The sultan of shorthand

180-words-perminute with Richard Ward. By Eoghan O’Donnell

Richard Ward, City’s long-standing Teeline lecturer, can do a cartwheel with no hands, and is a certifed Astrologist and tarot reader. And a palmist. And a Reiki master. And he’s written a manual for Microsoft Windows 3.1

When he’s not peering into the future or self-healing with energy, most mornings, Ward, 57, can be spotted in Northampton Square’s Tait Building. He is distinguishable from other staff members by the colourful hand-knitted jumpers he adorns and, of course, his leather satchel bursting with reams of paper. For some, Ward is their frst introduction to lectures in the journalism school. For others, he’s a complete mystery, the director of an optional class dedicated to nearly illegible hieroglyphics.

Ward has trained thousands in the craft of shorthand and has taught at City for about a decade. Alongside teaching at City and London College of Fashion, Ward provides personal assistants and other admin workers the skills necessary to keep up with speech verbatim. So far he’s mastered Pitman 2000, Pitman New Era, Teeline, Stenography, and “a little bit of Gregg”. The Northerner can reach speeds of up to 180-words-per-minute (WPM) in Pitman. While the necessity of shorthand is increasingly called into question by journalists, Ward has always found it useful - and interesting.

“When you’re transcribing this recording back, you’ll wish you’d have taken notes in shorthand,” Ward says to me as we speak about the relevance of the craft. For reference, I’ve paused and rewound the interview with Ward about 60 times, making sure I’ve heard everything correctly. “With shorthand, you can quickly take notes, even if just for important parts, and keep going. It decreases transcription time,” he adds. Interview transcription is a tedious process. With Teeline you’re able to take accurate notes of fast speakers in real time – something transcription softwares like Otter cannot do.

He frst forayed into the world of rapid writing systems as a student aged 14 at Wingfeld Comprehensive School in Rotherham. “I got hooked on writing this children’s story – a novel, and initially learned to type on a piece of paper from there.” Getting his ideas down directly on paper was what inspired him to take up shorthand. He was then granted special permission to attend evening classes at Rotherham Technical College. “I was with a group of about 10 others in my frst evening class, and was the only male. Most attendees were working women.”

Ward was forced to develop resilience at an early age. His father died of cancer when he was 10 years old, and he worked full-time while attending evening classes to get his O Levels: “Initially, most money I earned went to supporting my mother.” Their relationship remains strong – Ward has wardrobes bursting with colourful jumpers knitted for him by her.

A role as a personal assistant saw Ward make the move to London. All throughout his early years, he would attend the Incorporated Phonographic Society, the oldest shorthand society in the world, where he sustained his shorthand skills. He was also president of the society for 10 years. A mercurial manager in his frst role inspired a career change, and Ward moved into IT, working for Arup – renowned for building the Millenium “Wobbly” Bridge – as well as the Australian Opera House. “Over time, I got more involved in teaching and even wrote a manual for Windows 3.1. I completed a degree in IT too, all paid for by the company.”

“After 14 years of IT support, I thought it was time for a change as it was no longer challenging enough. The perfect role as a shorthand tutor for Pitman Training became available. I had to learn Teeline over a weekend, and I did.”

After working for Pitman Training for about four years, he went freelance. Now he tutors across universities and other institutions and trains privately.

Without dedication, shorthand is a complex craft that is notoriously hard to master. Ward explains: “Anybody can learn, but you need to have dedication, and you need to practice. I understand it can be a laborious process, but you need to learn to appreciate the system and make it work for you.” However, it is easier said than done, and many students drop the subject each year when it becomes too much. “Those that persevere through the hard sessions come out on top.”

Ward is the exemplar of reaping what you sow. Putting effort into something good brings positive results. This year, after 16 years together, Ward is fnally marrying his partner Stephen. Everyone’s on tenterhooks waiting to see if the wedding papers will be signed in shorthand.