Wrong number
About 10 years ago, when I was a lowly assistant editor on a lowly magazine about MIDI keyboards and stuff, an old bloke phoned up to complain that we had printed the wrong number for the magazine in our 'flannel panel'.

"I've been trying to get through to you for hours," he barked. "Your phone number is wrong in the magazine."

Are you sure about that, sir? We haven't had any other complaints.

"Well that's probably because no-one can get through to you. The number doesn't have enough digits. Even BT said it wouldn't work."

(Oh, hang on, this will be some bloke who's got an old copy of the magazine, one from before PhONEday - for the scamps, that was when they changed all the area codes from 0663 to 01663 etc. )

Ah, ok, sir, all the phone numbers have changed recently, you need to add a 1 after the...

"NO I KNOW THAT. There still aren't enough numbers in it. I had to phone Directory Enquiries to get your number. Cost me good money that did."

Okaaaay. (Am a bit stumped now.) Sorry, sir, could you tell me which number you're calling?

"It's 0792 2675. And the lady from BT said that's NEVER been a valid number. If you can't get your own number right, how can I trust anything else in your magazine?"

(Complete befuddlement followed by penny dropping about five seconds later.)

Ah, ok, sir, I see what you've done there. You're actually calling our ISSN - the serial number for the magazine. You can tell it's the ISSN because it says ISSN next to it. The telephone number is the one three rows above with the word "Telephone" next to it.

Apologies for length of number.
(ChaRleyTroniC is invincible with his chips and cheese, Thu 4 Sep 2008, 17:42, 3 replies)

do you
live in Disley by any chance?
( I have run out of coke is a little sweaty, Thu 4 Sep 2008, 18:22, closed)

Love
it
(Eldoofus, Thu 4 Sep 2008, 21:07, closed)

Ha
No, not Disley. I was trying to remember the code for Ely (where the magazine was)... guess I got the wrong one.

(starts singing "I'm so Disley")
(ChaRleyTroniC is invincible with his chips and cheese, Thu 4 Sep 2008, 22:16, closed)