Phone number

[Giovanni]

Just repairing the tail gait on my 69 pickup and found a phone number under a badly welded plate. The phone number is 0449 782301/781, looks like a Suffolk number but Dora’s anyone recognise what company it belonged to. It would be good to find out where my pickup had been in the past.

[PhilAllen]

I used to work for BT and was involved in the dialling code changes which took place in April 1995. Before then 0449 was the code for Stowmarket in Suffolk (it became 01449 from April 1995). 044978xxxx numbers look like they are around Bacton which is a little north of Stowmarket. From an internet search I can’t find any reference to either number currently, but after this long that may not be much a surprise. BT would leave ceased numbers unused for 3 years back then and then they could be reallocated so if it is in use there must be a good chance it now belongs to someone else.

The letters of the registration number would give a clue to the origin of the car - I know xBJ, xDX, xGV and xRT (x being any letter in each case) are all Suffolk registrations, there may be others too.

I hope this helps a little at least. I live in Suffolk now but didn’t when your pick up was likely to have been here. I’ll let you know if I find anyone who was here back then and knows any more!

Phil

[Giovanni]

Thank you, at least the number has been narrowed down to a specific area in Suffolk. The prefix in my registration number is FPU, not sure if this is linked to the area of the phone number.

[PhilAllen]

I’m fairly certain that PU is an Essex registration and that isn’t very far away to the south of here!

[Giovanni]

Thank you for you information, it’s really helping to narrow down my search.

[unclealec]

Found this online:

Jeffries
... Jeffries I 1 • Maillitme •=i• OF BACTON St Edmunds Garage, Bacton, Nr. Stowmarket Tel: (01449) 781301

[Giovanni]

Excellent, that’s amazing. Excellent defective work

[unclealec]

I just googled the phone number!
Over to you to flesh it out,.

[Giovanni]

[mobylette]

Bit more info here:

https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/2200 ... -50-years/

[Giovanni]

My pick up fits in with the story of running a garage supplying commercial vehicles. Very coincidental that the couple who started the garage are going into retirement just as my pickup is coming out of retirement

[unclealec]

I think the story was from the turn of the century.
Their son still runs a motor trade business in the same area; might be worth sending him an email.