Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott37
Thanks for the replies. I'm still a bit puzzled. I assumed the notice was for a non-Director exchange, with the name of the exchange blanked out. Should the missing space read 'London'? This still leaves the question of what would happen in a non-Director exchange. How would the system know that a local number was indeed a local number and not one of the local codes; and that a code was not the start of a local number? Was there one reserved digit for the local numbers?
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The codes on the notice that you saw were the local codes to be dialled to reach the exchanges that could be dialled and charged at the local rate (pre-STD working). The wording is for 'Non-Director' and UAXs - not a Director area. It has been reproduced to go in the Frames Notice No 30 on a small 'renters' backboard for use with an A/B box in pubs, hotels, boarding houses etc. I've attached a copy of an original notice (CO7) from a red K6 kiosk which has the correct wording in the upper part for a London Director Area exchange and in lower part how to reach the exchanges in the local area outside the London Director Area. I've also attached a copy of a notice for a 'Non-Director' exchange that acts as a 'Group Switching Centre - the 'main exchange' that acted as a 'parent' exchange for a number of smaller UAXs (Unit Automatic eXchanges). - most local cards were two digits starting initially with an '8' and when they had been exhausted aa '7'. But there were plenty of exceptions. Then I've added the dialling code cards for Aidensfield and Emmerdale - two small country exchanges (UAXs)with three digit numbers. Note how they dial a '9' to reach the parent exchange (Whitby in the case of Aidensfield and Hotten in the case of Emmerdale) then if it was another exchange a 'local' code from the GSC/parent exchange was dialled. Some small exchanges, mainly in pre-STD days, had a direct route to another local exchange using say an '8' - see the local code from Aidensfield to Ashfordly as an example. Some of these local codes survived into the days of 'STD' if the number of calls warranted it. For instance a local exchange to here (Buckley 0244 54 in STD days but 54 from Chester) had a direct local code to the nearby (2.5 miles) GSC at Mold (0352) by dialling 85. Conversely, Mold subscribers could reach Buckley by dialling 94. There are very many exceptions to the numbering but in the main in later years a smaller exchange dialled a '9' to reach its parent/Group Switching Centre. There was also 'call barring' on some routes such that a call coming into a GSC from one 'side' couldn't dial a code which took it outside the 15 mile 'local call' area. But on occasions, the strapping on the call barring was missing and it became possible to 'daisychain' dialling codes to get way outside your 'local' area. We've recreated most of this on CNet so that we can dial these old codes. Great to be able to pick an old rotary dial telephone - the likes of an old 'Bakelite' Tele 332 - and dial the digits to reach a distant telephone/recording. You need to get yourself connected to try it all out - the best way to learn.