Posted by Joe Windsor on September 04, 2006 at 19:42:50 from 84.12.25.230 user Joe.
In Reply to: Beckfoot Telephone - DIAL? posted by Ed Kiser on September 04, 2006 at 19:03:16:
As far as I can remember it, over time the phone system went through a series of stages - and these varied from district to district.
In places, the old bakalite phone had no dial - in place of it was a black disc with a circle in the middle in which was a lable with your own number. Lift phone, operator answers, ask for number.
Next, phones with rotary dials with numbers and letters - just like today. For some numbers you dialled 0 and asked the operator for your number. In the mid-1940's I used to ask for the number of my girl friend - Cottered 219 (Cottered is a village in East Hertfordshire). BUT London numbers had an alpha prefix. Scotland Yard was WHItehall 1212 (none of this 999 stuff) Dial WHI 1212 and there you were. But unlike today - although there were 3 letters per number - you just dialled the number which had the letter attached.
The secret was that operators had a board with holes into which they could connect cables linking you with your number. Why did CF 'Joggle the bracket'? Because in those days it would not cut you off. The incoming lines at the Operator's positon had a series of 'eyelids' that blinked down when a line connected. Joggling would simply make the eyelid blink up and down so attracting the attention of the operator.
I've probably missed a mile of other info - if so please ask.
But what is the dialling graphic you see? I get a pigeon on TarBoard and no graphic on Tartext which is what I log on to. We're living on parallel universes, surely? Hello? Anyone there? Joe