Rochdale area telephone directory, 1906 - page 1
In 1906 telephony was still in many ways in its infancy - the final takeover of the National Telephone Company by the Post Office was still a few years away and telephones were mostly for business, residential numbers being rare. This is the first page of the Rochdale area exchange listing - with public call offices at the NTC's offices and Rochdale Railway Station, then run by the Lancashire & Yorkshire. A few names I recall from later years - the Balderstone Mill, including the Managers Residence ("Sir, there's trouble at t'mill") and many of Rochdale's then numerous textile businesses are listed. These include the famous company of John Bright & Bros up Whitworth Road and these were the mills of THE John Bright. 'Bolton, Fletcher" were best known to me as Fletcher Bolts, and their timber yard was at the junction of Milnrow and Oldham Roads for many years. A couple of my 'family' appear to have been well enough off to have a home phone - JK, Miles and Martin appear to have residential connections!
Rochdale area telephone directory, 1906 - page 1
In 1906 telephony was still in many ways in its infancy - the final takeover of the National Telephone Company by the Post Office was still a few years away and telephones were mostly for business, residential numbers being rare. This is the first page of the Rochdale area exchange listing - with public call offices at the NTC's offices and Rochdale Railway Station, then run by the Lancashire & Yorkshire. A few names I recall from later years - the Balderstone Mill, including the Managers Residence ("Sir, there's trouble at t'mill") and many of Rochdale's then numerous textile businesses are listed. These include the famous company of John Bright & Bros up Whitworth Road and these were the mills of THE John Bright. 'Bolton, Fletcher" were best known to me as Fletcher Bolts, and their timber yard was at the junction of Milnrow and Oldham Roads for many years. A couple of my 'family' appear to have been well enough off to have a home phone - JK, Miles and Martin appear to have residential connections!