Idlewild,
My recollection was that the Trident originally had rows 1 and 3 facing backwards, with a fixed table in between, rather like a train. Since the climb angle was so gentle it wasn't too uncomfortable facing backwards, unlike a 757 out of Orange County I experienced a few years' back, but that's another story.
A further interesting feature of the Trident was that for a (short) while BEA operated it in seven abreast configuration (3+4). The marketing literature at the time proclaimed that the row of four was "particularly popular with families", whilst failing to point out that this popularity was limited to families of extreme ectomorphs that could fit into a seat little more than a foot wide.....
On the other hand, the early Smiths Autoland and the 600mph cruise were pretty awesome!