Telephone girls

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE RINGS OFF

Mary Bruce Where have the years gone? It was in January 1986 that Fort William said ‘goodbye’ to its local telephone exchange, which had operated manually locally for 93 years.

The 12 keyboard exchange had employed 19 full-time and part-time personnel. Margaret MacDougall took the last phone call before pulling out the last cord.

As the switchboard shut down, day supervisor Cathie MacDonald said it was the end of an era and an emotional moment for everyone.

The night telephonist that final Wednesday night/Thursday morning, Jessie Hay, also found it nostalgic. She said: ‘It was a long night and I thought about all the people we had helped, or tried to help over the years.’

The telephone exchange had supplied a personal touch, local knowledge and lots of help and humour.

Betty MacDougall, the longest serving night operator with 29 years at the two exchanges, spoke of all the happy times and how she would miss her colleagues.

On the day of the shut down, a stack of greetings cards from subscribers and former telephonists adorned the now empty switchboard positions. Among them was one which summed up the feeling of sadness. It said: ‘With Deepest Sympathy’!

Then came the ‘official’ part when BT’s Consumer Services Area Manager said ‘centralising in Inverness’ was BT’s process of modernisation. Many felt sad, unhappy and doubtful about this.

After Mr Harper spoke, all the telephonists were presented with valedictory certificates then after the final shutdown the now redundant telephonists were entertained to lunch by British Telecom.

Guest of honour that day was 91-year -old Mrs Annie MacDonald, nee Grant, whose mother had operated the first telephone exchange in Fort William’s Monzie Square from 1893 for the National Telephone Company, for which she received the weekly sum of 4/-, now 20p.