The Development of Telecoms - Lincoln

The Lincoln area, covering as it does 2,029 square miles, made up of North Lincolnshire and parts of Nottinghamshire and the West Riding of Yorkshire, is one of pleasing contrasts, which range from Lincoln itself, with its magnificent cathedral – "The Jewel of Europe“ – and a history going back to pre-Roman days, through pleasant and fertile agricultural districts to the modern steel town of Scunthorpe.

Industrially too, this area is one of contrasts: coal mining near Doncaster; fishing at Grimsby; steel at Scunthorpe; oil at Immingham and bulbs at Spalding; and from the engineering works at Lincoln but a short distance to placid inland waterways beloved of fishermen.

From the telephone point of view, Lincoln's post-war effort has been great. Service has been provided for 25,000 new subscribers, nearly 2,000 of whom are farmers, many of whose long lines created a special problem. This again reflects the diversity of the area, since provision of service was assisted greatly by mechanical pole-erecting and cable-laying aids – the latter first used during the war to meet the problems of service to some 40 aerodromes.