1960s Costs

[stevie922]

Hi all,

I am arguing the toss with my daughter, and need some second opinions. In the 1960s, how much would it cost to send a 10-word telegram from London to Newcastle? How much did it cost to have a private phone line then? I almost never sent telegrams, and never had a private phone line in the 1960s. We always had a party line, which did irritate me immensely.

From Steven.

[Guy Etchells]

The costs of an ordinary (non press) telegram on 31st March, 1960.
Minimum charge - 3s. 0d.(12 words)
Charge per extra word - 3d.
Surcharge on Sundays, Good Friday, etc. - 1s. 0d.
Porterage charges per mile (or part thereof) outside free delivery area - 6d.

You can work it out for yourselves depending on distance and day.

Cheers
Guy

[stevie922]

Cheers, Guy. Would you know about private phone lines at all? I appreciate that info, now I can prove my daughter wrong.

[cati]

As far as I remember (being a child of the 60s), wedding invitations were always sent on cards.

[Greensleeves]

I don't know how much either a private or party line were in the 1960s.  However, I do remember that you didn't have much choice about having a party line.  My parents had a phone with a private line, the people over the road wanted a phone too, so my parents were informed that they would have to share their line.  They were not amused but there was nothing they could do about it, and I don't think the costs differed substantially, if at all.

[John915]

Good evening,

I have only ever seen wedding invitations sent or arrive in the post. The only telegrams involved were the congratulatory ones sent by those who couldn't make it. Usually read out by the best man.

We never had a phone at home, ever, until my father was made redundant. He and mum moved to a council bungalow which had one so they had it reconnected. He was 58 then.

Neither set of grandparents had one either. If phone calls were required you went to the phone box.

John915

[JMStrachan]

In the 60s wedding invitations were either specially printed or, if that was not affordable, they would be bought pre-printed from a stationers such as W H Smith and the details filled in by hand. Then they'd be sent by post or given out by hand.

Private phones were fairly rare at the beginning of the 60s but became increasingly common as the decade went on. According to http://www.retrowow.co.uk in 1966 it cost £10 to have a phone installed and you rented the actual telephone. By the end of the 60s more than half of all household had one. Party lines were cheaper than solo use ones.

In 1966 the cost of a trunk call (i.e long distance) was 1 shilling to 4 shilling per three minutes, depending on the distance.

[Roobarb]

There weren't any invites in the 1960s, they were invitations - that was in the days before our language was corrupted by Americanisms. 

[KGarrad]

My father had a hobby of printing, using a letter-press printer.

So he printed things like Wedding Invitations at home.
And Orders of Service, Christening invitations, Birthday Invitations, Business Cards, etc., etc.

He did them for friends, neighbours, and basically anyone who asked. And he was much cheaper than the stores!