[Pellseinydd]

Originally Posted by Dave Moll

The big advantage of the Phone Book Companion was that it gave not only the STD codes for the exchanges (listed in alphabetical order), but also provided a translation in the other direction (in numerical order), enabling a code to be identified back to a geographical area. In these days of calls with "spoofed" caller identities, I amuse myself by looking up the codes in these numbers to see whether they equate to real places.

The most recent edition I have of the PBC is the Millennium edition, published in October 1999. I've not come across anything more recent than this. The earliest edition I have (under the name The Code Decoder) was published at the end of 1989, but claims to be an updated and revised version of an earlier document.

The earliest version I have was a commercially produced 'Dialling Code Decoder 1986' published by the 'Telecommunicatons Press' an imprint of the Architechtural Press Ltd but info was shown as 'copyright BT'. It states it is a revised version of a 1985 edition - which I've never seen.
The BT produced 'The Code Decoder' in "1989 year of publication" but the 'copyright notice' states 'British Telecommunications 1986' In the introduction, it states 'This edition of the Dialling Code Decoder has been updated and revised … in use as at the end of Nov 1989'. Then in 1995 is the first 'Phonebook Companion' I have with the changes to 01 codes.

But what is on line cannot always be believed - for instance 'Brampton' exchange near Carlisle is shown on BT's Phonebook webpage as having the National Code of 01697

But if you look on the OFCOM numbering allocation webpages you'll find
ABCD EF
(0)1697 72 Allocated BT 5+4 03/13/2003
(0)1697 73 Allocated BT 5+4 03/13/2003

You'll note the STD code is actually 01697 7 with the F digit being the first if the telephone number.

However there are other 01697 numbers allocated which have a five digit code i.e 01697 X and a five digit Brampton number and others with a four digit code 01697 and six digit numbers allocated to both BT and other providers for other exchanges in the 01697 charge group. Oddly if you have a four digit Brampton number you have to dial the full national code to reach other five and six digit Brampton numbers and vice versa. But for some reason it rarely gets mentioned!.

But if you look up a number in Brampton such as local post offices, the code is shown as 016977 !

Also note that STD codes for places changed over the years - Winsford in Cheshire had several stating with 0606 81 then 0606 4 came along for 5 digit numbers then 0606 5 for both four digit & f digit numbers. So a lot depends on just what date you are talking about.

There are several list of STD codes on the Internet but none are that accurate as there is no mention of the dates to which they refer.