50 years of STD

[ppppenguin]

The Queen dials the first STD call in the UK.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7766631.stm

I don't think they used the term "STD" in the film. I wonder when it was introduced.

(For the benefit of young and overseas members, STD = Subscriber Trunk Dialling)

[Darren-UK]

Subscriber Trunk Dialling is mentioned twice, just after The Queen hangs up on the Lord Provost .

To elaborate further on STD (nothing to do with embarrassing diseases) for anyone who doesn't know, 'Subscriber' comes from the time when private customers 'subscribed' to the telephone service at a fixed rate. This is as opposed to the present system wherein you pay a line-rental plus call costs.

[dave walsh]

What a po faced and rather ingratiating moment it was as well! Someone e-mailed the Today program to say that an engineer at the time was asked what if the Queen dials the wrong number? He said it didn't matter as the rest of the system would not be up so any number would only go through to Edinburgh! It was interesting that "long distance" seemed to have a limit of 300 miles, [according to the commentary] but London to Edinburgh is a a bit further? Maybe I mis-heard.
Dave W

[paulsherwin]

Originally Posted by dave walsh

It was interesting that "long distance" seemed to have a limit of 300 miles, [according to the commentary] but London to Edinburgh is a a bit further?

The Queen was in Bristol, but that's even further from Edinburgh

Paul

[Darren-UK]

Here is an extract from Wikipedia.....

In the UK, STD started when, on 5 December 1958, the Queen, who was in Bristol, dialled a phone call to Edinburgh, the furthest distance a call could be directly dialled at the time. However, it was not until 1979 that the STD system was completed, though most of the country was covered well before then. The system required that each area have its own STD code which could be dialled by subscribers, and although they are now officially called area codes, it is still common to see and hear the old term in everyday use.

It's stated that Bristol - Edinburgh was the furthest distance.....etc. I don't know how the GPO interpreted distance, but 300 miles is probably about right as the crow flies. We're all used to taking distance as being correct according the vehicle odometers etc., but road and rail mileages are significantly more than direct 'crow flights'.

If you stick a compass point on Edinburgh and then swing the compass from London to Bristol, there's probably little in it.

[Malcolm G6ANZ]

Just a quick aside, I used to think that STD stood for 'straight through dialling'.
Malcolm

[julie_m]

Temple Meads Station is at grid reference (359755, 172385).
Waverley Station is at grid reference (325875, 673875).
The distance between them = ((359755 - 325875) ** 2 + (673875 - 172385) ** 2)) ** .5
= (33880 ** 2 + 501490 ** 2) ** .5
= (1147854400 + 251492220100) ** .5
= 252640074500 ** .5
= 502633 metres
= 312 miles.

Not a bad estimate, Darren!

[russell_w_b]

Originally Posted by darren-uk

Here is an extract from Wikipedia.....


It's stated that Bristol - Edinburgh was the furthest distance.....etc. I don't know how the GPO interpreted distance, but 300 miles is probably about right [I]as the crow flies. .

Would the call have been routed through the GPO main Switching Centre exchanges, following a path like Bristol-Birmingham-Manchester-Carlisle-Newcastle (or Glasgow)-Edinburgh?

[Darren-UK]

I suppose the GPO's figure of 300 was rounded-up for convenience. Depending on the precise location of the sights in Bristol and Edinburgh however, the actual distance could've been slightly less than 300 miles.

Her Maj got through no problems and that's all that matters really .

[Tim]

He said it didn't matter as the rest of the system would not be up so any number would only go through to Edinburgh!

I heard that too. When I was training at Bristol Central Exchange I was told that on this occasion there was a "straight through or PW" in use, but this might have been as a standby.

Incedentally I used to have an ex GPO workbench from the Auto floor where that call was made from............................

[dave walsh]

AJS your computation is as impressive as Darren's estimate. You would have made a good navigator in a Lancaster [with a 1155 set in the background]
or maybe a bomb aimer. Yes her maj did get through Darren [never any doubt]. As the Beatles said though....
"Her Majesty's a very nice girl but she doesn't have a lot to say"
[White Album]. Dave W

[Brased]

Originally Posted by Tim

I heard that too. When I was training at Bristol Central Exchange I was told that on this occasion there was a "straight through or PW" in use, but this might have been as a standby.

I understand that the plan was to use a private wire for the actual call. Unfortunately a workman put his pick through the cable carrying the wire at some point on the route shortly before the call was to be made. There was thus no backup. There was considerable relief that the Queen managed to dial correctly and that the equipment worked.

Edward

[dave walsh]

An interesting conflict with the Radio 4 version of the story Edward. Dave

[chipp1968]

My Mum was a telephonist at Chippenham and it was called Std then.Shes said they were allowed time off with free travel to view the Bristol instalation , which surprised me as they were very strict in those days

[Peter.N.]

One of the first STD exchanges was Orpington where I lived many years ago. The exchange was huge, not like the suitcase ones of today.