On Sat, 15 Dec 2018 17:24:21 -0000, charles wrote:

In article , Kristy Ogilvie
wrote:
On Sat, 15 Dec 2018 15:23:28 -0000, trader_4
wrote:

On Saturday, December 15, 2018 at 9:52:09 AM UTC-5, Kristy Ogilvie
wrote:
On Sat, 15 Dec 2018 14:43:50 -0000, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

Kristy Ogilvie brought next idea :
Where is this protective ground? There certainly isn't one in any
BT master socket I've seen, just a couple of twisted pairs coming
through a plastic tube to the socket.

Some service lines would be fitted with a ground connection in the
early GPO days, but I doubt any are now. Most likely there will be a
ground at the pole or the cabinet.

I assume this is only for overhead lines anyway, mine are underground.

Strangely some newer houses in the next block have overhead phone
wires (but underground mains wires). Did they forget them when
building or something?

Here in the US all phone lines I've seen had a surge protector
installed, bonded to ground, at the house, whether over head or
underground.

You maybe get more storms there? I've not actually heard of any
lightning problems in UK phone lines.

Lighting entering the building via the phone line did a lot of damage to
the BBC TV transmitter on Lewis some years ago. I've also seen the
resulting damage to a former colleague's house in the London area

Was that an overhead line locally? Or was there an overhead part on the trunk phone cabling?