Does anyone remember in what year Brighton phone numbers switched from five-figure to six. I know our first number in 1966 was five and when I started dialling my mates in 73, they were six - but what was the exact year they changed?
I’ve made a mental note; I’ll also raise this when my household conversation is dangerously close to drying up.![]()
Does anyone remember in what year Brighton phone numbers switched from five-figure to six. I know our first number in 1966 was five and when I started dialling my mates in 73, they were six - but what was the exact year they changed?
I think I can help, well, a little.
There was no set date. It was phased.
In the area I grew up in, Queen's Park, six digit numbers existed from before 1960 (but some stayed at five digits after then). However, in Patcham there are 5 digit numbers going to later in that decade and possibly beyond. I'm pretty sure the centre of town may have been quite some time after that. In 1980 numbers in Rottingdean/Saltdean were still five digits.
So the answer is really that there wasn't a switch over. It depended on the local exchange and the demand.
I think this is the correct answer,
It's surprisingly wrong. Woodingdean/Rottingdean were still five numbers in the mid 80s as was the centre of town. Being a pedant, I've just looked at the 1983 phone book in Ancestry.
Do you think it would depend on what exchange you were connected to ?
I lived in, and knew a few who lived in the centre of town in the early 80's and they had 6 digit numbers, mine was 680555
or could it be that if you had a new line installed you were given a 6 digit number and the 5 digits were gradually withdrawn when you moved and the line was disconnected