The Development of Telecoms - Bristol
The Bristol area includes the City and County of Bristol, together with portions of Gloucester, Somerset and Wiltshire, covering an area of 1,343 square miles.
The industrial parts of the area are mainly situated around Bristol and Bath. In contrast, the agricultural districts embrace such beauty spots as Cheddar, famous for its gorge and caves, the City of Wells, noted for its Cathedral and astronomical clock and the Mendip Hills. To the South West of the area are the well-known holiday resorts of Weston-super-Mare and Clevedon. Bristol, of 450,000 population, plays an important part in the maritime life of the West Country.
It is a city of mixed industrial and commercial activities, including tobacco, aircraft, chocolate, paint, boots and shoes, printing and general light engineering. From here, John Cabot sailed in 1497 on his voyage which culminated in the discovery of Newfoundland. Bath, the second largest city in the area, is renowned for its roman baths and its georgian architecture.
The 124 exchanges, of which 93 are automatic, serve over 66,000 exchange lines and 110,000 stations. The total staff, including 1,350 in the engineering grades, numbers about 1,700. The supervising and operating staff in the area approaches 950.
