INTERNATIONAL TELEGRAPHS This web site is to remember Post Office and BT services and people who provided these services from the 1950's to the 1980's

Welcome to the International Telegraphs web site!

This page was last updated on 3rd May 2012.

Post Office Overseas Telegraphs or POOTS for short was the busiest and largest communications centre in the world.

Back in the 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s you couldn’t just pick up your phone and speak to a family member or work colleague on the other side of the world.
There were no satellites or mobile phones, so if you needed to communicate with someone urgently, you sent a telegram and if you were in India and wanted to send a telegram to someone in Australia, you probably sent it via Electra House in London. Because the whole world wide communciations network was centred on that one building on the banks of the Thames at Temple Bar. One terrorist bomb could have crippled the communications world but back then we lived in safer times and the idea never occurred to anyone, today such a centre would be unthinkable.

The staff employed at Electra house and later Cardinal House both operational and technical were some of the most competent in the world and as well as handling telegrams were also ‘Loaned’ out to other organisations such as NASA and the COI where their competence was highly appreciated.

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Some fantastic panorama views from the roof of Electra House back in the 1980’s and 1990’s which you can see on the new EH Picture Gallery 4 (which is under Electra House Old & New) and with many thanks to John Greenwood.
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It’s been a while since I added anything new to the site and I’ve been planning to add a ‘Memory Lane’ area for some time.

So now I’ve at least started it , thanks to some memories which have been sent to me and included is a history of the Electra House Retired Colleagues Association, I would love to add yours, just send them to me as an E-Mail with or without any interesting photo’s you may have and I’ll try to add them to the site as soon as I’m able.

Come on, send me those memories, it’s doesn’t matter whether they are historic moments like the first Telemessage or simply personal memories of your time working in International Telegraphs. You never know someone you used to know may see them and want to get in touch with you or at least enjoy reading about the great times we all had doing a very important job.

There is a new site dedicated to International Telegraphs in France you can find the link on the Links and Contacts page. There are lots of photo’s even if you don’t speak French.

Did you work in Electra house and go on an engineering training course during the 1960’s then you might have received one of these. If you were a YIT or TTA then A.L. Taverner the responsible Senior Executive Engineer was viewed with god like reverence. He lived on the top floor where young trainees never dared to venture. If you got a ‘Credit assessment’ he always wrote ‘A commendable achievement’ on your A2049 pass slip..

Do you remember using one of these cards? or did you know the code anyway?.

Remember "News and View" - click here for some memories

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