Address: 51A Heslington Road, York, YO10 5AX
Description
A thin green strip adorned with black block capital letters spells out ‘Heslington Rd: Hot Desks. Tel: 612220 5A’ across the building.
History
By the mid-19th century, residential streets like Apollo Street had sprung up along Heslington Road, and these areas continued to expand throughout the remainder of the century.
The ghost sign’s six-digit phone number confirms the business was operational by early 1982, when York transitioned from five to six-digit numbers.
Today, the concept of hot desking has gained popularity. It involves first-come, first-served access to available workspaces without reservations.
This approach appeals to people who use technology to work remotely or those in jobs that don’t require a specific workplace, such as authors and freelance writers.
The term “hot desking” is believed to originate from the naval practice of hot racking, where sailors on different shifts would share the same bunks.
US Solidiers ‘hot-racking’, which inspired the term ‘hot-desking’
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