Miss Sunman

Strip 4363a was published in British Latest. It was not published in the Evening Standard

If Bristow has a female equivalent it is surely Miss Sunman. Labouring daily in the depths of the typing pool, she is clearly not attractive (though the dubious accolade of ugliest woman in the firm is proudly held by Bessie Bland) and whilst the other girls can hope to marry and leave, Miss Sunman seems destined to stay forever. She is often found wandering round the building gossiping or collecting for leaving presents.

She has, perhaps, blossomed just a little over the years. Here she is in 1963, with ragged hair, big nose and sinister smile. And those horrible glasses. Apart from the floral print dresses, there has definitely been some sort of make-over.

Bristow teases her unmercifully, sabotaging her window box and sending her distorted tapes to transcribe. He tends to give her his work in preference to the other girls; she in turn usually accepts it docilely and does the best she can, never knowing if she is typing something serious or just another crass attempt to write a best-seller. However she was smart enough to make major changes to the first draft of Living Death in the Buying Department, changing it from a searing expose of Big Business to a romantic quest for love. (See also Bristow's Romances)

Like the other girls Miss Sunman dreams of sweeping young Robin Chester-Perry off his feet. It is just a question of the right make-up and clothes. But she clearly has a soft spot for Bristow, sending him "Sailor", the new aftershave one Christmas ("Back you curs" shouts a treed Bristow in a country lane near East Winchley the next morning as a pack of dogs snarl at him) and tenderly enquiring if he will be all right while she goes off on holiday. Her solicitude is wasted - this is Bristow's reaction to her holiday snaps strip 5737

Strip 5737 was published in the Evening Standard in September 1980

She is also keen to ensure that he will attend the Christmas Dinner and Dance and perhaps harbours the fantasy of leaving with him. Maybe she will make it happen one day - in strip 8059

Strip 8059 (number is an estimate) was published in The Big Big Big Bristow Book. Publication date in the Evening Standard is not known

it seems clear who is making the running.

Ah, Valentine's Day. If she can't get off with someone at the Xmas Dinner & Dance then she can always dream of a card from a secret admirer. If she does actually get a Valentine then it is probably from Jones making it look like Bristow's writing. Or the other way round. Miss Sunman has yet to receive a genuine Valentine.

Astonishingly she finally does get off with someone at the dinner and dance, as shown on Frank Dickens website in January 2007,but alas, a man who can't say "no" - one T Thompson. Sadly one must suspect that for him it was just another night's toadying.

Despite her romantic inclinations toward him, Miss Sunman has no illusions about Bristow. When she is updating the holiday schedule and Bristow loftily tells her to check first with Fudge she replies that she already did and he can be spared anytime.

But as long as Bristow is determined to become a ruthless, stop-at-nothing executive there is no hope for Miss Sunman. Very early on in the strip she was written off as inadequate material for a man intending to socialise with multi-millionaires and business tycoons, and even today nothing much has changed. Bristow continues to haunt the typing pool in search of someone, anyone, who could propel him on the road to success. Not Miss Sunman, though. She does at least enjoy one sweet moment of revenge. Everyone in C-Ps lusts after the gorgeous Miss Pretty of Kleenaphone. How Miss Sunman must have enjoyed putting the boot in on this memorable day strip 10475

Strip 10475 was published in the Evening Standard in June 1999