I recall nostalgically how London – and Paris – numbers indicated topography: MAY(fair) KEN(sington), HOL(born) – and ELY(sées), TRO(cadéro), PAS(sy).
In France, phones had an extra earpiece, so a two-way phone call could include a third party (or even a fourth).
How much of our youth we seemed to spend waiting by the phone! Waiting