On at 20:00h
DOCUMENTARY: Time Shift On: BBC Four Date: Wednesday 11th March 2026 (starting in 29 minutes) Time: 20:00 to 21:00 (1 hour long)
Victoria Coren Mitchell narrates this Timeshift documentary telling
the story of how Britain's phone network was built over the course of
100 years, from early call boxes to the Post Office Tower, and its
impact on the public. (Subtitles, Widescreen, Series 17, Episode 3,
15, 4 Star)
Starring: Victoria Coren Mitchell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marked By: 'Category: Documentary' marker ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt taken
from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=7346
Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.
JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> writes:
On at 20:00h
DOCUMENTARY: Time Shift On: BBC Four Date: Wednesday 11th March 2026
(starting in 29 minutes) Time: 20:00 to 21:00 (1 hour long)
Victoria Coren Mitchell narrates this Timeshift documentary telling
the story of how Britain's phone network was built over the course of
100 years, from early call boxes to the Post Office Tower, and its
impact on the public. (Subtitles, Widescreen, Series 17, Episode 3,
15, 4 Star)
Starring: Victoria Coren Mitchell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marked By:
'Category: Documentary' marker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt taken
from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from
http://www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=7346
Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.
I wonder if, 50 years from now, they will make a documentary about the
early days of VOIP, where the hapless subscriber would have to do battle
with the quirky router interface and puzzle over letters like SIP ALG in order to make a phone call.
Victoria Coren Mitchell
On 11/03/2026 21:05, Richmond wrote:
JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> writes:
On at 20:00h
DOCUMENTARY: Time Shift On: BBC Four Date: Wednesday 11th March 2026
(starting in 29 minutes) Time: 20:00 to 21:00 (1 hour long)
Victoria Coren Mitchell narrates this Timeshift documentary telling
the story of how Britain's phone network was built over the course of
100 years, from early call boxes to the Post Office Tower, and its
impact on the public.-a (Subtitles, Widescreen, Series 17, Episode 3,
15, 4 Star)
Starring: Victoria Coren Mitchell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marked By:
'Category: Documentary' marker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt taken
from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from
http://www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=7346
Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.
I wonder if, 50 years from now, they will make a documentary about the
early days of VOIP, where the hapless subscriber would have to do battle
with the quirky router interface and puzzle over letters like SIP ALG in
order to make a phone call.
Back in the day people had great trouble using a phone dial
Many today find difficulty in using a 'mobile phone' - myself included
I had no trouble setting up SIP though
On 12/03/2026 11:28, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 11/03/2026 21:05, Richmond wrote:
JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> writes:
On at 20:00h
DOCUMENTARY: Time Shift On: BBC Four Date: Wednesday 11th March
2026 (starting in 29 minutes) Time: 20:00 to 21:00 (1 hour long)
Victoria Coren Mitchell narrates this Timeshift documentary telling
the story of how Britain's phone network was built over the course
of 100 years, from early call boxes to the Post Office Tower, and
its impact on the public.-a (Subtitles, Widescreen, Series 17,
Episode 3, 15, 4 Star)
Starring: Victoria Coren Mitchell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marked By:
'Category: Documentary' marker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt
taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from
http://www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=7346
Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.
I wonder if, 50 years from now, they will make a documentary about
the early days of VOIP, where the hapless subscriber would have to
do battle with the quirky router interface and puzzle over letters
like SIP ALG in order to make a phone call. >> Back in the day
people had great trouble using a phone dial >> Many today find
difficulty in using a 'mobile phone' - myself >> included >> I had
no trouble setting up SIP though
Interesting.... .. any way it was nice to see my old boss Nigel Linge
in there
Dave
David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> writes:I remember making a call from Turin in about 1974/5 when I had to book a
On 12/03/2026 11:28, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 11/03/2026 21:05, Richmond wrote:
JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> writes:
On at 20:00h
DOCUMENTARY: Time Shift On: BBC Four Date: Wednesday 11th March
2026 (starting in 29 minutes) Time: 20:00 to 21:00 (1 hour long)
Victoria Coren Mitchell narrates this Timeshift documentary
telling the story of how Britain's phone network was built over
the course of 100 years, from early call boxes to the Post
Office Tower, and its impact on the public.-a (Subtitles,
Widescreen, Series 17, Episode 3, 15, 4 Star)
Starring: Victoria Coren Mitchell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marked
By: 'Category: Documentary' marker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt
taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from
http://www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=7346
Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.
I wonder if, 50 years from now, they will make a documentary about
the early days of VOIP, where the hapless subscriber would have to
do battle with the quirky router interface and puzzle over letters
like SIP ALG in order to make a phone call. >> Back in the day
people had great trouble using a phone dial >> Many today find
difficulty in using a 'mobile phone' - myself >> included >> I had
no trouble setting up SIP though
Interesting.... .. any way it was nice to see my old boss Nigel
Linge in there
Dave
"The GPO's last manual exchange in the UK, at Portpatrick in Scotland,
didn't close until 1976, though by that point it was very much a
curiosity."
Is anyone here old enough to remember using a manual exchange?
e.g. booking a long distance call...
On Thu, 12 Mar 2026 16:16:45 +0000
Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> writes:
On 12/03/2026 11:28, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 11/03/2026 21:05, Richmond wrote:
JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> writes:
On at 20:00h
DOCUMENTARY: Time Shift On: BBC Four Date: Wednesday 11th March
2026 (starting in 29 minutes) Time: 20:00 to 21:00 (1 hour long)
Victoria Coren Mitchell narrates this Timeshift documentary
telling the story of how Britain's phone network was built over
the course of 100 years, from early call boxes to the Post
Office Tower, and its impact on the public.-a (Subtitles,
Widescreen, Series 17, Episode 3, 15, 4 Star)
Starring: Victoria Coren Mitchell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marked
By: 'Category: Documentary' marker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt
taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from
http://www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=7346
Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.
I wonder if, 50 years from now, they will make a documentary about
the early days of VOIP, where the hapless subscriber would have to
do battle with the quirky router interface and puzzle over letters
like SIP ALG in order to make a phone call. >> Back in the day
people had great trouble using a phone dial >> Many today find
difficulty in using a 'mobile phone' - myself >> included >> I had
no trouble setting up SIP though
Interesting.... .. any way it was nice to see my old boss Nigel
Linge in there
Dave
"The GPO's last manual exchange in the UK, at Portpatrick in Scotland,
didn't close until 1976, though by that point it was very much a
curiosity."
Is anyone here old enough to remember using a manual exchange?
e.g. booking a long distance call...
I remember making a call from Turin in about 1974/5 when I had to book a
call at the Exchange and wait for my name to be called for a booth. And
I still had to dial the number in the UK.
David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> writes:
On 12/03/2026 11:28, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 11/03/2026 21:05, Richmond wrote:
JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> writes:
On at 20:00h
DOCUMENTARY: Time Shift On: BBC Four Date: Wednesday 11th March
2026 (starting in 29 minutes) Time: 20:00 to 21:00 (1 hour long)
Victoria Coren Mitchell narrates this Timeshift documentary telling
the story of how Britain's phone network was built over the course
of 100 years, from early call boxes to the Post Office Tower, and
its impact on the public.-a (Subtitles, Widescreen, Series 17,
Episode 3, 15, 4 Star)
Starring: Victoria Coren Mitchell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marked By:
'Category: Documentary' marker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt
taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from
http://www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=7346
Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.
I wonder if, 50 years from now, they will make a documentary about
the early days of VOIP, where the hapless subscriber would have to
do battle with the quirky router interface and puzzle over letters
like SIP ALG in order to make a phone call. >> Back in the day
people had great trouble using a phone dial >> Many today find
difficulty in using a 'mobile phone' - myself >> included >> I had
no trouble setting up SIP though
Interesting.... .. any way it was nice to see my old boss Nigel Linge
in there
Dave
"The GPO's last manual exchange in the UK, at Portpatrick in Scotland,
didn't close until 1976, though by that point it was very much a
curiosity."
Is anyone here old enough to remember using a manual exchange?
e.g. booking a long distance call...
Is anyone here old enough to remember using a manual exchange?
e.g. booking a long distance call...
On Thu, 12 Mar 2026 16:16:45 +0000, Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
Is anyone here old enough to remember using a manual exchange?
e.g. booking a long distance call...
When I joined the fire service in 1969 calls from Leicester to Dorking
(site of the fire officers' college) had to be made through the
operator.
David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> writes:
On 12/03/2026 11:28, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 11/03/2026 21:05, Richmond wrote:
JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> writes:
On at 20:00h
DOCUMENTARY: Time Shift On: BBC Four Date: Wednesday 11th March
2026 (starting in 29 minutes) Time: 20:00 to 21:00 (1 hour long)
Victoria Coren Mitchell narrates this Timeshift documentary telling
the story of how Britain's phone network was built over the course
of 100 years, from early call boxes to the Post Office Tower, and
its impact on the public.-a (Subtitles, Widescreen, Series 17,
Episode 3, 15, 4 Star)
Starring: Victoria Coren Mitchell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marked By:
'Category: Documentary' marker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt
taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from
http://www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=7346
Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.
I wonder if, 50 years from now, they will make a documentary about
the early days of VOIP, where the hapless subscriber would have to
do battle with the quirky router interface and puzzle over letters
like SIP ALG in order to make a phone call. >> Back in the day
people had great trouble using a phone dial >> Many today find
difficulty in using a 'mobile phone' - myself >> included >> I had
no trouble setting up SIP though
Interesting.... .. any way it was nice to see my old boss Nigel Linge
in there
Dave
"The GPO's last manual exchange in the UK, at Portpatrick in Scotland,
didn't close until 1976, though by that point it was very much a
curiosity."
Is anyone here old enough to remember using a manual exchange?
e.g. booking a long distance call...
Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> writes:
On Thu, 12 Mar 2026 16:16:45 +0000, Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
Is anyone here old enough to remember using a manual exchange?
e.g. booking a long distance call...
When I joined the fire service in 1969 calls from Leicester to Dorking
(site of the fire officers' college) had to be made through the
operator.
Did you have to tell the local operator the number, and then tell the destination operator the number too?
On Thu 12/03/2026 18:13, Richmond wrote:
Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> writes:
On Thu, 12 Mar 2026 16:16:45 +0000, Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:Did you have to tell the local operator the number, and then tell
Is anyone here old enough to remember using a manual exchange?
e.g. booking a long distance call...
When I joined the fire service in 1969 calls from Leicester to Dorking
(site of the fire officers' college) had to be made through the
operator.
the
destination operator the number too?
As I remember you dialled 0 on your phone and when the operator
answered you asked for "trunks" so you were put through to another
operator to whom you gave the exchange and number. I do also seem to
recall as a youngster in the late fifties that the long distance
operator called another operator at the destination end who then
connected the call.
Mind you in those days if you knew the local codes you could go a surprisingly long way without going through an operator. As a
youngster in a 'North Midlands' town I once called a friend in an
'East Midlands' town about 60 miles away by dialling I think four
local codes - 91+97+.. that sort of thing - and got through. Only
problem was lack of amplification so we ended up shouting to each
other!
I can remember too when STD started around 1960 in our area. We got
our first phone in 1959 and it already had a concatenated number - the
area dialling code from the city to our suburb was 81 so we got a six
digit number starting 81. The last four digits still exist but the
area code is now 67.
Who remembers the A/B boxes and tapping out the (usually local) number
you wanted on the handset rest? Them were't days...............
I can remember too when STD started around 1960 in our area. We got our first phone in 1959 and it already had a concatenated number - the area dialling code from the city to our suburb was 81 so we got a six digit number starting 81. The last four digits still exist but the area code
is now 67.
Who remembers the A/B boxes and tapping out the (usually local) number
you wanted on the handset rest? Them were't days...............
"The GPO's last manual exchange in the UK, at Portpatrick in Scotland,
didn't close until 1976, though by that point it was very much a
curiosity."
Is anyone here old enough to remember using a manual exchange?
e.g. booking a long distance call...
On 2026/3/12 19:45:35, Woody wrote:
[]
I can remember too when STD started around 1960 in our area. We got our
first phone in 1959 and it already had a concatenated number - the area
dialling code from the city to our suburb was 81 so we got a six digit
number starting 81. The last four digits still exist but the area code
is now 67.
I wonder, what's the shortest number (of digits) anyone here remembers actually using? I remember four - Eaglescliffe 2201, in the 1960s - but
I doubt that's the shortest. (There was that discussion here about a single-digit number, but that doesn't really count, as there was only
one 'phone on that island, and it wasn't dialled.)
So tapping the rest did something different to dialling the, er, dial?
Who remembers the A/B boxes and tapping out the (usually local) number
you wanted on the handset rest? Them were't days...............
On 12/03/2026 20:48, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/3/12 19:45:35, Woody wrote:
[]
I can remember too when STD started around 1960 in our area. We got our
first phone in 1959 and it already had a concatenated number - the area
dialling code from the city to our suburb was 81 so we got a six digit
number starting 81. The last four digits still exist but the area code
is now 67.
I wonder, what's the shortest number (of digits) anyone here remembers
actually using? I remember four - Eaglescliffe 2201, in the 1960s - but
I doubt that's the shortest. (There was that discussion here about a
single-digit number, but that doesn't really count, as there was only
one 'phone on that island, and it wasn't dialled.)
Well just down the road in "Dinsdale" we were Dinsdale 583....
.. oddly I don't believe either place "really" exists, they are the
names of the railway stations. Dinsdale is in Middleton St. George,
there is a Low Dinsdale and an Over Dinsdale but no "Dinsdale"...
Eaglescliffe is in the parish of Egglescliffe. It should have been
called Egglescliffe Station and there are many versions of how it was misnamed
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eaglescliffe_railway_station
but the name "Eaglescliffe" now gets used almost interchangeably
So tapping the rest did something different to dialling the, er, dial?
Who remembers the A/B boxes and tapping out the (usually local) number
you wanted on the handset rest? Them were't days...............
well it pulsed the line without triggering the charging circuit.
Dave
ISTR reading somewhere that a lot of exchange names - certainly in[...]
London, such as "Elgar" - were contrived as a way of making the
three-digit codes for the exchanges memorable.
David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> writes:
On 12/03/2026 11:28, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 11/03/2026 21:05, Richmond wrote:
JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> writes:
On at 20:00h
DOCUMENTARY: Time Shift On: BBC Four Date: Wednesday 11th March
Interesting.... .. any way it was nice to see my old boss Nigel Linge
in there
Dave
"The GPO's last manual exchange in the UK, at Portpatrick in Scotland,
didn't close until 1976, though by that point it was very much a
curiosity."
Is anyone here old enough to remember using a manual exchange?--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2
e.g. booking a long distance call...
On 2026/3/12 19:45:35, Woody wrote:
[]
I can remember too when STD started around 1960 in our area. We got our
first phone in 1959 and it already had a concatenated number - the area
dialling code from the city to our suburb was 81 so we got a six digit
number starting 81. The last four digits still exist but the area code
is now 67.
I wonder, what's the shortest number (of digits) anyone here remembers >actually using? I remember four - Eaglescliffe 2201, in the 1960s - but
I doubt that's the shortest. (There was that discussion here about a >single-digit number, but that doesn't really count, as there was only
one 'phone on that island, and it wasn't dialled.)
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2
Who remembers the A/B boxes and tapping out the (usually local) number
"The GPO's last manual exchange in the UK, at Portpatrick in Scotland,
didn't close until 1976, though by that point it was very much a
curiosity."
Is anyone here old enough to remember using a manual exchange?
e.g. booking a long distance call...
Not the same as a manual exchange, pre STD we needed an operator to call
my aunt in Purley from Staindrop, but we could ring the local milkman
who brought the papers as well...
I can remember too when STD started around 1960 in our area. We got our first phone in 1959 and it already had a concatenated number - the area dialling code from the city to our suburb was 81 so we got a six digit number starting 81. The last four digits still exist but the area code
is now 67.
On 12/03/2026 16:16, Richmond wrote:
"The GPO's last manual exchange in the UK, at Portpatrick in
Scotland, didn't close until 1976, though by that point it was very
much a curiosity."
Is anyone here old enough to remember using a manual exchange?
e.g. booking a long distance call...
I thought it was Portree? When we went to our site near there, we
had make all calls through the operator.
We also had automatic fault reporting equipment at the site which
also had to make calls through the operator!
On Thu, 12 Mar 2026 16:16:45 +0000, Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> writes:
On 12/03/2026 11:28, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 11/03/2026 21:05, Richmond wrote:
JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> writes:
On at 20:00h
DOCUMENTARY: Time Shift On: BBC Four Date: Wednesday 11th March
Interesting.... .. any way it was nice to see my old boss Nigel
Linge in there
Dave
"The GPO's last manual exchange in the UK, at Portpatrick in Scotland, >>didn't close until 1976, though by that point it was very much a >>curiosity."
This fascinating documentary is about the decomissioning of London's
last manual exchange.
https://youtu.be/OqrfBjZCiVQ?si=8sYuZEUpqK8kaVBG
On 12/03/2026 16:16, Richmond wrote:
"The GPO's last manual exchange in the UK, at Portpatrick in Scotland,
didn't close until 1976, though by that point it was very much a
curiosity."
Is anyone here old enough to remember using a manual exchange?
e.g. booking a long distance call...
I thought it was Portree? When we went to our site near there, we had
make all calls through the operator.
We also had automatic fault reporting equipment at the site which also
had to make calls through the operator!
On 2026/3/13 9:24:39, JMB99 wrote:
On 12/03/2026 16:16, Richmond wrote:
"The GPO's last manual exchange in the UK, at Portpatrick in Scotland,
didn't close until 1976, though by that point it was very much a
curiosity."
Is anyone here old enough to remember using a manual exchange?
e.g. booking a long distance call...
I thought it was Portree? When we went to our site near there, we had
make all calls through the operator.
We also had automatic fault reporting equipment at the site which also
had to make calls through the operator!
That reminds me of something I saw on TV many years ago: a very early automated burglar alarm, which incorporated both a mechanism to dial
999, and a gramophone recording (obviously, with player) that told the emergency operator the address and that a burglary was in progress.
That reminds me of something I saw on TV many years ago: a very early automated burglar alarm, which incorporated both a mechanism to dial
999, and a gramophone recording (obviously, with player) that told the emergency operator the address and that a burglary was in progress.
J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:[]
On 2026/3/13 9:24:39, JMB99 wrote:
(How _did_ that work - did it use a recording, as below?)We also had automatic fault reporting equipment at the site which also
had to make calls through the operator!
That reminds me of something I saw on TV many years ago: a very early
automated burglar alarm, which incorporated both a mechanism to dial
999, and a gramophone recording (obviously, with player) that told the
emergency operator the address and that a burglary was in progress.
I have one of the records - and one of the machines turned up at an
auction a couple of years ago.
On 2026/3/14 12:32:29, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
[]On 2026/3/13 9:24:39, JMB99 wrote:
(How _did_ that work - did it use a recording, as below?)We also had automatic fault reporting equipment at the site which also >>> had to make calls through the operator!
That reminds me of something I saw on TV many years ago: a very early
automated burglar alarm, which incorporated both a mechanism to dial
999, and a gramophone recording (obviously, with player) that told the
emergency operator the address and that a burglary was in progress.
I have one of the records - and one of the machines turned up at an
auction a couple of years ago.
If I'd had to guess who might have one, I'd have guessed you! :-)
(What exactly _does_ it say? I only saw the thing once, many years ago.)
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