General Chat

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Following on from Harry's thread........... how many ex GPO telephonists are members of this site? I joined in 1965, after a spelling test, a medical including a chest X-ray and an IQ test. I remember my interview at Worple Road in Wimbledon - I was so nervous. The interviewer had doubts that I could work the switchboard because I am left handed and I had to prove that I could. I did my training at Old Street in London and then went to Epsom exchange. After about 6 months it changed from a manual exchange to automatic and I transferred, after more training, to Liberty exchange in Merton Park. When that closed, I transferred to Balham and then to International exchange in London. After yet more training, I transferred to Putney Directory Enquiries, where I stayed until I left to have my first child in 1971. I also worked at Kingston, Elmbridge, Emberbrook occasionally when needed. Happy memories, and I am still in contact with friends I made in those days. Sue xx

I remember my Mum doing her telephonist training when I was about 8. It was near a Mars factory and she used to bring back jars of what I think were called Glees at the time....skittles now. Jen

I was a GPO telephonist in 1969........part-time. Evenings and weekends. Best job ever........still get nostalgic when I see old films with the plug and cord switchboards.............. I've still got my black bakelite 'dialler' which fitted over the end of a pencil............. Reg

Oh gosh The lady I work with used to do that too - she was from Reigate area ......... I wonder if you knew her Sue - her name is Rae ???

You might find it interesting to read about telephonists in 1901 here: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/census/pandp/people/tele.htm

I trained in Inverness in January 1973, my daughter was nearly 3 and my son 6 mths. Cash was short and I needed to get back to work but couldn't work daytime so joined the night staff. Must say I really liked it although I had to leave in the October as my husband changed jobs and was doing some night shifts, although I would have probably been paid off once STD came in. We had to call up other smaller exchanges to route calls, and do you remember TKO, checking to see if the caller was still on the line after 9 mins. People thought the operators listened in to the calls - no way, it was just far too busy! As Harry says, Happy days! Christine

I was a receptionist/telephonist for several different companies but never for BT

Not a GPO telephonist, but trained by Telecom (now Telstra) here in Sydney. Worked on the national exchange in 1977/1978, connecting calls all over Australia. hard work,as no time to do anything but take calls and had to put our hand up if we wanted to go to the loo!! All sorts of weird and wonderful shifts were worked. Was good grounding for learning the correct way to pronounce all the strange sounding places here in Oz. Remember ringing an exchange in the country called Scone and pronounced it the way I always said it in UK (as in the posh way.) Well that caused a few laughs at the other exchange and from the girls around me as they call it Scone as in cone with the S in front. Some happy and funny memories! Lyn

I had forgotten about TKO and those little cards! Being a junior, I had to go round collecting the cards from the pockets on the back of the chairs. Does anyone else remember putting up their hand and asking the supervisor for 'an urgent'? (5 minute timed breaks to visit the loo) Another telephonist would take over your position, and you weren't allowed to remove your jack plug before hers was plugged in to the board. When I worked at Epsom exchange, there were many 'Mental' hospitals in the Epsom area. Wednesday afternoons were when many patients were 'let out' for a few hours. We always knew, because the red emergency lights and buzzers were constantly going off. The patients would go into the phone boxes and push the emergency button just for someone to talk to! When I worked at International exchange, a lot of the overseas calls were made via a radio link and had to be booked in advance - no picking up the phone and dialling a number in those days! The radio links were sometimes only for an hour a day, and we got to know the operators in different countries quite well as the connections were always breaking down. At Liberty exchange, the subscribers could dial local numbers but had to ask the operator for 'Trunks'. The exchange covered a large factory estate and one of the factories was Lines Brothers/Triang Toys. They also had a factory in Wales (Merthyr Tydfil I think) and we were on first name terms with the switchboard operators at either end. (where are you now Glad?) I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a 'Hello girl', but I'm sure younger people don't believe me when I tell them all the rules and regulations we had to obey! 'Hold the line caller, I'm trying to connect you'. Sue xx