A sample of the cable from Tunbridge Wells telephone exchange, the first municipal telephone system in England.
A sample of the cable from Tunbridge Wells telephone exchange, the first municipal telephone system in England.
This exemplifies Kent as a centre for innovation and communication and a vibrant hub.
In 1901 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council proudly inaugurated the first municipal telephone system in England. Special guest Frank Green, Lord Mayor of London, made a long distance call to the Lord Provost of Glasgow and was presented with this sample of the cable decorated with a silver plaque. The system soon fell victim to a campaign by local residents opposed to what they called ‘municipal socialism’, and it was sold off to the private National Telephone Company in 1902.
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