• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Telephone Dialing Systems Exchange codes

P

Peter Walker

gone but not forgotten
It's about 40 years since every telephone number had an exchange name before it. Off the top, I can only remember:
ASTon, BEArwood, BIRchfields, CENtral, EDGbaston, ERDington, GREat Barr, HARborne, MIDland, NORthern, PRIory and SELly Oak.
What were the others?
Peter
 
I can rarely remember phone numbers. But one number I can remember was my aunt and uncle's number EASt 1615. They lived in Sandy Lane and to be honest they were probally the only people I knew who had a phone at that time.Which is why I remember it It was a buisness phone and I can well remember, if the phone rang we all had to get up and go into the front room while uncle took the call. I have the same feeling now when I hear a mobile phone ring. I feel like getting up and going in the other room.Or better still telling the person on the phone to s** off to the next room.
 
i started work at the telephone exchange in newhall street in 1969 (a mere child of 15!) and there were still a few of those around, there were still quite a few old phoneboxes the the ones where you had to press a&b
 
SHEldon, VICtoria part of east Birmingham ,PRIory south Birmingham ,STEchford. Thay were the ones i can remember , thier must be a few more.
 
When we moved to Four Oaks in 1953 you could not dial direct to a number. You had to dial the operator and ask for the Four Oaks exchange, then ask for the number wanted. Our number was 484. When the exchange was updated the number changed to 0484 and from a local telephone you could dial FOU 0484. Outside local area you still had to go through the operator.
 
They are all on this site https://www.telephonesuk.co.uk/old_dialing_codes.htm

I couldn't remember half of them although there are some outside of Brum---just.
In our case, the phone number given to us in 1954 is still in operation
and has been ever since it was given out way back when. It's an Erdington number and sometimes if I call it it feels very strange. The only difference now is that ERD has been replaced by numbers 373:)
 
I can always remember my grandparents phone number..they lived in Walmley, Sutton Coldfield ... ASHfield 1066 (The battle of Hastings!!)
Georgie:)
 
We had two telephone numbers and I can't remember the exchange name for either of them. I can tell you where they were located. They were both inside big red boxes and one was located at the junction of Lord St and Great Lister St. The other was at the top of Duddeston Mill Rd. Try carrying one of those round in your pocket.

pmc1947
 
Telephone exchanges and numbers

When telephone directories worked!

Now the telephone directories of the past have been dusted off in the library and made available on the web they have become an excellent resource. I have used them to track down firms and people between those 'life events' available on certificates.

(I still remember phone directories that included most phone numbers and address's in times when few people went 'ex dir'. Difficult to compare with the chaos that prevails today.)
 
I have never forgotten our old telephone number in Handsworth in the 1940/1950s - it was NORthern 0769!! Funny how it has stayed in my mind for so long. I don't remember any of my other phone numbers and there have been quite a few!
 
In the 1930, 40's & 50's the old telephone dialling system was both letters and numbers; e.g. VIC 1234. 1 would be used for both the A and 1, 2, 3 etc.

For Sparkbrook it was VICtoria, following by four figures. You would then dial using, again e.g. VIC 1234. If you tapped the telephone bar 8 times for V; 4 times for I; 2 times for C; then 1 tap; 2 taps; 3 taps; 4 taps; for numbers, you could get through without dialling or spending money. Does any one remember this system? It was quite useful when broke, or short of pennies.

Eddie.
 
I remember tapping the receiver rest to get free calls but we always came unstuck if there was a 0in the phone number.
 
Our number in Perry Barr was Birchfield 5200, never phoned home until I was in my late teens as I hated using the phone. I remember a call box in the early sixties at Curdworth that had no dial as you just picked up the handset and the operator answered and told you how much to put in, no free calls from there :(
 
Eddie I seem to recall that on the original dials 1 was numerical only as shown below. See this site.

dlabell.jpg

My parents number was SPRingfield 2**3 - later to become 0121 777 2**3.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi All,

Before 999 came into being the emergency number to ring the police was CEN 5000. I imagine it was the same for fire and ambulance but I am not sure.

Old Boy
 
I learnt how to 'back dial'!!! It made for lots of free calls to my then boyfriend :love-struck:
 
I also worked at telephone house Newhall st from about 1967 till around 1971/72 and transferred to the new Sheldon Telephone Exchange. i loved the old swithchboards and the plugs we had to stretch to reach the correct exchange to connect the calls.Besides the regular oprerator calls we did directory enquiries and 999 calls. I still recall those days with fond memories. Best job I ever had.
Wendy
 
Yes, pre BT days, when you could dial 0 and the operator would find your number for FREE, when fault reporting was simple, when line rental charges covered line AND all instrumentation, all that changed in the 80's when greedy BT took over, I worked as an external engineer for P.O.Telephones from 1956 to 1987 and BT privatization was one of the reasons I took early retirement from a job up to then I had loved. Eric
 
Reading this thread brought a few memories...

Scotland Yard....Whitehall 1212
Dial M for Murder
Press Button B to get your Money back
Party Lines
"Lines are engaged please try later."
Trimphones
Old phones with hand magnetos
 
In the late 40s early 50s We where on of the few that had a phone, We lived on Moat Lane in Yardley and we had STEchford 3946 I still have my band business cards with that # on them
 
oldbrit said:
In the late 40s early 50s We where on of the few that had a phone, We lived on Moat Lane in Yardley and we had STEchford 3946 I still have my band business cards with that # on them
Click to expand...
My Gran had a phone in the early 50s.
In order to get a Brownie badge, we had to make a call from a public phone box, so I rang my Gran. The exchange was EAS. she lived in Ward End.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top