Question about the telephone exchange in 1959

[VeepVeep]

Hello Hive,

I wonder if I could please ask those of you with big, fantastic brains to answer this question for me?

Before 1958, you would have to call numbers via an exchange? For example SAM 218.

After 1958, I understand that you could call directly. As in, you don't need to go through an exchange.

Would that mean the number SAM 218 changes completely?

It's for a book. Thanks so much.

I thought the letters corresponded to the numbers on your phone like this and SAM became the relevant numbers instead?

Image didn’t post last time

So it appears that initially they did just change over to their numerical equivalent, but were overhauled entirely in 1966.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-figure_dialling

We certainly didn't change to all numbers in 1959. I can remember my phone number from when I was a child, and I was only 3 in 1959!

It was Rippleway 6526 then 594 6526 then (I think) 01 594 6526 then 021 594 6526.

The exact years I couldn't tell you.

All exchanges had their own name/call reference and the numbers didn't correspond to those

The link says that some areas changed before others as they had a greater need for numbers.

I would say that STD system was introduced gradually in the U.K. and well into the 1960s telephone numbers still started with the name of your local exchange.
I was married in the mid/late 60s, and my phone number started CEN.

Yes it looks like it was a gradual change over, rather than an immediate change.

No, the numbers didn’t change for those who were already subscribers but having all numbers introduced way more options as phone ownership became more popular. As more people had numbers that do not correspond to a word they gave out just their number while people whose numbers corresponded to an exchange continued to say the exchange name for quite some years after 1959.

Wow! Thank you all so much

No the number remained the same, and similar to what Mymycherrypie said, you just dialled the three letters, because each section on the dial represented multiple characters - although unlike touch phones you only had to dial once to get the character you required. The exchange would recognise the combination and know which character you wanted.

So in your example, to phone SAM 218 you would dial the equivalent of 726 218.

Art some point in the 60s, the letters were done away with and phone numbers became fully numeric.

I shouldn't have gone for a pee mid-typing, should I! I see your question has now been fully answered.