I discovered earlier that, now BT no longer send out paper copies of
the telephone directories, you can download a PDF copy of the local directory - local town usually rather than whole telephone area.
It does mean you can do a search of the PDF for words in an address
and of course you can keep a copy of the local directory on a PC or
phone.
https://www.bt.com/help/the-phone-book/a-z-directory-finder
On 05.01.2026 18:02 Uhr JMB99 wrote:
I discovered earlier that, now BT no longer send out paper copies of
the telephone directories, you can download a PDF copy of the local
directory - local town usually rather than whole telephone area.
It does mean you can do a search of the PDF for words in an address
and of course you can keep a copy of the local directory on a PC or
phone.
https://www.bt.com/help/the-phone-book/a-z-directory-finder
In various countries, e.g. Germany, a public web-telephone directory is available for a long time. Subscribers can choose not to be included
here.
Is that different in the UK?
It took me a while to find my area to download. I live in Warwick, but
it's not listed in the W's. So I tried the L's incase my area covered Leamington & Warwick, but it was not there either. So I searched for
Warwick in the index rather than using the A-Z, and found that my area
is Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick - which is the last place I would
have looked!
Is that different in the UK?
On 05.01.2026 18:02 Uhr JMB99 wrote:
I discovered earlier that, now BT no longer send out paper copies of
the telephone directories, you can download a PDF copy of the local
directory - local town usually rather than whole telephone area.
It does mean you can do a search of the PDF for words in an address
and of course you can keep a copy of the local directory on a PC or
phone.
https://www.bt.com/help/the-phone-book/a-z-directory-finder
In various countries, e.g. Germany, a public web-telephone directory is available for a long time. Subscribers can choose not to be included
here.
Is that different in the UK?
I discovered earlier that, now BT no longer send out paper copies of the telephone directories, you can download a PDF copy of the local
directory - local town usually rather than whole telephone area.
It does mean you can do a search of the PDF for words in an address and
of course you can keep a copy of the local directory on a PC or phone.
https://www.bt.com/help/the-phone-book/a-z-directory-finder
On 05/01/2026 19:44, Marco Moock wrote:
Is that different in the UK?
It has been available online for many years but the paper copy was only >dropped a few years ago.
It took me a while to find my area to download. I live in Warwick, but
it's not listed in the W's. So I tried the L's incase my area covered >Leamington & Warwick, but it was not there either. So I searched for
Warwick in the index rather than using the A-Z, and found that my area
is Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick - which is the last place I would
have looked!
On 05/01/2026 18:02, JMB99 wrote:
I discovered earlier that, now BT no longer send out paper copies of theThanks for that, I have downloaded a copy.
telephone directories, you can download a PDF copy of the local
directory - local town usually rather than whole telephone area.
It does mean you can do a search of the PDF for words in an address and
of course you can keep a copy of the local directory on a PC or phone.
https://www.bt.com/help/the-phone-book/a-z-directory-finder
Amusingly enough I noticed a residential listing:
LASTNAME, Emma
<address> <tel no>
I wonder if someone filled in a form oddly...
I remember on "That's Life", they found someone listed under Wongnumba -
and rang him live on the programme.
On Tue, 06 Jan 2026 21:16:31 +0000, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
I remember on "That's Life", they found someone listed under Wongnumba -
and rang him live on the programme.
That dates you..and by definition, I know you are quite a bit younger than me!
On Tue, 6 Jan 2026 10:21:59 +0000, JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> wrote:
On 05/01/2026 19:44, Marco Moock wrote:
Is that different in the UK?
It has been available online for many years but the paper copy was only >dropped a few years ago.
BT used to run a directory search site but that has been dropped now,
in favour of the directory download system referred to.
On 05/01/2026 18:02, JMB99 wrote:
I discovered earlier that, now BT no longer send out paper copies of theThanks for that, I have downloaded a copy.
telephone directories, you can download a PDF copy of the local
directory - local town usually rather than whole telephone area.
It does mean you can do a search of the PDF for words in an address and
of course you can keep a copy of the local directory on a PC or phone.
https://www.bt.com/help/the-phone-book/a-z-directory-finder
Amusingly enough I noticed a residential listing:
LASTNAME, Emma
<address> <tel no>
There is no legal requirement for someone to have a first name and last
name. So it is possibly to have just one name.
Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:[]
BT used to run a directory search site but that has been dropped now,
in favour of the directory download system referred to.
Searching for 'BT telephone directory lookup [town county]'
(skip the sponsored sites) will take you directly to the relevant
BT directory.pdf which is itself searchable online.
On Wed, 07 Jan 2026 09:37:29 +0000, Rupert Moss-Eccardt wrote:Other than just to do that, do you know what their reason was? (Or were?)--
There is no legal requirement for someone to have a first name and last
name. So it is possibly to have just one name.
Two friends of mine have that. One is named after a moon of Saturn, the other after a weasel-like animal.
They did the change when students, about 30 years ago. It caused the
student records system some grief.
On 2026/1/6 23:21:27, Sn!pe wrote:
Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:
[]
(Useful to know, thanks.) Presumably these PDFs can be searched forBT used to run a directory search site but that has been dropped now,Searching for 'BT telephone directory lookup [town county]' (skip the
in favour of the directory download system referred to.
sponsored sites) will take you directly to the relevant BT
directory.pdf which is itself searchable online.
number, thus allowing a reverse lookup; ISTR that was once thought undesirable, though I forget why.
On Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:19:17 +0000, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/1/6 23:21:27, Sn!pe wrote:
Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:
[]
(Useful to know, thanks.) Presumably these PDFs can be searched forBT used to run a directory search site but that has been dropped now,Searching for 'BT telephone directory lookup [town county]' (skip the
in favour of the directory download system referred to.
sponsored sites) will take you directly to the relevant BT
directory.pdf which is itself searchable online.
number, thus allowing a reverse lookup; ISTR that was once thought
undesirable, though I forget why.
They don't seem to be searchable, although I suppose you could OCR them if you really wanted to.
On 2026/1/7 22:18:12, Bob Eager wrote:
On Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:19:17 +0000, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/1/6 23:21:27, Sn!pe wrote:
Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:
[]
(Useful to know, thanks.) Presumably these PDFs can be searched forBT used to run a directory search site but that has been droppedSearching for 'BT telephone directory lookup [town county]' (skip the
now,
in favour of the directory download system referred to.
sponsored sites) will take you directly to the relevant BT
directory.pdf which is itself searchable online.
number, thus allowing a reverse lookup; ISTR that was once thought
undesirable, though I forget why.
They don't seem to be searchable, although I suppose you could OCR them
if you really wanted to.
Oh, so they're images (scans of the printed versions)?
On Wed, 07 Jan 2026 09:37:29 +0000, Rupert Moss-Eccardt wrote:
There is no legal requirement for someone to have a first name and last
name. So it is possibly to have just one name.
Two friends of mine have that. One is named after a moon of Saturn, the
other after a weasel-like animal.
They did the change when students, about 30 years ago. It caused the
student records system some grief.
Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:
On Tue, 6 Jan 2026 10:21:59 +0000, JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> wrote:
On 05/01/2026 19:44, Marco Moock wrote:
Is that different in the UK?
It has been available online for many years but the paper copy was
only dropped a few years ago.
BT used to run a directory search site but that has been dropped
now, in favour of the directory download system referred to.
Searching for 'BT telephone directory lookup [town county]'
(skip the sponsored sites) will take you directly to the relevant
BT directory.pdf which is itself searchable online.
They don't seem to be searchable, although I suppose you could OCR them if you really wanted to.
I live in a village near Diss, on the Suffolk/Norfolk border. We used
to be in the Bury St. Edmunds directory. The online one does not
include us, but the South Norfolk and Lowestoft one does. But neither
of our local pubs are listed, nor am I. My two closest neighbours are
not listed, but one three houses down is.
The big solicitors' company, which was taken over several years ago and changed its name, and was closed down completely at least a year ago,
is still listed under its original name and address.
Strange. This does not encourage confidence in the listings.
On 07/01/2026 23:06, Davey wrote:
I live in a village near Diss, on the Suffolk/Norfolk border. We
used to be in the Bury St. Edmunds directory. The online one does
not include us, but the South Norfolk and Lowestoft one does. But
neither of our local pubs are listed, nor am I. My two closest
neighbours are not listed, but one three houses down is.
The big solicitors' company, which was taken over several years ago
and changed its name, and was closed down completely at least a
year ago, is still listed under its original name and address.
Strange. This does not encourage confidence in the listings.
Were all these in the paper directory?
On Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:30:58 +0000, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/1/7 22:18:12, Bob Eager wrote:
On Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:19:17 +0000, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/1/6 23:21:27, Sn!pe wrote:
Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:
[]
(Useful to know, thanks.) Presumably these PDFs can be searched forBT used to run a directory search site but that has been droppedSearching for 'BT telephone directory lookup [town county]' (skip the >>>>> sponsored sites) will take you directly to the relevant BT
now,
in favour of the directory download system referred to.
directory.pdf which is itself searchable online.
number, thus allowing a reverse lookup; ISTR that was once thought
undesirable, though I forget why.
They don't seem to be searchable, although I suppose you could OCR them
if you really wanted to.
Oh, so they're images (scans of the printed versions)?
Presumably, but they aren't all that big. I tried to extract the images
and it failed with a protection error.
On 07/01/2026 22:18, Bob Eager wrote:
They don't seem to be searchable, although I suppose you could OCR them if >> you really wanted to.
I searched them without any problem?
It is a PDF file so searchable, just checked by downloading a file and
did a search successfully.
On 07/01/2026 22:18, Bob Eager wrote:
They don't seem to be searchable, although I suppose you could OCR
them if
you really wanted to.
I searched them without any problem?
It is a PDF file so searchable,
did a search successfully.
On 07/01/2026 23:18, JMB99 wrote:
On 07/01/2026 22:18, Bob Eager wrote:
They don't seem to be searchable, although I suppose you could OCR
them if
you really wanted to.
I searched them without any problem?
It is a PDF file so searchable,
Assuming it contains text, not an image...
-ajust checked by downloading a file and
did a search successfully.
On 2026/1/7 22:39:28, Bob Eager wrote:
On Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:30:58 +0000, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/1/7 22:18:12, Bob Eager wrote:
On Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:19:17 +0000, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/1/6 23:21:27, Sn!pe wrote:
Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:
[]
(Useful to know, thanks.) Presumably these PDFs can be searched forBT used to run a directory search site but that has been dropped >>>>>>> now,Searching for 'BT telephone directory lookup [town county]' (skip
in favour of the directory download system referred to.
the sponsored sites) will take you directly to the relevant BT
directory.pdf which is itself searchable online.
number, thus allowing a reverse lookup; ISTR that was once thought
undesirable, though I forget why.
They don't seem to be searchable, although I suppose you could OCR
them if you really wanted to.
Oh, so they're images (scans of the printed versions)?
Presumably, but they aren't all that big. I tried to extract the images
and it failed with a protection error.
Do they look as if they're scans of a print - dirt specks, or slight misalignment - or electronically created?
What did you use to try to extract?
Is does also allow reverse searches to be made by searching for the
number.
On Thu, 8 Jan 2026 11:53:55 +0000 Roger Mills <mills37.fslife@gmail.com> wrote:
Is does also allow reverse searches to be made by searching for the
number.
Which, since it allows text searching, is no real surprise. It all works
on my Linux PC using Document Viewer.
On Thu, 08 Jan 2026 05:40:57 +0000, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/1/7 22:39:28, Bob Eager wrote:
On Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:30:58 +0000, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/1/7 22:18:12, Bob Eager wrote:
They don't seem to be searchable, although I suppose you could OCR
them if you really wanted to.
Oh, so they're images (scans of the printed versions)?
Presumably, but they aren't all that big. I tried to extract the images
and it failed with a protection error.
Do they look as if they're scans of a print - dirt specks, or slight
misalignment - or electronically created?
No, they are very clean. I don't actually think they are images at all. I think the extraction utility (for images) just said that becaise the file
is clearly protected.
What did you use to try to extract?
pdfimages from poppler-utils (not on Windows, nor online).
The file is encrypted, presumable to stop manipulation. The metadata includes:
Pages: 156
Encrypted: RC4 128-bit
Permissions: print:yes copy:no change:no addNotes:no
On Thu, 08 Jan 2026 12:42:19 +0000, Davey wrote:
On Thu, 8 Jan 2026 11:53:55 +0000 Roger Mills
<mills37.fslife@gmail.com> wrote:
Is does also allow reverse searches to be made by searching for the
number.
Which, since it allows text searching, is no real surprise. It all
works on my Linux PC using Document Viewer.
Yes, I was initially using an old viewer with no search capability!
qpdfview works fine though.
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