RickAns
Dedicated Member
I remember an episode where Foggy impersonates the Speaking Clock. This got me wondering recently how many of us used to call that service with any regularity back in the day. Don't imagine many do nowadays with most having a cell phone or clocks or watches that connect to a server somewhere to automatically get calibrated to an atomic clock.
I believe I called the Speaking Clock a time or two when I was a kid back in the rotary phone days. Did it more as a novelty to see what it was once I heard about it. I remember having a watch to wind up before getting a battery powered one. Don't recall being being too concerned with it's time accuracy. Just set it according to whatever clock was nearby. Seems with most having a clock on their cellphone that watches fell out of favor a bit. Now with fitness apps on wrist wearables watches of a sort may be making a return. Since cell phones are so popular I hardly ever see a payphone anymore. They used to be on nearly every street corner.
Mostly what I wondered is if you are one of them that used to call the Speaking Clock is why? Was it to set your wind-up clocks and watches? Was it because you did not have a clock or watch nearby and needed the time? How often did you call - daily, weekly? Didn't in the UK each call from home cost money? I recall some shows in which someone wanted to make a call and the phone owner wanted payment for it. Just curious how it was used in peoples day to day lives. Thanks.
I believe I called the Speaking Clock a time or two when I was a kid back in the rotary phone days. Did it more as a novelty to see what it was once I heard about it. I remember having a watch to wind up before getting a battery powered one. Don't recall being being too concerned with it's time accuracy. Just set it according to whatever clock was nearby. Seems with most having a clock on their cellphone that watches fell out of favor a bit. Now with fitness apps on wrist wearables watches of a sort may be making a return. Since cell phones are so popular I hardly ever see a payphone anymore. They used to be on nearly every street corner.
Mostly what I wondered is if you are one of them that used to call the Speaking Clock is why? Was it to set your wind-up clocks and watches? Was it because you did not have a clock or watch nearby and needed the time? How often did you call - daily, weekly? Didn't in the UK each call from home cost money? I recall some shows in which someone wanted to make a call and the phone owner wanted payment for it. Just curious how it was used in peoples day to day lives. Thanks.