Thanks to Bob at The Telephone File I just rewired this 1970 GPO 706F telephone I bought at Brick Lane market 20 years ago. It now runs happily in parallel with my regular digital home phone so I have both the pleasantly homey "DRrrrring-DRrrrring" of in-coming calls, and I can still call annoying automated 'service providers' who have labyrinth touch-tone only switchboards. When my index finger is looking out of shape, I can exercise it on the original radial dial which still works fine too.
Oh what joy simple technology brings. BP
And you thought you were following a motorcycle blog.
mint - love that ben and a perfect example of why sideburn is a cut above other two wheeled publications.
ReplyDeleteWe found one of these on top of the kitchen cupboards when we moved into our current flat a couple of years ago. I wired it in and the ring is unmissable, completely out-performing the weak electronic piss that leaks from our other phones. Long live bells.
ReplyDeleteFantastic piece - I always wondered whether I could still use an old phone on out telephone lines - one that doesn't stop working when the electric goes off (as it frequently does in this part of rural Britain) - guess what I'll be looking for at the car boot sales this week :)
ReplyDeleteA thing of beauty indeed. I am the proud owner of a 706L which is still in regular use as is my 1982 two-tone beige & brown Trimphone.
ReplyDeleteTwo tone trimphone - how posh are you hs?
ReplyDeleteSeem torecall they were quite expensive in their day.
Nice one Ben. I have an old Bell telephone converted but sadly it doesn't ring :-(
ReplyDeletePosh indeed rustyli150! The "Snowdon Collection' push button trimphone was so posh when BT introduced it in around 1980 you had to buy it from them. You weren't allowed to rent it as was usual then. That sorted out who was posh all right!!!
ReplyDeleteI would have been 5 then. The idea of buying ANYthing apart from anglo bubbly seemed positively upper class.
ReplyDelete