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Telephone history: Telephone Service in Birmingham

That's very helpful and informative Wendy. Thanks. It's always good to get someone's first-hand experience about photos. Must have brought back many happy memories of your job.

was the pay different for the ladies in the centre, given their responsibilities? Viv
 
That's very helpful and informative Wendy. Thanks. It's always good to get someone's first-hand experience about photos. Must have brought back many happy memories of your job.

was the pay different for the ladies in the centre, given their responsibilities? Viv
It did bring back memories I loved my job . I must admit I loved Telephone house switchboards with the pull out plugs you had to stretch out to connect for the calls rather than the new switch boards which were just small desk type switchboard with switches in front of you.
 
history of the party line
What is a telephone party line? Back when phone lines were more expensive the phone company would run a single phone line to multiple houses. Each house shared the same dial tone and if someone called them phones at all the houses rang.
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On the same subscriber lines, one party used the tip side of the line and ground for ringing, whilst the other party on the same line used the ring wire and ground for ringing, to achieve full selectivity for two-party lines, in which only the selected station would ring.
 
When we first had a phone in the house, in the 60s, we were on a party line for a while - I don't think we had many problems with it!
I don't remember that it rang for the other people though.
 
My parents had a party line with a neighbour half way along the road. Only very occasionally did we pick up the phone and the other party was on the line. We had different numbers so our phone never rang for their calls. We never had occasion to ring each other but I believe we might have had to go through the operator for that. Eventually the lines were separated.
When I moved into my own flat I had a party line with my next door neighbour. Twice I had a problem in that our numbers somehow got switched and I would get their calls and they would get mine. They never reported it but I did and got it put right. My silly neighbour just gave her friends my number to ring instead of reporting it so I had unwanted calls when I got it put right.
 
I have to say that I was surprised a few weeks ago to receive my Birmingham South West 2023/2024 directory. I did not think that they were still issued.
For years now I have not been able to do my party trick of tearing one of the old-style directories in two.
 
Used to like the paper they were printed on. The early ones were like a thin paper. You'd lick your finger and flip through the pages in no time. It made a satisfying sound too. Oh simple pleasures !
 
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