Discovered it whilst out for a walk this evening!
Think it might be something @long_range_rob might be able to identify??
Think it might be something @long_range_rob might be able to identify??
Anyone know what this is for??
- Thread starter Donkey Basher
- Start date
Urinal
One from your private collection??
The pay phone guys in London used to collect thousands of cards from the boxes. These things are now all obsolete, gone the way of the dinosaurs
Where’s button “A”
To have a chat with a friend whilst emptying your full bladder takes longer than you at first anticipated?
I worked for BT for five years, 1994-1999, as a "155" International Operator and got paid an extra 50p an hour on account of being a French speaker. For all international "routes" as the were called must are either English speaking or (at that time sixteen countries) French speaking. What is missing from the kiosk shown is the plaque saying where it is. That is so if an emergency call was made you see the plaque saying "This Telephone Box is located at corner of High Street and Main Street, Anytown" or somesuch place.
Anyhow if a person was having a difficulty with a call overseas they'd call "155" and ask for assistance. You'd then call through to that country's international assistance and announce "This is United Kingdom can you assist me to..." and give the number that the caller was having a problem with. Their operator would then try the number and translate and message into English that may have been heard or explain some other reason.
So it might be "The announcement says it is public holiday and to call back on Tuesday". Or it may be that lines were down for some reason or other. Which you'd then convey to your caller in the UK. If the problem was with a French speaking "route" a colleague would "send " the call to you which was done via a computer screen to which they would write a short note. "Caller gets message the can't understand" or whatever. And you call to that country and explain, in French, the matter help was needed with. And they'd tell you in French that you'd then tell to the UK caller in English.
Now of these sixteen countries or "routes" French operators conducted their business in English language. These were, still just Spain, Poland again still just, Senegal, Chad, Niger, Cote d'Ivoire and etc., etc.. But not France. That was an English speaking "route". Their operators spoke in English.
But every now and again a (new) English only speaking colleague would send an call to you with a note of maybe "Caller trying Paris number and hears announcement on the call being answered." To which you'd send the call back to that new colleague with an updated note saying "They do not speak French in France. Deal with this yourself."
What else did you get? This in the days before the internet but in the "switch room" as it was known were Ceefax type televisions that updated with news and could be overwritten with important happenings such as "coup in Nigeria - no service" or, I was on duty that night, "Princess of Wales killed in Paris".
Plus for our benefit the UK Test Match scores, football scores and other UK news. Now I always worked 6pm to 2am. So at 6.30pm you'd get Australian operators calling through asking for the close of play Test score. So not only no location "plaque" but somewhere it would have a notice that said "Operator 100" and "International Operator 155".
I worked for BT for five years, 1994-1999, as a "155" International Operator and got paid an extra 50p an hour on account of being a French speaker. For all international "routes" as the were called must are either English speaking or (at that time sixteen countries) French speaking. What is missing from the kiosk shown is the plaque saying where it is. That is so if an emergency call was made you see the plaque saying "This Telephone Box is located at corner of High Street and Main Street, Anytown" or somesuch place.
Anyhow if a person was having a difficulty with a call overseas they'd call "155" and ask for assistance. You'd then call through to that country's international assistance and announce "This is United Kingdom can you assist me to..." and give the number that the caller was having a problem with. Their operator would then try the number and translate and message into English that may have been heard or explain some other reason.
So it might be "The announcement says it is public holiday and to call back on Tuesday". Or it may be that lines were down for some reason or other. Which you'd then convey to your caller in the UK. If the problem was with a French speaking "route" a colleague would "send " the call to you which was done via a computer screen to which they would write a short note. "Caller gets message the can't understand" or whatever. And you call to that country and explain, in French, the matter help was needed with. And they'd tell you in French that you'd then tell to the UK caller in English.
Now of these sixteen countries or "routes" French operators conducted their business in English language. These were, still just Spain, Poland again still just, Senegal, Chad, Niger, Cote d'Ivoire and etc., etc.. But not France. That was an English speaking "route". Their operators spoke in English.
But every now and again a (new) English only speaking colleague would send an call to you with a note of maybe "Caller trying Paris number and hears announcement on the call being answered." To which you'd send the call back to that new colleague with an updated note saying "They do not speak French in France. Deal with this yourself."
What else did you get? This in the days before the internet but in the "switch room" as it was known were Ceefax type televisions that updated with news and could be overwritten with important happenings such as "coup in Nigeria - no service" or, I was on duty that night, "Princess of Wales killed in Paris".
Plus for our benefit the UK Test Match scores, football scores and other UK news. Now I always worked 6pm to 2am. So at 6.30pm you'd get Australian operators calling through asking for the close of play Test score. So not only no location "plaque" but somewhere it would have a notice that said "Operator 100" and "International Operator 155".
Last edited:
Red bull have it booked for Christian Horner’s leaving do…
Bavarianbrit
Well-Known Member
Opium den?
FrenchieBoy
Well-Known Member
It's a hotel for illegal Immigrant Arachnids!
TringSaint
Well-Known Member
Dogging station
Hosepipe Use Reporting Station
K
K
In a village near me, it was a place where all the porn mags were stored along with all the other boring books, 
Made the national news.
Made the national news.Similar threads
