How old are 4 digit phone numbers?

Building on Sheffield has crumbled, revealing a sign saying “tel: 3749”. Just wondered how many years back that sign must go?

 

I think possibly the early 70s. Our number used to be 3079 then it changed to 203079.

 

we had a 588 and a party line in 71, then it changed 5388 then 45388

 

Before my time, so we're talking 70s.

Don't know why I remember this, but phone day was 1st May 1995 - when the 1 as added to the area code (0226 > 01226) and Sheffield went from 0742 to 0114

 

Can't believe numbers went to 01 in 1995... would've said that was more the 80s!

 

And all mobile numbers changed to start 07

 

I think they changed about 1975, company I worked for in Wombwell had the number 3039 but you added 75 if outside of Wombwell if you were in town and forgot you got Goodyears joinery on Sheffield Rd

 

Always confused me, the driver for adding the '1' was to give providers scope to add more numbers to a local area. How? The underlying user numbers were still six digits, so how did adding 1 to the area code allow for more numbers?

 

Some exchanges in England still have 5 digit numbers.
The dates of changeover from 4 to 5 digits and later 5 to 6 varied by quite alot.

There was a major reorganisation of the Post Office in 1980 when many area numbers went from 5 to 6 ( Wakefield being one ).
Some areas jumped up from 4 to 6.

As said earlier, 1’s were included in some STD codes from 1995 but it wasn’t a move to create more numbers.

 

We moved into what is still my mum's house in the summer of '78. And we got our first phone. The number: 5214. So 4 digit phone numbers were still being issued then. Our number was then expanded to 385214. That was probably within a couple of years. So either 79, 80 or 81. I'd guess at 80 although I can't remember exactly. 4 numbers still being used in '78 is definitely correct though, for the Darton exchange at any rate.

 

My folks number used to be 2848 in the mid 70's then added an 8 in front & then another 2.

 

Ours was a four digit until about 1973, then we had to add 20 to the front of it to make it six digits. Before that, in 1968, we had a three digit number.

 

Ours was 72 5498 about 82 ish

 

It varies across the country but between 1971 and 1974. System X came out around 10 years later and change the whole thing around again with direct dialing. some time after that they put a '1' between the initial 0 and the rest of the number. Then in London it changed again.
Globally, based on the 11 digit system and with the international direct dialing numbering there are around 10^11 numbers available. That's about 1200 numbers for every man, woman and child on the planet. Assuming my arithmetic is right.

 

It's pre 1973, my missus worked for the GPO in Sheffield, she says there were no 4 digit numbers when she started.

 

I remember that. Seemed really weird for ages putting the new codes in.

 

Weirdly, now, not entering a dialling/STD code seems odd when calling someone in the same area from a landline (especially as it's so rare I do it).