Phone number
- Thread starter 333rocky333
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it appears it was still in use in 1968 and covered the St Marylebone area, presumably based on the parish of St Marylebone Parish Church.
It looks like subscribers continued to use dial code 486 which is the same buttons/dial.
So the sticker would have continued to give a number that would work if people dialled it, so the company might have kept using up old stock. an up-to-the minute, go-getting company wanting to give an impression of modernity would have adopted the latest dialling code
https://groups.google.com/g/comp.dcom.telecom/c/wAnVke6Roq0
Exchange names were not very accurately matched to geographic locations.
Manchester Square is about half-way between Baker Street and Bond Street.
See also https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00473765/charges
It looks like subscribers continued to use dial code 486 which is the same buttons/dial.
So the sticker would have continued to give a number that would work if people dialled it, so the company might have kept using up old stock. an up-to-the minute, go-getting company wanting to give an impression of modernity would have adopted the latest dialling code
https://groups.google.com/g/comp.dcom.telecom/c/wAnVke6Roq0
Exchange names were not very accurately matched to geographic locations.
Manchester Square is about half-way between Baker Street and Bond Street.
See also https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00473765/charges
When I was young and living in Custom House, I remember all the phones around my area were Albert Dock xxx which was 252xxx. I think you dialled the first three letters of the exchange name followed by three numbers. When you answered the phone, you would say "Albert Dock 123" or whatever your three numbers were.
Anyone remember 'Dial a disc' where you dialled 160 to hear the latest pop tune? Groundbreaking……
Anyone remember 'Dial a disc' where you dialled 160 to hear the latest pop tune? Groundbreaking……
Slightly off topic
HANSARD 1803–2005 → 1950s → 1954 → May 1954 → 12 May 1954 → Commons Sitting → Personal Case, Leeds
Whipps Cross Exchange, Leyton
HC Deb 12 May 1954 vol 527 cc1209-101210
§11. Mr. Sorensen
asked the Assistant Postmaster-General when it is anticipated that the new automatic telephone exchange will be constructed and in use at Whipps Cross, Leyton; and, in consequence, what adjustments and extensions are likely to affect the local telephone service.
§Mr. Gammans
Whipps Cross, Leyton, is served by Leytonstone and Keystone exchanges. A new exchange to serve part of this area is to be provided, but it will not be ready for some time. Meanwhile, the existing exchanges will be extended as required to met development. It is hoped to connect some 1,000 additional lines in Leyton during the current financial year.
§Mr. Sorensen
Does that mean that a new name is to be given to the exchange? Can he give some idea when the building is likely to be finished, seeing that it is next door to my house?
§Mr. Gammans
I am sorry that we cannot serve the hon. Gentleman a little better than that. A new exchange is to be provided to serve the Coppermill subscribers. So far as I know, no name has yet been given to it.
LEYtonstone exchange and KEYstone exchange were the same exchange. LEY = 539 = KEY.
Reason ? Leytonstone was a working class area and some upper class people outside the borough of Leytonstone but inside the area of Leytonstone telephone exchange did not want to be associated with lower class Leytonstone and asked to be connected instead to the COPpermill telephone exchange which served middle to upper class Walthamstow.
A GPO engineer came up with the idea of connecting these snobbish people to a "new" exchange which they called Keystone.
HANSARD 1803–2005 → 1950s → 1954 → May 1954 → 12 May 1954 → Commons Sitting → Personal Case, Leeds
Whipps Cross Exchange, Leyton
HC Deb 12 May 1954 vol 527 cc1209-101210
§11. Mr. Sorensen
asked the Assistant Postmaster-General when it is anticipated that the new automatic telephone exchange will be constructed and in use at Whipps Cross, Leyton; and, in consequence, what adjustments and extensions are likely to affect the local telephone service.
§Mr. Gammans
Whipps Cross, Leyton, is served by Leytonstone and Keystone exchanges. A new exchange to serve part of this area is to be provided, but it will not be ready for some time. Meanwhile, the existing exchanges will be extended as required to met development. It is hoped to connect some 1,000 additional lines in Leyton during the current financial year.
§Mr. Sorensen
Does that mean that a new name is to be given to the exchange? Can he give some idea when the building is likely to be finished, seeing that it is next door to my house?
§Mr. Gammans
I am sorry that we cannot serve the hon. Gentleman a little better than that. A new exchange is to be provided to serve the Coppermill subscribers. So far as I know, no name has yet been given to it.
LEYtonstone exchange and KEYstone exchange were the same exchange. LEY = 539 = KEY.
Reason ? Leytonstone was a working class area and some upper class people outside the borough of Leytonstone but inside the area of Leytonstone telephone exchange did not want to be associated with lower class Leytonstone and asked to be connected instead to the COPpermill telephone exchange which served middle to upper class Walthamstow.
A GPO engineer came up with the idea of connecting these snobbish people to a "new" exchange which they called Keystone.
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It's my, possibly faulty, memory that the GPO had their ANN (All Numbers Now) advertising campaign in the early 60s, so that label is unlikely to be less than 50 years old.
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You should change your name to interestingoldcodger!
Not heard that before... but I love it.
I wonder if it's where the 147x numbers originated?
Edited to correct number.
Last edited:
Calls to WOOlwich 9000 could be made free of charge from London coin box phones ( dialling a number consisting only of 9s and 0s did not require coins to be inserted as turning the dial that far bypassed the coin box's dial inhibit circuit for that digit )
Only known number consisting only of 9's and 0's was Standard Telephones & Cables Woolwich factory in London
Only known number consisting only of 9's and 0's was Standard Telephones & Cables Woolwich factory in London
Lift the receiver, dial 0 and ask the operator to transfer you to Hunter 1479...
01470 0IS0 for Isle of Skye - Edinbane
01471 0IS1 for Isle of Skye - Broadford
01472 0GR2 for Grimsby
01473 0IP3 for Ipswich
01474 0GR4 for Gravesend
01475 0GR5 for Greenock
01476 0GR6 for Grantham
01477 No letter match for Holmes Chapel
01478 0IS8 for Isle of Skye - Portree
01479 0GR9 for Grantown-on-Spey
01471 0IS1 for Isle of Skye - Broadford
01472 0GR2 for Grimsby
01473 0IP3 for Ipswich
01474 0GR4 for Gravesend
01475 0GR5 for Greenock
01476 0GR6 for Grantham
01477 No letter match for Holmes Chapel
01478 0IS8 for Isle of Skye - Portree
01479 0GR9 for Grantown-on-Spey
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My mate lived opposite a callbox,he used to ring his bookie by tapping the receiver rest the appropriate number of time with a slight gap
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