Memory Lane . Saul TXE2 Telephone Exchange
Much has been said on this site about Saul’s manual telephone exchange run by Mrs Travell and her family in the High Street in Saul. Physically answering and connecting every call, a fantastic service that provided so much to the local community. This finished in the early 1950’s and was fully automated by a new electro mechanical telephone exchange in Whitminster lane.
This was a long single story building not dissimilar to a very long single garage. The UAX 13 (Unit Automatic eXchange). A Strowger exchange in Whitminster Lane in Frampton. Behind the later built police station.
By the 1970’s this was old technology and all the old rural exchanges were being replaced with TXE (Telephone eXchange Electronic). At that time I was part of a team installing these exchanges all around the Gloucester Telephone Area and there was always a satisfaction to build the exchange where you lived. Saul was on the books and I was determined I must angle myself ready to land the job. And I did but there was a catch! for the first time ever the exchange was to be built in the factory and shipped out in one piece. Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd (STC) based at Southend on Sea were awarded the contract and they would instal the equipment in just one day. A site was chosen in the field in Bridge Road which was a former football pitch. To accommodate this change in delivery practice the building, (yet to be built) was designed for the South Wall to be removable beyond the dimensions of the new one piece exchange and with sufficient access for a large crane and an even larger lorry. Once the building was up then the large Lister standby diesel generator was fitted and run. Underground cables to the New Exchange were installed, tested tested again and connected to a distribution frame, the other side of which would be the new exchange. Visits were made to Southend on Sea and our friends at STC which we affectionately called Standards Travelling Circus and a date agreed with them for the installation.
As the day approached we had to ensure everything was ready and one dread at these events was that hierarchy from all over the planet turned up to watch, district managers, area managers, zone managers, regional managers, the lot. Saul new exchange had a wonderful lady from Saul that cleaned up our daily detritus and she asked what I would like her to do on the day. “Joan, you make the finest tea and coffee east of the Canal” “Just Make sure every visitor you do not know is given tea, coffee, chocolate biscuits, jammy dodgers, anything but keep the out of the exchange”.
Come the day and a very early rise and I drove over to Bridge Road and parked out of the way of cranes and large lorries. By about seven thirty the crane had arrived and news the lorry was not far behind. By nine o clock the two vehicles were in place the long arm of the crane high above the building and the lift began. STC uttering prayers that it would not be dropped. Once on the ground then air pads were attached to the feet and inflated which made the huge unit a hovercraft, it was gently and easily walked into place…up to that marker line…just a bit more then turn the air off and it settles into place. You look up and find the crane has gone and the lorry driver has almost stacked all his ropes. It is all yours now! Carpenters are shuttering up the end wall and replacing the tiles, but it was a beautiful day.
The next few hours were spent trying to appreciate what you have got and colleagues are connecting the power and the loom to connect somewhere just over four hundred customers telephones. By about four o clock that afternoon we had sufficient green lights up to believe it would work. Lift a test telephone and listen…dial tone!..well that bit works. With the utmost of care you dial the telephone on the next table and pray that it works! A phone rings and you hope a college will be able to speak to you. This is the moment Alexander Graham Bell said to his assistant “ Mr Watson—come here— I want to see you!” I said, more like “Hello John, well that all works, lets all go home”
Anyone connected with the installation industry of any type of equipment will tell you this is the moment you take off your shoes and socks and tiptoe very quietly out of the building. You have done your job, you have put it in and got it working…leave. It is now the responsibility of the Maintenance team to look after it for evermore. If it goes wrong then it is their problem, nothing to do with you. It worked when you left it. If they cannot look after it then too bad.