ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades Old G.P.O. Telephone

It's true though... you could slam down the old phones and get a good clunk & a bit of bell ringing!

We'd a big old heavy black Northern Telecom 500 model when I was a kid (this was in the 1980s!) It was replaced by much blander Northern Telecom Harmony phone

Still there to this day and still capable of being slammed down in disgust.

However, it's useless for doing reinactments of the Sweeney, you might get away with "The Thin Blue Line" though...


also still have one of these:

One of telecom's standard issues for years. Actually turns out to be a Danish design classic!


And the ultimate telecom eireann classic:


DTMF only phone based on the northern telecom harmony.
The handset cable just fits into Cork Harbour.

Apparently worth a lot of money as it's a unique version of a Nortel classic phone.

[This message has been edited by djk (edited 05-08-2005).]

djk...and the earpiece nicely moored up in Eddrachillis bay, neat! I liked the old phones, not so complicated for those with depleted brain cells.
Trumpy, it's not the roots I worry about, mate, it's the leaves turning grey and falling off!
Alan

That's a pretty good idea! In my opinion the WE-500 style receiver is the best telephone handset ever designed.

As for "The Sweeney," here's an outline for those who have no idea what this is all about!
http://www.missingimages.com/thesweeney/

John Thaw, who played Regan, in 'The Sweeney', sadly passed away in 2002 aged only 60. Cockney 'argot' originated as a sort of 'criminals code' in the poor area East of the Smoke (London), to confuse the police (the Old Bill, the Fuzz (the blue-serge uniforms were fuzzy), and their informers, the grasses, (pop song, 'Whispering Grass'), or snouts (noses). Many words, and the peculier cockney 'gutteral stop' letter 't', 'th' replaced by 'f' and the dropped 'h' have passed into general use. In fact practically the whole of southern England now speak the dreadful 'Estuary English', (I expect it's arrived in Norfolk Paul), the exception being dear old Auntie BBC, but it's not the real thing. (If an American can imagine the whole of New England speaking like Bugs Bunny, you'll get the idea!). Other travesties have GOT to include Dick van Dyke in 'Mary Poppins', (Blimey*!, 'e WAS 'avin a bleedin' larf*, 'e was!) Only one American as far as I can recall got into the pukka* word list- Tod Sloane, (with his "monkey style" of riding) was a popular flat-racing jockey in the early 20th century in the UK, so good he was a constant winner. So "On 'is Tod" means "on his own", as Tod so often was as he crossed the finish line. Sadly I have to report that the lingo is all going for a ball of chalk* now as swearing replaces the more colourful adjectives.

Alan

* ball of chalk = walk.
'avin a larf = taking the mickey.
Blimey = God blind me, an oath.
pukka = proper, from Indian Army game of Polo.