Dial-a-disc

[justineo]

Can anybody remember this service on the phone? I can't recall the number but remember ringing it quite often with my brother and sister, much to my mum's annoyance.

I  think there was a storyline on 2468000, or am I making it up?

[Sammy Snake]

i remember Dial-A-Disc, I think you dialled 16 or something like that.  And the storyline, I can't remember the number but I definintely remember the service - BT used to have all kinds of weird and wonderful things you could ring up about 20 odd years ago (showing my age now!)

[kags]

I remember it - you could get a sneak preview of the song before you put your 2p in, (we never had a phone - had to use a call box)so you could decide wether it was worth it. I think it was 16 too, and when there was a cricket test match on you would get the score rather than a song - very irritating. I don't remember storyline though.  

[londondave]

the number if i rem was 160 first, then it was changed to a longer number

[Mortartube]

You can go her (this bloke is a real telephone anorak, but it tales allsorts to make a World), and download an MP3 of the dial a disc announcement on the phone. The file is under miscellaneous and is called Dialdisc.MP3.

http://www.tones.plus.com/sounds/menagerie/sounds.htm

[duncap]

Yes the number was 16. I remember you always got crossed lines whilst the music was playing, and we would swap telephone numbers. I believe I met one of my boyfriends this way.

[walterwall]

Amazing! For years I wondered whether the "dial-a-date" service offered by Dial-a-Disc was either my false memory or just a fluke in my area...it seems it was widespead. Me and my mate tried to hook up with these two girls we used to chat to through Dial-a Disc...they never turrned up though!

[Bryn-y-Baal]

Dial a Disc was on 16 on bigger exchanges, smaller exchanges had to dial the code for the bigger exchange plus 16. Dial a Disc is still running by dialling 16 on an old exGPO automatic exchange that I have! It is connected up to a private network that can be accessed by dialling 023 9298 8085, wait for the tone after the short announcement and then dial 0352 16 !! Hear an original 1972 Dial a Disc recording!

Other recorded services were available on 80XX numbers - best known being the Speaking Clock on 8081. The original Speaking Clock is still going on 0844 587 8081 and it is cheaper to call than BT's Speaking Clock on 123 !!

[Backdrifter]

Bryn I just dialled the original speaking clock - god, it's like linking into a phone line to the past! Thanks for that.

[Backdrifter]

That said, she seems to have lost about 12 minutes in the intervening years. She also appears to be saying "three" in the lip-flubbering manner of Freddie Parrot-Face Davis.

Nevertheless, good to hear her cut-glass unsponsored tones again.

[NikkiB]

To Bryn - that's spooky. How on earth can it still be running?