07-07-2019, 10:53 AM
I was still at junior school when the council finally cleared the bomb site at the end of the road and grassed it over, making it a splendid place to play - although, of course, that doesn't mean that we didn't have lots of fun playing there before!
Somebody arranged a temporary indoor market on the green, as we called it, housed in a massive marquee, with lots of stalls selling a wide variety of products and, in the centre, a GPO exhibit.
This demonstrated what happened when you dialled 999 - the local manual exchange was on the verge of becoming automatic and one of the first, if not the first, STD exchange in the country.
There was a small amount of Strowger kit and, on one side of the stand, a small switchboard, and a telephone at the other side. If you dialled 999, bright lights flashed over the switchboard and there might even have been a bell but there was definitely something missing, because I'd not long before read an article somewhere on the subject. So I went on the prowl ...
Sure enough, I found a large, old fashioned brass tumbler switch mounted under the edge of the plinth. Not only that, but it was clearly labelled KLAXON on the wood alongside! One tiny flick of my toe, then turn around and casually walk away ...
After only a few seconds, all hell let loose - boy, was that klaxon loud! It took several seconds before it was silenced - and no, I didn't go back for seconds!
Somebody arranged a temporary indoor market on the green, as we called it, housed in a massive marquee, with lots of stalls selling a wide variety of products and, in the centre, a GPO exhibit.
This demonstrated what happened when you dialled 999 - the local manual exchange was on the verge of becoming automatic and one of the first, if not the first, STD exchange in the country.
There was a small amount of Strowger kit and, on one side of the stand, a small switchboard, and a telephone at the other side. If you dialled 999, bright lights flashed over the switchboard and there might even have been a bell but there was definitely something missing, because I'd not long before read an article somewhere on the subject. So I went on the prowl ...
Sure enough, I found a large, old fashioned brass tumbler switch mounted under the edge of the plinth. Not only that, but it was clearly labelled KLAXON on the wood alongside! One tiny flick of my toe, then turn around and casually walk away ...
After only a few seconds, all hell let loose - boy, was that klaxon loud! It took several seconds before it was silenced - and no, I didn't go back for seconds!
