Alexander Graham Bell

It's 150 years this week since Alexander Graham Bell made the very first call by telephone - he said "Watson, come here. I want to see you".

When Papers Past first began trading in the early 1980's a vast percentage of our orders were received by phone, so much so that I could recognise my customers just by their voice. Over the years the pattern of ordering has changed and now the vast percentage of orders are received online. Yesterday was unusual because we had two phone calls that resulted in orders, it's always nice to have a chat and find out who the newspaper is for and for what occasion.

However to commemorate 150 years of the telephone we are keeping our phone lines open from 9am-9pm seven days a week so give us a Bell on 07733888902 9am-9pm U.K. time and discuss your order with a Newspaper Gift Expert (your call will come straight through to myself or Gill or to my answerphone if we are on the road) - no AI here!

Ian Willsher Papers Past Tel: 07733888902 9am-9pm U.K. time.