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.
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.
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 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.
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.
And yet she would undoubtedly give herself to Bristow if only he would deign to notice (she would probably give herself to any man who looked twice). Here she is girding her loins to defend him strip 10204
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.