@DaftFader 702506 wrote:

yeah I remember our old phone when I was a kid … first one was an actual circular dial thingy, but after that we got a digital phone, that would replicate the dots (not sure if that’s the correct terminology) that the old style rotary dial phones made.

0181 811 8181 used to get you through to “Live and kicking” when I was a kid … I can still remember the theme tune from when they would sing out the number … it went like this …

0181 811 8181 … hmm not quite the same effect through the medium of text. xD

the signalling protocol is known as loop disconnect dialling and still works on many public circuits in the UK and even some GSM terminal adapters and VOIP equipment. UK telecom companies have been trying to cease it for years claiming its outdated and can misdial 112 on defective lines – although many other North European countries have used 112 and similar emergency numbers for 20 or more years whilst still keeping both dialling protocols available; it is of course pointless having telephones to call the emergency services if they don’t work well.

the BBC used 811 8055 before that and various other 811 numbers for public access to TV shows. They terminate at BT West London (originally Shepherds Bush via BT Tower but can be routed to anywhere the BBC uses; they have had for many years a separate private phone network which is widely used for talkback, signalling and all sorts else although much of it is now contracted out to BT, Cable and Wireless and even the old IBA telecoms which eventually became NTL

Around 2000 they they changed them to 0845; then some other numbers that quietly took a bit more money off the callers and not long after got pulled up by Ofcom for lying about the results of their phone in polls anyway.

The TARDIS is exactly what you would get (several months late; and with various defects) if you put all the British Telecom/Post Office boffins and their BBC counterparts in one room and asked them to build you a space ship.