GPO West
...in Central London.
GPO West - BT Centre
GPO West was the Central Telegraph Office which opened in 1874 bordered by Newgate Street, St. Martin's-Le-Grand, King Edward Street and Angel Street. The CTO was badly damaged in 1940 (apparently the only thing the Luftwaffe deliberately targeted that they actually hit), and only partly rebuilt after the war. It was demolished in 1967, and the site left derelict until the building of BT Centre which opened in 1984.




Photo: BT Centre - GPO West. © LSA July 2010
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GPO West

The history of GPO West dates back to 1874 as the site of the Central Telegraph Office. BT Centre opened in 1984.

Continental Telephone Services

Continental telephone services began in 1891 with the laying of a submarine cable between England and France making possible communications from London to Paris. This was controlled from GPO West, the Central Telegraph Office, until the transfer to GPO South, Faraday Building (North Block) in 1904.

BT Centre
GPO West - BT Centre  
In Central London, close to St. Paul's Cathedral, the current BT Centre is built on the site of the Central Telegraph Office.




Photo: BT Centre - GPO West. © LSA July 2010
   
Marconi  
Guglielmo Marconi
From this site GUGLIELMO MARCONI made the first public transmission of wireless signals on 27 July 1896.


The receiver was placed on the roof of GPO South, in Carter Lane.


Photo: Grey 'Blue Plaque' at BT Centre © LSA October 2005
   
By Appointment  
By Appointment...
'By Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen, Suppliers of Communications, Broadband and Networked Services, BT, London.'


"BT has been granted a Royal Warrant to supply communications, broadband and network services for Her Majesty The Queen. This takes effect from 1st January 2007 and has been approved for use by BT for the next five years.   BT vehicles will display the Royal Arms on door panels, these are vehicles operated by BT." 



See www.royalwarrant.org/directory/ for other Royal Warrants.


 

Photo: Royal crest on window of BT Centre © LSA July 2010

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Page last updated October 2011. Checked May 2021.

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