Margaret Thatchers Manual Phone

[docubyte]

Anyone able to ID the phone in this picture?

http://www.silicon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/margaret-thatcher-phone.jpg

To my best guesses its a GPO 700 series with blanking plate as per here;

http://www.britphone.net/product/ivory-dial-dummy-blanking-plate/

presumably used for a one way call?

[unbeldi]

I am no expert, but isn't it a GPO 746 ?

[Owain]

Looks like a 706. I can't see if it's got a call button. It might be wired as a hotline / ringdown circuit or off a manual PMBX.

Here's another Thatcher phone pic.

[docubyte]

Thanks so much -  I have found a better photograph of it here

http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/politics-personalities-pic-3rd-may-1983-london-prime-minister-and-picture-id78951587

I'd not heard the terms ringdown or PBX before; just googling the terms - but what would be the point of such a line? There are other more regular dialling phones in her office - would this have been a secret / foreign line perhaps?

[twocvbloke]

Looking at the buttons on the top, it's most likely to be a GPO 710CB...

http://britishtelephones.com/t710.htm

[unbeldi]

I don't know why the thread is called "one-way" phone.  What is that?

It is manual phone.   Lifting the handset connected her directly to her communications officer (aka switchboard operator), whom she would instruct to locate a person.

It also seems to me that they would have installed the most modern type of telephone of the period she was in office.  Surely, not a 706 or other old telephone like that.

=======================
EDIT: title changed from "one way" to "manual"

[twocvbloke]

It also seems to me that they would have installed the most modern type of telephone of the period she was in office.  Surely, not a 706 or other old telephone like that.

You underestimate the cheapskatedness of conservative party governments, if there's back-pocket money to be made, they'll cut costs wherever they can, including with not replacing a telephone...

After all, what could a GPO 740 do that a GPO 710 couldn't?

http://www.britishtelephones.com/t740.htm

Aside from be carried, which I doubt thatcher would have done, too "labour class" carrying one's telephone...

[Owain]

It also seems to me that they would have installed the most modern type of telephone of the period she was in office. 

When she became PM in 1979 those were the most modern type of telephone. In 1979 everything was rented from the Post Office (apart from large PMBX and PABX and they came from a very short list of manufacturers) and run by the Civil Service.

I remember in 1979 or thereabouts my next door neighbour getting a replacement telephone and this was a new style with a handle! Probably a 706 with carrying handle rather than a 746.

Certainly in 1970 there were still manual phones in use by Members of Parliament:
http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1970/mar/11/no-1-bridge-street-members-telephones

and a new automatic system was to be installed later in 1972
http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1972/jul/11/telephones-1

The "new plan" telephone plugs and sockets came in in November 1981 and this enabled non-rented non-GPO (BT) telephones to be used. However newer phones (even Trimphones) couldn't be used on most of the smaller PMBX or plan extension systems which would have been in use.

[andy1702]

Thanks so much -  I have found a better photograph of it here

http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/politics-personalities-pic-3rd-may-1983-london-prime-minister-and-picture-id78951587

I'd not heard the terms ringdown or PBX before; just googling the terms - but what would be the point of such a line? There are other more regular dialling phones in her office - would this have been a secret / foreign line perhaps?

The phone in this photo looks subtly different to the one in the original photo. The original one looks like a bog-standard 706CB. Not sure about this one though.