The twelve BT Telephone Exchanges (and two former) in the Ayton & Coldstream (01890) telephone area
Up until the late 1980’s Ayton had the STD code of 0390 and Coldstream / Eyemouth had the STD code of 0890. In order to free up space for mobile, non-geographic, premium rate and pager services, this area was one of sixteen of the original STD codes with low number use which were merged into fourteen existing ranges so that each area code would cover multiple charge groups
In 1897, Charles Douglas-Home, the 12th Earl of Home, became the first telephone subscriber in the Ayton and Coldstream area when his Scottish home, The Hirsel, was given the phone number Coldstream 1. More than 70 years later his grandson, by then a former prime minister, still had the same phone number. And it was he, Sir Alec Douglas-Home (picture left by Allan Warren), who made the inaugural call when Coldstream’s automatic exchange was opened in 1968. On that day, he was reported by the Newcastle Journal to observe that, ‘Normally, women do all the talking on telephones and the men have to pay.’
Ayton ATE
Ayton telephone exchange is located in the High Street, Ayton, Eyemouth TD14 5QJ and also serves an area including Burnmouth.
It came into service at 1pm on Monday 23 November 1953, replacing a manual exchange first opened in Ayton post office around 1915.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01890-781.
Its former dialling code was 039 02.
ID: ESAYT. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Birgham ATE
Birgham telephone exchange is situated in Main Street, Birgham, Coldstream TD12 4NE and also serves an area including Carham.
The first manual exchange here came into service here in 1897, at William Kinghorn’s grocery shop in Main Street. At the time, the Earl of Home (see introduction) was its sole subscriber when a line was laid on to the ‘fisherman’s cottage’ owned by the peer. The present building dates from about 1937 when a UAX12 replaced the manual exchange.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01890-830.
Its former dialling code was 089 083.
ID: ESBIR. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Chirnside ATE
Chirnside telephone exchange is situated in Dominies Loan, Chirnside, Duns, TD11 3UA and also serves an area including Chirnsidebridge and Allanton.
It was built in 1955 to replace an RAX5 (location unknown) which opened on 30 September 1933. The first Chirnside exchange was a manual board opened in about 1915.
The principal telephone codes for this exchange are 01890-818 and 01890-819.
Its former dialling code was 089 081.
ID: ESCHI. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Coldingham ATE
Coldingham telephone exchange is situated in School Road, Coldingham, Eyemouth TD15 5NS and also serves an area including Coldingham Bay and St Abbs.
The area was first covered in part by the Eyemouth exchange. Coldingham manual exchange opened around the end of 1925, and was replaced by the auto exchange in about 1948.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01890-771.
Its former dialling code was 039 03.
ID: ESCLD. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Coldstream ATE
Coldstream telephone exchange is located in Nursery Lane, Coldstream TD12 4DE and also serves an area including Cornhill-on-Tweed, Davidson’s Lodge, Tillmouth, Learmouth, Wark and Lennel.
It came into service on Friday 20 December 1968 and cost £90,000. It replaced a manual exchange, the first of which opened in 1897 in the High Street (see intro).
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01890-88.
Its former dialling code was 0890.
ID: ESCSR. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Crookham ATE
Crookham telephone exchange is situated on the B6353 in Crookham, Cornhill-on-Tweed TD12 4SX and also serves an area including Ford, Etal and Branxton.
It came into service to replace the former exchange which stands to its rear.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01890-820.
Its former dialling code was 089 082.
ID: ESCRO. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Crookham former ATE
The former Crookham telephone exchange is situated just off the B6353 in Crookham, Cornhill-on-Tweed TD12 4SX.
It came into service as a UAX12 around 1938, replacing a manual exchange which had opened some time around the First World War. The building is now disused and privately owned.
ID: ESCRO. Photo courtesy of John Cranston
Eyemouth ATE
Eyemouth telephone exchange is located on the Coldingham Road industrial estate, Eyemouth TD14 5AN and serves the town and its immediate surroundings.
It came into service, replacing an earlier automatic exchange, around 1976, when all lines became Eyemouth 5**** numbers.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01890-75.
Its former dialling code was 0390, later 089 07.
ID: ESEYE. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Eyemouth former ATE
The former Eyemouth telephone exchange is to the rear of the Royal Mail sorting office in Upper Houndlaw, Eyemouth TD14 5BU.
It came into service around 1954 to replace a manual exchange (the first exchange in Eyemouth opened on 11 August 1911). It ceased operation around 1975. It is now a dental surgery and is called Old Telephone Exchange.
Its dialling code was 039 05.
ID: ESEYE. Photo courtesy of John Cranston
Leitholm ATE
Leitholm telephone exchange is situated in Main Street, Leitholm, Coldstream TD12 4JN and also serves an area including Swintonmill and Eccles.
The first auto exchange here came into service around 1936 as a UAX 12 to replace a manual exchange which opened around the First World War.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01890-840.
Its former dialling code was 089 084.
ID: ESLTM. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Mindrum ATE
Mindrum telephone exchange is situated just north of the B6352 in Mindrum, Cornhill-on-Tweed TD12 4QL and also serves an area including Downham and Pawston.
It came into service on 3 August 1937 as a UAX12 to replace a manual exchange which opened in 1923.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01890-850.
Its former dialling code was 089 085.
ID: ESMIN. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Reston ATE
Reston telephone exchange is located in Main Street, Reston, Eyemouth TD14 5JP and also serves an area including Cairncross and Auchencrow.
It came into service around 1948 to replace a manual exchange which opened in late 1925.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01890-761.
Its former dialling code was 039 04.
ID: ESRES. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Swinton ATE
Swinton telephone exchange is located in Main Street, Swinton Duns TD11 3JJ and also serves an area including Greenknowe and Simprim.
It came into service in the late 1950s to replace a manual exchange which opened in 1926.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01890-860.
Its former dialling code was 089 086.
ID: ESSWI. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.
Whitsome ATE
Whitsome telephone exchange is situated in Main Street, Whitsome , Duns TD11 3NB and serves the Whitsome and the immediately surrounding area.
It came into service in the late 1930s to replace a manual exchange which opened at the end of 1925.
The principal telephone code for this exchange is 01890-870.
Its former dialling code was 089 087.
ID: ESWHI. Photo courtesy of John Cranston.