On Tue, 27 Mar 2007 23:40:40 GMT, "Richard J."
wrote:

Exchange wrote:
"Steve Fitzgerald" ] wrote in message
...
In message ,
writes
They must have a lot of people working on that the travel
information line I
always seem to get straight through. Apart from the day when
there was loads
of snow

ITYM 020 7222 1234

We've never had 0207 numbers in London - they were in the
Consett/Stanley area in the North East. Try dialling 222 1234
locally and see what happens.

Well you've got that very wrong, I live in Lambeth and MY number
is 0207.

You would think that someone calling himself "Exchange" would be more
knowledgeable about such things. ALL numbers in London have an area
code of 020 followed by a 4-digit exchange code (which currently begins
with 3, 7 or 8) followed by a 4-digit number. I'm amazed that this
still needs to be explained to people 9 years after the 020 code was
introduced.

My favourite is when I'm quoting my work number to a customer that
also has an 020 number. I drop the dialling code and say "it's 7580"
and they say "07580"...

On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:50:00 +0100, Paul Cummins wrote:

I have a London number. It starts 020. As do ALL London numbers.

Clue - try dialling 222 1234


I have several London numbers. One of them starts with 82, the others 70.

The number of times I have quoted my new number as 020 (deliberate pause)
70xx (deliberate pause) xxxx only to have the recipient render it as 0207
0xx xxxx is ridiculous. That number was not even valid before 020.

You hear people quote "0171 became 0207" etc..., which, for simplicity of
which digits to dial nationally, is true, but to be correct, is not.

I managed to allow simple London dialling on my PBX - any 8-digit number
beginning with 3, 7 or 8 is treated as such. Trouble will come if 4
becomes the first digit - I may have to insist on national dialling then.

--
Phil Reynolds
mail: (though I'd prefer followups on group)
Web: http://www.tinsleyviaduct.com/phil/
Waltham 67, Emley Moor 69, Droitwich 79, Windows 95

"Phil Reynolds" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:50:00 +0100, Paul Cummins wrote:

I have a London number. It starts 020. As do ALL London numbers.

Clue - try dialling 222 1234


I have several London numbers. One of them starts with 82, the others 70.

The number of times I have quoted my new number as 020 (deliberate pause)
70xx (deliberate pause) xxxx only to have the recipient render it as 0207
0xx xxxx is ridiculous. That number was not even valid before 020.

You hear people quote "0171 became 0207" etc..., which, for simplicity of
which digits to dial nationally, is true, but to be correct, is not.

I managed to allow simple London dialling on my PBX - any 8-digit number
beginning with 3, 7 or 8 is treated as such. Trouble will come if 4
becomes the first digit - I may have to insist on national dialling then.

--
Phil Reynolds
mail: (though I'd prefer followups on group)
Web: http://www.tinsleyviaduct.com/phil/
Waltham 67, Emley Moor 69, Droitwich 79, Windows 95

You still see a lot of headed stationary, van sides, shop fronts etc with
the 7 or 8 detached from the rest of the number. Actually, the change was a
nuisance for everybody since long established easy to remember numbers, for
example, 222 (formerly ABBey) 1234 became the less memorable 7222 1234. In
fact TfL spent a lot of money buying 222 2222 (formerly belonging to a shop
in Broadway next to St. James' station) but I am not sure what use they have
ever made of it. Probably Bob Kiley's direct line!

MaxB

On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:40:40 +0100, Richard J.
wrote:

ALL numbers in London have an area code of 020 followed by a 4-digit
exchange code...

Beg pardon?
Are you saying that all numbers on the same exchange will start with the
same 4 first numbers?
I guess not, but what do you mean by '4-digit exchange code'?


--
Fig

On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 MaxB wrote:

You still see a lot of headed stationary, van sides, shop fronts etc
with the 7 or 8 detached from the rest of the number. Actually, the
change was a nuisance for everybody since long established easy to
remember numbers, for example, 222 (formerly ABBey) 1234 became the less
memorable 7222 1234. In fact TfL spent a lot of money buying 222 2222
(formerly belonging to a shop in Broadway next to St. James' station)
but I am not sure what use they have ever made of it. Probably Bob
Kiley's direct line!

Have you tried dialling it?
--
Thoss

"thoss" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 MaxB wrote:

You still see a lot of headed stationary, van sides, shop fronts etc
with the 7 or 8 detached from the rest of the number. Actually, the
change was a nuisance for everybody since long established easy to
remember numbers, for example, 222 (formerly ABBey) 1234 became the less
memorable 7222 1234. In fact TfL spent a lot of money buying 222 2222
(formerly belonging to a shop in Broadway next to St. James' station)
but I am not sure what use they have ever made of it. Probably Bob
Kiley's direct line!

Have you tried dialling it?

A recorded message tells you your '2' key is probably bust?

Isn't it suspected that much of the reluctance to use the codes properly
comes from people who believe there is a social cachet to (what they believe
is) the inner London area?

However, the BT system is not consistent nationally. Their web dialling
code finder tells you that 0207 and 0208 are not recognised codes, but they
did the same type of change in Portsmouth (023 92nn nnnn) and Southampton
(023 80nn nnnn), but 023 is not a recognised area code, 02392 and 02380 show
up as good. Local dialling definitely requires 8 digits, can anyone explain
that?

Paul

In message , Exchange
writes

We've never had 0207 numbers in London - they were in the Consett/Stanley
area in the North East. Try dialling 222 1234 locally and see what
happens.

Well you've got that very wrong, I live in Lambeth and MY number
is 0207.
And so is Scotland Yard, Waterloo station, Battersea power station
Selfridges, Every theatre in Covent Garden, Paddington Green,
Arding and Hobbs Clapham Junction, The Bull and Bush Mayfair,
The Worlds end Camden Town, Billy B of Bermondsey etc etc

Wrong - they are all 020

You will find him in London's Docklands, E16, UK
(please use the reply to address for email)
Yours must be an 0208 number?

Nope, it's an 020 number.
--
Steve Fitzgerald has now left the building.
You will find him in London's Docklands, E16, UK
(please use the reply to address for email)

Fig wrote:
On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:40:40 +0100, Richard J.
wrote:

ALL numbers in London have an area code of 020 followed by a
4-digit exchange code...

Beg pardon?
Are you saying that all numbers on the same exchange will start
with the same 4 first numbers?
I guess not, but what do you mean by '4-digit exchange code'?

To take the number in the title of this thread as an example, the
enquiries number for London Transport used to be ABBey 1234, one of up
to 9999 numbers on the ABBey exchange, which became the 222 exchange
when all-figure numbers were introduced. That exchange is now the 7222
exchange, and all numbers on that exchange have the format 020 7222
xxxx. 7222 is what I called the '4-digit exchange code', though I note
that OFCOM now refer to the area code (020 in this example) and the
'number' (7222 1234) without any mention of 'exchange'. In London it
has always been necessary to dial all 8 (formerly 7) numbers including
the exchange code for local calls within London.
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 Richard J. wrote:

In London it
has always been necessary to dial all 8 (formerly 7) numbers including
the exchange code for local calls within London.

But you can also dial the full 11-digit number including the area code
020 at the front.

--
Thoss

On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:57:01 +0100, Richard J.
wrote:

Fig wrote:
On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:40:40 +0100, Richard J.
wrote:

ALL numbers in London have an area code of 020 followed by a
4-digit exchange code...

Beg pardon?
Are you saying that all numbers on the same exchange will start
with the same 4 first numbers?
I guess not, but what do you mean by '4-digit exchange code'?

To take the number in the title of this thread as an example, the
enquiries number for London Transport used to be ABBey 1234, one of up
to 9999 numbers on the ABBey exchange, which became the 222 exchange
when all-figure numbers were introduced. That exchange is now the 7222
exchange, and all numbers on that exchange have the format 020 7222
xxxx. 7222 is what I called the '4-digit exchange code', though I note
that OFCOM now refer to the area code (020 in this example) and the
'number' (7222 1234) without any mention of 'exchange'. In London it
has always been necessary to dial all 8 (formerly 7) numbers including
the exchange code for local calls within London.

I understand, although I think your reasoning is out of date. Surely now,
the code for London is 020 and no inference can be made at all about the
next 4 digits. Numbers connected to a given exchange in London will be 8
digits long and the only thing connecting them is that they will start
with either 3,7or8?


--
Fig