Old GPO announcements
 

Forgive me if I've already asked this question before, a couple of years have gone by since I was last thinking about all this. I'm also going to post to the CNet Yahoo group the same question:-

Does anyone have old GPO announcements they would consider sharing that I could replace the announcements on my Asterisk/Freepbx instance with?

Just think it would be pretty nifty and atmospheric to have Ethel reading out the time, or Brian telling me the number I've dialled wasn't recognised rather than the American voice I've got now.

I realise there are/were a couple of projects to replace the Asterisk files but they're either no longer available or just plain old don't sound right! :)

Thanks

Re: Old GPO announcements
 

I've got the Pat Simmons Speaking clock on my system, so far it's the only nod in the CNet direction, but I hope to do more.

I would love to be rebuked, once again, by the lady who says:

"You need dial only the last seven digits for calls within the Manchester area, please redial omitting the figures oh six one".

Incidentally, the Asterisk lady is called Alison Smith.

Re: Old GPO announcements
 

I may have a full set of the current announcements, I used to have a full 24 hours of the old speaking clock on an 8" real of tape but it went in the scrap when the tape player was binned.

Re: Old GPO announcements
 

Thanks qazx- are these the “cut glass” files have vanished from the web?

Re: Old GPO announcements
 

This might be of interest - 'Celebrating 80 years of the Speaking Clock' ('BBC Sounds' 2016) - 'A Brief History of Tim' - covering the four voices from 1936 onwards. 15,000 GPO Operators competed in the audition for the first voice of 'TIM'. A bigger bunch of 'affected' people would be hard to find than those at 5.5mins in:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b07kl685

Re: Old GPO announcements
 

Record your own using some of the 'text to voice' websites such as https://www.readspeaker.com/text-to-speech-demo/
Type what you want, choose one of the voices and record it as it speaks it back to you.

That is also how I've produced announcements for CNet that way in the past as well as for the Speaking Clock that is still running on the PSTN on its old code '8081' on an exchange (01330 55) between Aberdeen and Braemar on the road that goes by Balmoral Castle!
I'll say no more ;)
A normal 'landline' number so may well be in your 'free calls' package. Also on CNet on 0339 8081 for those connected to CNet - the replica of the GPO public network in the early days of Subscriber Trunk Dialling.

Ian
CNet 0352 2345
MR 053-6278
GW4BTW

Re: Old GPO announcements
 

I've used this website before for other projects. No background music and easy to download an MP3.