Leeds Telephone Services.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Mon 26 Jan, 2009 10:38 pm

Trojan wrote: It's funny how telephone numbers stick in the mind (well they do in mine) when I first started work for an electrical contractor in Morley (which at the time was on a manual exchange) we used to deal with Arthur F Tobell electrical wholesalers on St Pauls Street, their number was Leeds 30771.The Midland Bank in Morley BTW before STD was Morley 2. Yes, I enjoy the same happy memories of phone numbers from long long ago. When I was growing up in Ilkley we had no phone at home and I had to go to the nearest public box to ring friends. Even in the late 1950s the Ilkley exchange was manual. You lifted the reciver, a lady operator answered "number please". You gave the number you wanted, she put the other plug on her lead into the socket for your friend's number and pressed her "ring" switch. When they answered she told you "put fourpence in the box" - ping ping ping ping - "speak up, you're through !!." I've forgotten now whereabouts in the sequence you had to press "Button A". If no reply the operator would tell you so, and you then pressed "Button B" for the return of the coins. Seems like the Middle Ages now doesn't it ?? Going back over half a century, and I can still remeber the numbers of my two main pals - Brian at Ilkley 980, and Pete at Ilkley 1015

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Mon 26 Jan, 2009 10:58 pm

BLAKEY wrote: sirjohn wrote: I needed to ask for a receipt at a company the other day and the telephone number on the header started 0532.... I think they may need new stationery! Yes, although to be fair they're doing their best - they have "leapt forward" from 0LE2 !! That's true - but if you check it on your mobile you'll see that 0le2 and 0532 are the same thing - and its not coincidence. Bradford was 0br4 then 0274 now 01274 .Halifax was 0ha2 then 0422 now 01422 ,Huddersfield was 0hu4 then 0484 now 01484 wakefield was 0wa4 then 0924 now 01924, etc etc right through the country. The 'major' cities 01, 02 etc were subtly different - London exchanges after the 01 had an alphabetical link though. Birmingham was 0b(02) Edinburgh 0e(03) , Glasgow 0g(04), Liverpool 0l (05), Manchester 0m(06) Phones with dials used to have the letters on, many years ago, exactly as they do now on mobiles. The letters became redundant in the 60s/70s/80s and disappeared from phones (I dont think trimphones had them!!) but of course they've made a spectacular comeback with texting!

Post by **chameleon** » Mon 26 Jan, 2009 11:27 pm

simong wrote: Exchanges are no more than two or three miles apart in most cities due to some physical constraints on copper. Also and more relevant now, ADSL isn't efficient over about two and a half miles - I just fall within that being on Rawdon exchange (that's on Well Lane) and can't do better than 2Mb at the best of times. BT regularily revise and review their exchanges and will repurpose them or even sell them if they don't need the space as telecoms technology gets smaller. I believe that the central exchange in Leeds is now under 1 Sovereign Street as BT wanted to consolidate their Leeds operations when O2 was split off and they had to leave Arlington. Of slightly more interest to the forum might be the military gateway at Colton, one of three in the UK which manages voice and data traffic between the Army, RAF and Navy communications systems. I don't think there's any secrecy about its location although BT tend not to publicise any of their operational buildings. They usually have a fairly recognisable appearance though. BT does still have a very cautious approach to operations, particularily where the exchanges are concerned although modern switchgear is a lot more resilient than older kit, and everything done in the network has to be logged. 'Raising a change' is a phrase that's never far away when talking to BT operations staff. The consolidation at Sovereign Street is purely admin operations simon, they were spread over quite a few buildings in the centre, not least that which is West One at LisbonStreet. I gather they had enough trouble getting sufficient telecoms in just for their own internal needsI know Colton pretty well but can't place anything there - would be interested in a clue or two

simong · Post by **simong** » Mon 26 Jan, 2009 11:38 pm

drapesy wrote: That's true - but if you check it on your mobile you'll see that 0le2 and 0532 are the same thing - and its not coincidence. Bradford was 0br4 then 0274 now 01274 .Halifax was 0ha2 then 0422 now 01422 ,Huddersfield was 0hu4 then 0484 now 01484 wakefield was 0wa4 then 0924 now 01924, etc etc right through the country. The 'major' cities 01, 02 etc were subtly different - London exchanges after the 01 had an alphabetical link though. Birmingham was 0b(02) Edinburgh 0e(03) , Glasgow 0g(04), Liverpool 0l (05), Manchester 0m(06) Phones with dials used to have the letters on, many years ago, exactly as they do now on mobiles. The letters became redundant in the 60s/70s/80s and disappeared from phones (I dont think trimphones had them!!) but of course they've made a spectacular comeback with texting! The letters were used mostly in London for the exchange names - possibly also in Birmingham as well. There's a list of the London names here: http://www.rhaworth.myby.co.uk/phreak/tenp_01.htm. I lived in Bethnal Green which was on the SHOreditch exchange, now the (7)739 district code. Many exchanges took their name from a local street or landmark, and in some locations businesses took their names from the exchange. I don't think it was implemented anywhere else because there wasn't anywhere else in the country big enough to justify it.

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Tue 27 Jan, 2009 12:52 am

drapesy wrote: BLAKEY wrote: sirjohn wrote: I needed to ask for a receipt at a company the other day and the telephone number on the header started 0532.... I think they may need new stationery! Yes, although to be fair they're doing their best - they have "leapt forward" from 0LE2 !! That's true - but if you check it on your mobile you'll see that 0le2 and 0532 are the same thing - and its not coincidence. Bradford was 0br4 then 0274 now 01274 .Halifax was 0ha2 then 0422 now 01422 ,Huddersfield was 0hu4 then 0484 now 01484 wakefield was 0wa4 then 0924 now 01924, etc etc right through the country. The 'major' cities 01, 02 etc were subtly different - London exchanges after the 01 had an alphabetical link though. Birmingham was 0b(02) Edinburgh 0e(03) , Glasgow 0g(04), Liverpool 0l (05), Manchester 0m(06) Phones with dials used to have the letters on, many years ago, exactly as they do now on mobiles. The letters became redundant in the 60s/70s/80s and disappeared from phones (I dont think trimphones had them!!) but of course they've made a spectacular comeback with texting! Morley was 053286 - the "local" code for Morley from Leeds being "86" The famous Scotland Yard no WHItehall 1212 = 01 944 1212. As you say Manchester Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Liverpool numbers worked on a similar system. For some reason MAIn was Oldham.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Tue 27 Jan, 2009 9:10 am

Nobody appreciates or admires modern communications technology more that I do, But I still have a real nostalgic feel for the old heavy phones with chrome dials and braided fabric covered wiring. There was something reassuring about the way the dial returned to rest at its own steady speed after each digit, and who remembers the little "pull out" drawer in the base containing space for plenty of numbers ??

simong · Post by **simong** » Tue 27 Jan, 2009 1:47 pm

chameleon wrote: The consolidation at Sovereign Street is purely admin operations simon, they were spread over quite a few buildings in the centre, not least that which is West One at LisbonStreet. I gather they had enough trouble getting sufficient telecoms in just for their own internal needsI know Colton pretty well but can't place anything there - would be interested in a clue or two I'd completely forgotten the buildings behind Wellington Street. I've been there a couple of times too. The NHS project has (or had) offices in Whitehall 2 and Vanguard House on Aire Street as well - I spent a day on the roof of Vanguard House putting a laser link in a couple of years ago, which the project then decided not to use, although they still pay my friend who installs such things for its support.I'm not entirely sure where the gateway is myself - I've just had interviews for jobs at it which I either didn't get or didn't take up. It might be at the back of Thorpe Park and I would assume either an old exchange or perhaps a billing centre if there's one around there, or it could possibly be a government building. You'll probably know that BT's datacentres are often well concealed - this time last year I had to go to Derby, and it took me three goes up and down a section of the A38 to actually find it.

billy the buffalo · Post by **billy the buffalo** » Tue 27 Jan, 2009 2:39 pm

As i may have a bit of an advantage here as i have worked for the GPO,BT and now openreach for the past 30 years you would be suprised how many buildings/exchanges that are in the city and surrounds.Just to anawer a previous poster regarding adsl it is dependent on distance from the exchange but it is down to vaying factors as to what speed you can gain from your line and it is not all down to distance from the exchangeSome exchanges in the area ADELARMLEYARTHINGTON(POOL) REALLYBARWICK IN ELMETECHAPLETOWNCROSSGATESDRIGHLINGTONGARFORTHHAREHILLSHAREWOODHEADINGLEYHORSFORTHHUNSLETLEEDS(CENTRE)MOORTOWNMORLEYPUDSEYRAWDONROTHWELLSEACROFTTHORNERThere are also some old buildings that have been exchanges and have now got a new lease of life CHAPLETOWN old exchange is now offices and is just off harrogate Road at the end of Mexborough Grove ROUNDHAY EXCHANGE this is at the junction of Devonshire ave/cresDRIGHLINGTON WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF SPRING GARDENS These are the exchanges

billy the buffalo · Post by **billy the buffalo** » Tue 27 Jan, 2009 2:45 pm

As i may have a bit of an advantage here as i have worked for the GPO,BT and now openreach for the past 30 years you would be suprised how many buildings/exchanges that are in the city and surrounds.Just to anawer a previous poster regarding adsl it is dependent on distance from the exchange but it is down to vaying factors as to what speed you can gain from your line and it is not all down to distance from the exchangeSome exchanges in the area ADELARMLEYARTHINGTON(POOL) REALLYBARWICK IN ELMETECHAPLETOWNCROSSGATESDRIGHLINGTONGARFORTHHAREHILLSHAREWOODHEADINGLEYHORSFORTHHUNSLETLEEDS(CENTRE)MOORTOWNMORLEYPUDSEYRAWDONROTHWELLSEACROFTTHORNERThere are also some old buildings that have been exchanges and have now got a new lease of life CHAPLETOWN old exchange is now offices and is just off harrogate Road at the end of Mexborough Grove ROUNDHAY EXCHANGE this is at the junction of Devonshire ave/cresDRIGHLINGTON WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF SPRING GARDENS These are the exchanges

billy the buffalo · Post by **billy the buffalo** » Tue 27 Jan, 2009 2:45 pm

As i may have a bit of an advantage here as i have worked for the GPO,BT and now openreach for the past 30 years you would be suprised how many buildings/exchanges that are in the city and surrounds.Just to anawer a previous poster regarding adsl it is dependent on distance from the exchange but it is down to vaying factors as to what speed you can gain from your line and it is not all down to distance from the exchangeSome exchanges in the area ADELARMLEYARTHINGTON(POOL) REALLYBARWICK IN ELMETECHAPLETOWNCROSSGATESDRIGHLINGTONGARFORTHHAREHILLSHAREWOODHEADINGLEYHORSFORTHHUNSLETLEEDS(CENTRE)MOORTOWNMORLEYPUDSEYRAWDONROTHWELLSEACROFTTHORNERThere are also some old buildings that have been exchanges and have now got a new lease of life CHAPLETOWN old exchange is now offices and is just off harrogate Road at the end of Mexborough Grove ROUNDHAY EXCHANGE this is at the junction of Devonshire ave/cresDRIGHLINGTON WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF SPRING GARDENS These are the exchanges