The Development of Telecoms - Norwich

In 1877, Professor Barrett gave a lecture entitled "The TELEPHONE in Norwich", presided over by Mr Jeremiah James Coleman, founder of Coleman's mustard. 

He brought with him a pair of Bell telephones, loaned from Alexander Graham Bell, with the intention of taking one of them to Cromer, North Norfolk, in order to demonstrate a telephone call from Norwich. 

During the lecture, Professor Barrett discussed the history of communications and talked about how latest developments had resulted in the telephone in front of him, which he was now going to demonstrate by attempting to call Cromer. 

Unfortunately, all he and Mr J J Coleman heard was a distant mumbling and the call was unsuccessful, leaving some rather disappointed attendees. 

Mr Isley, the Head Postmaster in Norwich, proffered that the reason behind the failed communication was that it had snowed heavily that morning, followed by a thaw and the telephone line was insufficiently insulated. 

Almost a year later, another trial was made using a telephone line belonging to the J & J Coleman factory in Norwich and their offices in London. This line was 115 miles long and followed the course of the Great Eastern Railway track.

At first the trial was unsuccessful, due to stormy weather, resulting in crackling being heard on the other end of the line. Then Mr C Noble, a cornet player from the Carrow Works Band, played a cornet solo and the music could be clearly heard in London, all the way from Norwich.

Though covering only approximately 1,300 square miles, the area includes the unique Norfolk Broads and several of the "stately homes" of England. It also possesses, in Norwich, the county town and capital of East Anglia. The City is noted for its churches and in particular, for the manufacture of ladies' shoes.

The area is predominantly agricultural and sugar beet is an important crop. The relatively long coastline has many well-known holiday resorts, including the fishing ports of Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

There are 107 exchanges (88 of them automatic), 24,000 exchange lines and 36,000 stations, with 234,000 miles of wire underground and 31,000 miles overhead. The total area staff of 697 includes 478 engineers.