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There's something uniquely English about those names used for London's telephone districts in the early twentieth century, before using letter codes on phones was thought old-fashioned and phased out. And, of course, long before text-messaging brought it back again! Here are some of the more 'unusual' ones.
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ABBey |
Westminster |
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ACOrn |
Acton (Acorn Gardens) |
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ADVance |
Bethnal Green, Bow & Mile End ('Bethnal Green' was thought too common!) |
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ALBert |
Albert Dock area |
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AMBassador |
Paddington (many foreign embassies in this area) |
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ARNold |
North Wembley (Matthew Arnold, English poet) |
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ATLas |
Isleworth |
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AVEnue |
City of London (Throgmorton Avenue, north of Bank of England) |
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BLUebell |
Addiscombe & South Norwood |
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BRUnswick |
Kings Cross |
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BYRon |
South Harrow |
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BYWood |
Purley & Kenley Woods |
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CENtral |
City of London |
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CHAncery |
Holborn (Chancery Lane) |
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CHErrywood |
Merton & South Wimbledon |
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CLIssold |
Dalston (Clissold Park) |
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CLOcktower |
East Ham |
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CONcord |
South Harrow |
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CREscent |
Barkingside & Redbridge |
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DERwent |
Worcester Park |
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DICkens |
Highbury |
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DILigence |
Wembley |
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DOMinion |
Dagenham |
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DREadnought |
Earls Court (exhibition lines only) |
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DRUMmond |
North Wembley |
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DRYden |
Kingsbury |
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DUKe |
Fulham (like Bethnal Green, 'Fulham' was deemed too common) |
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DUNcan |
Catford |
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ELGar |
Harlesden |
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EMPress |
West Kensington |
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ENTerprise |
Southgate |
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FITzroy |
Hornsey & Highgate (Fitzroy Park) |
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FLAxman |
Chelsea |
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FLOral |
Mortlake |
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FOUntain |
Streatham |
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FRAnklin |
Wallington & Carshalton |
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FREmantle |
Earls Court (non-exhibition lines) |
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FRObisher |
Earls Court |
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GALleon |
Worcester Park |
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GEOrgian |
Ealing |
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GERard |
Soho (Gerard Street) |
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GIBbon |
Putney |
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GLAdstone |
Cricklewood & Dollis Hill |
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GULliver |
Kentish Town |
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HEAdquarters |
City of London (GPO HQ) |
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HOGarth |
Shepherds Bush |
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HOP |
Southwark [several hop merchants in area) |
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HOWard |
Ponders End |
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HUDson |
Hounslow & Heston |
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HUNter |
Marylebone |
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HURstway |
Hayes, Kent |
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IMPerial |
Chislehurst & Bickley |
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IVAnhoe |
Woodford & Buckhurst Hill |
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IVYdale |
Ewell |
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JUNiper |
St. Johns Wood |
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KEAts |
Enfield |
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KELvin |
Balham |
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KIPling |
Mottingham & Grove Park |
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LABurnum |
Winchmore Hill (Laburnum Grove) |
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LIBerty |
Merton & South Wimbledon |
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LORds |
Lords Cricket Ground (Maida Vale) |
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LPR |
City of London (London Postal region) |
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LTR |
Vauxhall (London Telephone Region) |
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MACaulay |
Nine Elms |
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MEAdway |
Golders Green |
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MELville |
Sutton & Belmont |
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METropolitan |
City of London (Monument) |
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MINcing Lane |
City of London, near Customs House and Pudding Lane |
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MONarch |
City of London (Buck. Palace, of course!) |
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MULberry |
Wood Green |
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MUNicipal |
Croydon |
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MUSeum |
Bloomsbury (British Museum) |
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NATional |
City of London (Moorgate) |
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NOBle |
West Kensington |
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PRImrose |
Primrose Hill |
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PROspect |
Mortlake |
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REGent |
Soho (Regent Street) |
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RELiance |
Kennington & Walworth |
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RENown |
Fulham |
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RODney |
Camberwell & Walworth |
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ROYal |
City of London (Royal Mint) |
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SCOtt |
Nine Elms |
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SILverthorn |
Chingford |
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SKYport |
Heathrow Airport |
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SPArtan |
Dalston |
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SULlivan |
Westminster |
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TABard |
Fleet Street (Tabard Inn) |
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TATe Gallery |
Victoria |
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TCY |
Waterloo (Telephones, City) |
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TEMple |
Covent Garden |
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TERminus |
Kings Cross |
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TIDeway |
Deptford |
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TRAfalgar |
Whitehall |
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TREvelyan |
Ilford |
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TROjan |
Wandsworth |
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TSW |
Wimbledon (Telephones South West) |
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TUDor |
Muswell Hill |
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VALentine |
Ilford |
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VANdyke |
Wandsworth |
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VIGilant |
Sutton & Belmont |
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VIKing |
Northolt & Yeading |
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WELbeck |
Marylebone (Welbeck Street) |
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WEStern |
Kensington |
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WHItehall |
Westminster |
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WORdsworth |
Kenton |
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