Page 193 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

CHAPTER 37

THE RADIO TELEPHONE

As the 1970’s drew to a close we knew that the good times with Uniroyal would eventually
come to an end.
Looking for something to replace the work, we pursued the likelihood that the national
commercial tyre adjudication panel would re align its multi site operation to one site.

We managed to land the contract to set up and organise the transportation of all complaint
commercial tyres needing examination and adjudication. This involved the collection and
transport for the whole of mainland Britain.
It took me 18 months to set up and cost me about £15.000, but the income would be
regular and fairly substantial knowing the level of complaints that had been through the
Tyre Manufacturers Conference system over the previous 10 years.

I had thought, if I had to do all this I would have my car of choice, a 12 year old 3.8 “S”
type Jaguar. If I had to travel all over Britain I intended doing it in comfort and driving a
motor that was fun too! Communications were important and to keep in constant contact
with base I arranged for an “Air call” radio-telephone system.

It was now 1982 and if I can remember
correctly the Air call cost me about £100
per month.
But it was all-inclusive. I stopped using
my home phone and even outside in the
drive of my home in central south
Lincolnshire the car phone would reach
its nearest base station at Nottingham,
and from there connect me to anyone
Countrywide.

The service was in a word fantastic. At
the press of a button you had your own operator to connect you to any telephone number
in the UK.
No call charges. No matter how many calls you made. There was a limit on airtime and I
think after a minute or maybe two they cut you off to give someone else a chance! You can
say a lot in a minute.
There was even an occasion coming home with our daughter from her boarding school in
Cheshire when we used Air call to assist a motorist in Nottingham with his car on fire. The
service provided a priority red button for such an emergency.
A long, long time before cell phones the equipment in the car was hands free. You simply
pressed a button on the dash and it sent your coded number to the Air call base nearest to
your location.
Even in the highlands of Scotland it never failed. The transmitter in the car well capable of
carrying 80 miles (as the crow flies). Conversation on the move was never a problem as
the signal was powerful and directed at your receiver.

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