On 16 Nov, 12:55, JohnW wrote:
On Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:05:15 -0000, Adrian

wrote:

The implication is that one can dial
222 1234 within a notional STD code of "0207" AND expect to be
connected. I have heard that there are a handful of exchanges within
London were that does work. However the standard is now eight digit
local numbers within London. Dialing eight digits within STD code
"020" will always work.

Not if the number is of the form: 020 0123 4567. There are
some numbers issued to network service providers, for example,
in the 020 0... range that can only be dialled as 11 digits,
even from within the 020 area. The recommendation is for them
not to use the (020) 0... format when writing the number,
since this indicates optional numbers

I thought all the London exchanges accepting 7 digits for
local routing had been fixed, since how are they to know if
the number being dialled is 7 or 8 digits? (123 4567 or 1234
5678) We don't use time-outs.


If it did work, and I don't know if it does, it would presumably only
work if the first number was one that no 8-digit numbers currently
start with. So maybe 222 1234, for example, if there are no 8-digit
numbers beginning with 2 (yet).

The system never knows whether a number beginning with 0 is 11 digits
or some unknowable number of digits in a foreign number until the
second 0 is dialled*, so obviously numbers can be resolved as further
digits are dialled.

*Funny how we say dialled. I wonder when anyone last did that.

Bill Hayles writes:
On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 12:49:29 -0800 (PST), Adrian
wrote:

If I had to take a guess, I would say that, for some countries,
telephone area codes will dissappear with a few decades.

In Spain, they already have.

Ditto for Denmark and Norway.

In message k
"Richard J." wrote:

G wrote:
On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:21:06 +0000, James Farrar
wrote:

One of the mobile companies -- Vodafone, I think -- that displays
the area the mobile is in on some handsets' screens displays 0207
/ 0208, too.

I put that down to the silly numbering conventions:

Large cities (e.g. Birmingham) = 4 digits (0121)
Provincial towns = 5 digits (e.g. 01772)
'02' numbers (e.g. London, NI, Cardiff) = 3 digits
Mobiles = 5 digits

Yes, most people seem to group the first five digits of a mobile number
(07xxx) together, but I'm not aware of any written convention that says
you should. Personally I quote mine as 0787 xxx xxxx because it easier
to remember that way.

When mobiles first came out the numbers were 10 digits, a group of four,
which identified the service company, then 6 digits to identify the
individual phone. The first group was to match in with the STD system which
used four digits to identify key exchanges. Subsequently they added in an
extra digit (7) in second place to give a number of the form 078 xxxx xxxx
however most people regarded their individual number as the six digit section
so would quote 07850 xxxxxx (in my case)


--
Graeme Wall
This address is not read, substitute trains for rail.
Transport Miscellany at http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail/index.html

"Clive D. W. Feather"
wrote in message
: : In article
: : .com,
: : Adrian writes
: : : The implication is that one can dial
: : : 222 1234 within a notional STD code of "0207" AND
: : : expect to be connected. I have heard that there are
: : : a handful of exchanges within London were that does
: : : work.
: :
: : I would very much doubt that, unless you're talking
: : about PBXes. If you can identify one, please let me
: : know and I'll ensure it gets fixed.

I can dial any number on 0121-25x xxxx with just the last 4 digits ;-)

Ivor

"MIG" wrote in message


[snip]

: : *Funny how we say dialled. I wonder when anyone last
: : did that.

About 10 minutes ago, actually, to place a call on CNET (www.ckts.info)
using a 2-tone green 706 :-)

Ivor

On Nov 14, 1:42 pm, Rob wrote:
Hi

Does anyone know where I can find a comprehensive list of London
Underground ventilation shafts, used and disused? I went to a lecture
recently and they said there were 190 of them in total.

That must have been ONE HELL of a lecture!
LOROL!

On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:30:42 +0000, G wrote:
On Nov 14, 1:09 pm, Mizter T wrote:
Yes yes it isn't written in the 'approved' format, but thousands
(millions?) of Londoners do the same and manage just fine.
And many of them get very confused when I tell them my WC1 address and
020 3xxx xxxx number, because to them it's 'not a London number'...

This is very transient - I lived in Nottingham when domestic households
were first getting 0115-8xxxxxx numbers (where the local number had
originally started with a 9) and people got used to the new numbers very
quickly.


On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:46:08 +0000, bin me wrote:
Same problem here, in leafy Surrey. Non geographic numbers might
seem good to some people, but I don't like them.

020-3 is very much geographic. :-)



--
:: Regards, Andy Davidson blog www.andyd.net
:: http://www.localphone.com/ - Call Global, Pay Local
:: /* opinions and thoughts expressed here are my own */

On Nov 16, 4:50 pm, Offramp wrote:
On Nov 14, 1:42 pm, Rob wrote:

Hi

Does anyone know where I can find a comprehensive list of London
Underground ventilation shafts, used and disused? I went to a lecture
recently and they said there were 190 of them in total.

That must have been ONE HELL of a lecture!
LOROL!

Yes it was David Waboso, head of Engineering at London Underground
speaking at the Royal Academy of Engineers - really interesting guy
who is so passionate about the future of the Underground. You can
check out the lecture here

http://www.raeng.org.uk/events/details.htm?Event=208

Rob

On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:24:07 -0000, "Ivor Jones"
wrote:

"MIG" wrote in message


[snip]

: : *Funny how we say dialled. I wonder when anyone last
: : did that.

About 10 minutes ago, actually, to place a call on CNET (www.ckts.info)
using a 2-tone green 706 :-)

A couple of days ago on a red tele 312 (don't ask g).

On 16 Nov, 10:06, G wrote:
On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:21:06 +0000, James Farrar

wrote:
One of the mobile companies -- Vodafone, I think -- that displays the
area the mobile is in on some handsets' screens displays 0207 / 0208,
too.

I put that down to the silly numbering conventions:

Large cities (e.g. Birmingham) = 4 digits (0121)
Provincial towns = 5 digits (e.g. 01772)
'02' numbers (e.g. London, NI, Cardiff) = 3 digits
Mobiles = 5 digits

I don't see that as silly at all - I see that as flexible. In the US
they have a totally rigid format of (xxx) xxx xxxx - and it just can't
adapt well to rising demand, hence the need to split area codes or add
overlay area codes - see an earlier post of mine on this issue
upthread, or read it he
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk....01e56b4a3ae90d