BAY and Benn
SIR,- I wonder if I could explain the difficulty which has arisen when you dial a Bayswater number, men-
tioned in your 'Spectator's Notebook' of May 27.
The reasons for the use of the various numbers you mentioned are as follows: The change to All- Figure Numbering has been planned to cause the minimum inconvenience to subscribers. For Bays- water subscribers the All-Figure numbers for the exchange will be in the form 01-229 XXXX. The figures 229 correspond to the letters BAY. The reason for asking callers to dial either 602 or 603 for some Bayswater numbers is simply that the num- bers have been transferred to two new exchanges recently opened. Some 400 subscribers on Bayswater exchange were transferred to the new exchanges on March 24, together with about 1.500 for PARk exchange. In all some 6,000 subscribers in the area served by Fulham, Shepherds Bush, Riverside and Western exchanges have also been transferred to the new exchanges, the opening of which will help to meet the growing demand for telephone service.
Where possible we have arranged for subscribers to receive the same four-figure number on the new exchanges as they had on the old. Callers are then advised of the change by the recorded announcement which gives the new exchange code numbers. Where, however, we were not able to give subscribers the same four-figure number on the new exchange we advise callers individually of the changes. While it was possible to change the Bayswater exchange code " from BAY to the numerical equivalent for those subscribers who remain in the exchange, it will not always be possible to do this for every exchange. Some will have a complete change because of the need to decentralise the switching of incoming calls to London.
7URLOUGH O'BRIEN
Director of Public Relations GPO Headquarters, St Martin's-le-Grand, EdI
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