You know you’re getting older when……

[dangie]

Aa late as 1969/70 the office where I worked in Kendal had one telephone, Kendal 64...

On a similar note, where I was born in Stone, Staffordshire, Joules Brewery had the telephone No. Stone 1 (one). They certainly had their priorities right back then.

 

[Killingworth]

On a similar note, where I was born in Stone, Staffordshire, Joules Brewery had the telephone No. Stone 1 (one). They certainly had their priorities right back then.

Could be a new thread needed here. My uncle had Middleton on the Wolds 9.

 

[Typhoon]

When I recently got moaned at by my sister because I'd taken a photo of her with my nephew but only took the one, I may not be that old but I was brought up with every shot costing money and as such you'd take one shot of something not hundreds!

I can remember winding on and finding that the next shot was 37, maybe 38 and thinking that I had 'done' Kodak.

The problem with those days was not just that each shot cost money, but I, at least, would be checking that I had another roll of film in the camera bag. Nowadays sd cards are so cheap I change them well before they are full.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I can remember winding on and finding that the next shot was 37, maybe 38 and thinking that I had 'done' Kodak.

The problem with those days was not just that each shot cost money, but I, at least, would be checking that I had another roll of film in the camera bag. Nowadays sd cards are so cheap I change them well before they are full.

On several occasions I managed to squeeze 39 images out of a 36 film... just required being very careful at the start of the film to wind on only the absolute minimum necessary to avoid the light damage.

 

[3141]

On several occasions I managed to squeeze 39 images out of a 36 film... just required being very careful at the start of the film to wind on only the absolute minimum necessary to avoid the light damage.

I did that too, but sometimes the processing laboratory did things that meant you only got a part of the first or very last frame.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I did that too, but sometimes the processing laboratory did things that meant you only got a part of the first or very last frame.

That sounds like you suffered from Truprint...!!

I usually used a local develop and print shop so I could be sure they knew to be careful.

 

[dangie]

That sounds like you suffered from Truprint...!!

I usually used a local develop and print shop so I could be sure they knew to be careful.

Back in 2002/2003 I sent six films from an Austrian walking holiday off to a Kodak lab through my local camera shop.

How it happened I obviously don’t know, but due to a massive cockup at the lab, Kodak managed to separate approx 30,000 films (so we were told) from the customers name & address labels. Kodak had the films, they had the customers details, but unfortunately not together. All the camera shop would do was give me six replacement films to cover the loss.

After contacting the lab direct and filling in forms detailing what was on the films we waited & waited. Nothing.

Approx 6 months later the wife received a phone call from Kodak saying they thought they’d found our films. They had. As a ‘gesture of goodwill’ they didn’t charge us for the developing & printing, plus they also transferred them onto CD’s.

That episode convinced me to go digital. I remember buying a Pentax 330gs compact

 

[Peter Sarf]

When I recently got moaned at by my sister because I'd taken a photo of her with my nephew but only took the one, I may not be that old but I was brought up with every shot costing money and as such you'd take one shot of something not hundreds!

+

I remeber film cameras clearly, but to base current practice on behaviours because of the historic high cost of film is a false economy and likely to result in some missed opportunities.

Strangely I get moaned at by my younger family members for taking so many digital pictures. They never knew the film restriction like I did (age 64). I revel in being able to take 20+ shots of them and choose the best - you can delete the ones you don't like. Pfft - the younger generation are so impatient.

Aa late as 1969/70 the office where I worked in Kendal had one telephone, Kendal 64. One of the last manual switchboards installed in Britain about 1938/9. We became 20064 when STD came in. Prior to that switch it was all but impossible to get a new line installed in the area around Kendal.

My childhood home line was Shamwell 3167 and it was a party/shared line. The people we shared with were always leaving the phone off the hook. We worked out eventually the lady there had a dislike of being disturbed so would leave the phone off the hook to avoid receiving calls. So it was a trip to the phone box to ask BT fix it (maybe cutting them off ?). So a lot of times our phone was useless. Furthermore - to make a call You were supposed to pick up your receiver, listen to see if someone else was using the line and then if nothing there THEN press the button to get the dialling tone. My teenage sister could never understand that and regularly interrupted their calls by lifting the receiver and pressing the button immediately. She used to get so upset at the mouth full she got and enter into a protracted and abusive conversation !. Years and years later System X came along and we became Medway 70067. FREEDOM.

 

[ian1944]

* - For those not familiar with the phone network 60 years ago, London, (and to a lesser degree, the metropolitan areas of Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool and Newcastle) so-called 'Director' exchange equipment meant local exchanges had a three figure number followed by a four figure line number. Calls within the greater director areas all incurred local charges, which in London's case could mean 20+ mile distances reduced drastically the number of expensive STD (Subscriber Trunk Dialled) calls.​

The Director areas were as above but with Manchester, not Newcastle. Giving the exchanges names, of which the first three letters were dialled, meant that each one was reached via the same code no matter which exchange in the scheme the originating call came from, rather than the originating caller having to dial the exact routing digits to operate the switches en route. Elsewhere, greater separation meant a longer sequence of routing digits, but in the six areas in question the Director translated what was dialled into what was actually necessary. When I lived in London in the 60s, I recall dialling BARnet 8273 and asking the soon-to-be-offended answerer, "did you know your phone number spells *******?". There was also a DUChess exchange ...

To revert on-topic:

When you recall using Manchester London Road, Central and Exchange, and Edinburgh Princes Street stations.

When you approach the filing system you devised years ago so you'd be able to find things, and you can't find something.

As an addendum to my post above, dialling my fore and surname in London got a HAMpstead number, the owner of which didn't appreciate my infantile insistence that it was my number, not theirs.

 

[birchesgreen]

The joy of film photography was occaisionally (i think it only happened twice with mine and my Dad's films) that you got a random photo from someone else along with your own. One was of a nice couple who looked like they were in Rome! I wonder if anyone ever got one of my photos of a Class 310 at Stetchford.

 

[Gloster]

The joy of film photography was occaisionally (i think it only happened twice with mine and my Dad's films) that you got a random photo from someone else along with your own. One was of a nice couple who looked like they were in Rome! I wonder if anyone ever got one of my photos of a Class 310 at Stetchford.

If they did I am sure that they thanked their lucky stars and treasured it.

 

[Lucan]

'Director' exchange equipment meant local exchanges had a three figure number followed by a four figure line number.

You must be a youngster. Before that, in the London area at least, it was three letters followed by four figures, and the old dials had both letters and numbers on them. The letters may or may not have corresponded to the area but they were always part of a memorable word, so Mitcham had MIT, but Sutton had VIG which was referred to as "vigilant" when you gave someone a phone number. I guess SUT was used for a different Sutton, Sutton Coldfield perhaps.

 

[Peter Sarf]

You must be a youngster. Before that, in the London area at least, it was three letters followed by four figures, and the old dials had both letters and numbers on them. The letters may or may not have corresponded to the area but they were always part of a memorable word, so Mitcham had MIT, but Sutton had VIG which was referred to as "vigilant" when you gave someone a phone number. I guess SUT was used for a different Sutton, Sutton Coldfield perhaps.

I think SUT would have already been used for Sutton in London, Sutton probably needed more than 9999 numbers !.

SUT could well have also been used for Sutton Coldfield. It would not have mattered because they are in two different cities and the eventual Std prefix would have made them unique 021 for Birmingham and 01/081/0181/0208 (varied over time) for London. Before that I doubt direct dial was possible between London and Birmingham ?.

I know I am getting older because I remember FOUR different Std prefixes for London. Starting with 01 till after 1988 and then 081, 0181 and now 0208 over the next 35 years.

 

[Gloster]

SUT does appear to have been SUTton Coldfield.

 

[75A]

Much easier here in Northern Ireland because everone's number starts with 028.

 

[Gloster]

The whole of the Isle of Wight is 01983, so they often just give the six digit number. Well, many of them can’t cope with longer numbers without taking their shoes off.

 

[gg1]

I know I am getting older because I remember FOUR different Std prefixes for London. Starting with 01 till after 1988 and then 081, 0181 and now 0208 over the next 35 years.

Contrary to popular belief the current dialling code for London is 020, not 0207/0208.

 

[Dai Corner]

When you remember pubs having payphones, often with number of a taxi firm prominently displayed. I'd guess such firms had arrangements with the landlord.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Contrary to popular belief the current dialling code for London is 020, not 0207/0208.

I know what you mean. I was thinking of how my number has evolved. The 7 or 8 is really part of the sub London code that was originally three digits but is now prefixed 7 or 8. In fact there are now also 020-4s iirc. I recall it went back to being the whole of London from the phase when London was split 071 then 0171 (inner) and 081 then 0181 (outer). That was when certain 3 digit sub London codes became duplicated inner and outer.

For example my office phone in Sutton (early 1990s) was a new sub area code duplicating an inner London sub area code. My extension could be dialled direct and was the same as an inner London Hatton Garden jeweler. People in outer London dialing the 3+4 digit number with no Std code were getting little old me in Sutton rather than the inner London jeweler they expected.

To this day I still get people giving me 3+4 digit numbers and some insist I don't need the digit before (7, 8 or 4). So for London its 020+nnnn+nnnn and if you are dialling from a landline within London its nnnn+nnnn.

 

[Jimini]

0203 were the first non 7/8 numbers allocated, I seem to recall.

My old office line from years ago was a good way to illustrate the need for all eight digits. The fax number (yes, that long ago) was 020 7005 2599. If you tried to dial the seven digit version of that, the 00 would get you “out” of GB, and 52 would get you “into” Mexico. So rather than getting hold of me, you’d be more likely ending up talking to someone in Spanish!

 

[AndrewE]

The thread "search" function didn't bring it up so I will offer "When you realise that you only use the middle chainring on your bike!" Living somewhere reasonably flat, for years I have pretty well only used the large chain ring. I have just realised that, having moved to the middle one for some reason a couple of months ago I almost never look for a higher gear these days...

 

[Bald Rick]

When you remember pubs having payphones, often with number of a taxi firm prominently displayed. I'd guess such firms had arrangements with the landlord.

when you remember someone being able to phone you at the pub (pre mobiles!), the bar staff knew who you were, and depending on who the caller was would:

1) offer you the phone
2) say ‘sorry he just left’
3) say ‘no he’s not been in tonight’, or
4) say ‘never heard of him’

as appropriate!

That was my definition of a local pub.

 

[Jimini]

when you remember someone being able to phone you at the pub (pre mobiles!), the bar staff knew who you were, and depending on who the caller was would:

1) offer you the phone
2) say ‘sorry he just left’
3) say ‘no he’s not been in tonight’, or
4) say ‘never heard of him’

as appropriate!

That was my definition of a local pub.

100%

 

[AM9]

You must be a youngster. Before that, in the London area at least, it was three letters followed by four figures, and the old dials had both letters and numbers on them. The letters may or may not have corresponded to the area but they were always part of a memorable word, so Mitcham had MIT, but Sutton had VIG which was referred to as "vigilant" when you gave someone a phone number. I guess SUT was used for a different Sutton, Sutton Coldfield perhaps.

Not really, my mother had worked as a GPO telephonist and ever since then I'be always known several local exchanges' codes by:
a) their names in the case of directors areas and
b) their locality by their STD code as derived front the original letters when trunk dialling was first introduced.
Some samples from memory - especially when we went auto and had to dial the ourselves:
In the Ilford area there were CREscent (550), VALentine (554), CLOcktower (552), SILverthorn (529) and of course ILFord (478). Some of the central London alpha names even had an international fame, probably the most famous being WHItehall, PADdington, WATerloo and TERminus (Kings Cross). When Hainault went auto, it was given 500, (as my mother would curse, callers elsewhere in London would dial 424, which of course was the code for CHIswick.
When I moved out of the area, the national STD letter codes were quite useful: 0245 Chelmsford was 0CH5, 0206 was Colchester 0CO6, Portsmouth was 0PO5, Southampton was 0SO3 and St Albans was 0SA7. Interestingly Hatfield and Welwyn were 0PO7 despite them being some way from Potters Bar.

The Director areas were as above but with Manchester, not Newcastle. ...

Your are correct re Manchester which was given the code 061 in the '60s. Code 091 was earmarked for the north-east metropolitan area in Sunderland and Newcastle but not used until the late '80s, eventually becoming 0191 on 'phone day'.

 

[QSK19]

……you mention the word “Filofax” to a young person and they have no idea what you mean (happened at work today).

……you talk about when the lottery had 49 numbers and cost £1 a line.

……you mention the Wolf man as the bad guy on the original Gladiators.

……you refer to the National League as the “Vauxhall Conference”.

 

[GusB]

I know I am getting older because I remember FOUR different Std prefixes for London. Starting with 01 till after 1988 and then 081, 0181 and now 0208 over the next 35 years.

Sorry to be pedantic, but your area code is actually 020. The 7 and 8 from the old 0171 and 0181 codes were tagged on to the start of the old 7-digit subscriber numbers.

For example, if your phone number was 0171-123-4567 prior to the number change and you wanted to call a friend whose number was 0181-123-4567 you would have been required to dial the whole number. After the change, all you had to do was dial 8123-4567 if you wanted to call your friend (from your landline) and if they were to return the call they'd only have to dial 7123-4567.

It was the same with all the other areas that were converted to 02x-xxxx-xxxx formats; most people* were so used to using either a 5-digit code and a 6-digit number, or a 4-digit code and 7-digit number that they just continued with the same format when they didn't need to.

Mobile phones were already fairly well established by the time these changes came into effect, so people were used to all-figure dialling anyway and this is all a bit moot. There are some areas (Aberdeen being one) that now enforce all-figure dialling in order to provide additional telephone numbers without actually having to change the overall numbering scheme.

Bringing the thread back on topic, when my folks moved here 40-odd years ago it was the first time we'd ever had a phone line and the number had three digits. The main exchange code had 4 digits and there was a 2-digit local code that was required before our number was dialled.

Prior to that, they had to go to a nearby phone box and insert coins to the value of 2p and 5p! My gran always used to answer with "25xxx"...

Bonus points for anyone who recognises "4291"...

 

[QSK19]

Bonus points for anyone who recognises "4291"...

I don’t believe it! The Meldrews, bless them

 

[Lost property]

To revert on-topic:

When you recall using Manchester London Road, Central and Exchange,

Ironically, of those, Central was the only one I never used simply because I had no need to. Some might recall a derailment which clattered into the bridge, but, fortunately, no further.

As for telephone numbers, "anybody with any information is asked to call Whitehall 1212 "....probably the most exciting announcement from an otherwise catalepsy inducing BBC in those days.

 

[birchesgreen]

You are old when you remember still seeing letters used for area codes in published phone numbers, i'm not THAT old that it was a common place thing for me but in my youth i would still see a few shops with ERD as their area code instead of 373.

 

[Dai Corner]

When you remember subscribers (as they were called then) having to wait months to get a telephone installed. My uncle was a sales rep and was in that position after moving house. He had to go to a phone box with pocketfuls of coppers* every morning to make his calls to the office and to clients.

* Also, when you remember calling small change 'coppers' after the material they were made of.