Greg Jenner

There might be fears of lower class people phoning up posh people and harassing them on the phone.

There might be fears that businessmen would hog the phone lines and women couldn't use the phone because it was so busy.

There could be fears that telephones would invade domestic privacy.

And, of course, casual telephone speech, little idle chit-chat, would destroy face-to-face manners and etiquette.

So which of these complaints, worries, concerns was not a Victorian anxiety about the phone?

What's your thinking behind that?

Okay.

Well, I'm afraid you are wrong.

They were worried.

They thought, but if men are sitting down on the phone, that's wildly inappropriate.

They should stand to speak to a woman.

And the pyjamas thing too.

No, the one that was a lie.

I said businessmen would hog the phone lines and women wouldn't be able to get on the phone.

Exact opposite problem.

Their fear was that women would gossip on the phones and men couldn't do business, Catherine.

I mean, Ewan, actually, the operators, they had the power to just end a call, right?

They could say, sorry, someone needs a line.

Yes, they could indeed.

Yes.