Even more intriguing though is that in Scotland this could be replaced by the Scottish Crown. When new they featured the Tudor Crown of King George VI, a motif that changed to St Edwards Crown when Elizabeth took the throne. The use of crowns on the K6s is also of note. The classical look of the K2 was scaled back slightly for this smaller version, but there remain many similarities. It is the K6 that is the typical phone box, the one that you are certain to have seen at some point in your life. The result was the K6, the first kiosk that could be found in both big cities and tiny hamlets. There was still no standard kiosk that could be used throughout the country and King George Vs Silver Jubilee in 1935 prompted the GPO to try again at standardisation.Īgain the architect was Giles Gilbert Scott, who was tasked with making a K2 that was the size of a K3. The cast iron K2 proved that this material was more durable than the easily broken and stained concrete used on the K3.
British phonebox series#
The first of the K series of kiosks appearing in 1920. In 1912 the General Post Office (GPO) took over the operation of phone boxes and started the process of complete standardisation.
British phonebox full#
Of interest to note is that lots of these boxes required payment to enter, and some even had attendants! The KX series of telephone boxes in the United Kingdom was introduced by BT in 1985. NIxux iPhone 13 Pro Max case Red British Telephone Box Pattern Soft TPU Shockproof Full Covers Anti-Scratch Non-Yellow Designed for iPhone 13 Pro Max Case 6.7 inch 2021 (Clear) 16.49 16. We are fortunate enough at Avoncroft to have the last known ‘Norwich’ Kiosk which is currently awaiting conservation. The National Telephone Company (NTC) had three types of kiosks known now as the ‘Norwich’, ‘Birmingham’ and ‘Wilson’ patterns. There was some standardisation that followed. These came in multiple shapes and sizes and often looked like decorative Arbours with thatched roofs and stained glass.
But the history of these boxes, or kiosks to give them their proper name, is much more interesting than the casual observer may think.Įarly phone kiosks were strange devices that were more like garden sheds than the phone boxes we think of today. The telephone box is as much an icon to Britain as the Houses of Parliament. Courtesy Avoncroft Museum Nick Sturgess, Head of Collections and Interpretation at Avoncroft Museum, takes us through their wonderful collection of K telephone boxes dating from the 1920s through to the 1980s The Harlaw Road box no longer has its telephone but it has now been given a new lease of life! At Christmas it was used as a gathering point for a Secret Santa service and over lockdown in Spring 2020 it was put to work as a “share box”, where people used it as a sheltered space to drop off items to share such as board games, jigsaws, plant seedlings or bulbs, and many other things.The K4 Telephone Box. About 20% of these are still in existence. Going into production in 1936 it was the first red telephone box to be used extensively outside of London and by 1940 there were 16,000 of the ‘currant red’ boxes up and down the UK. The red telephone box was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (1880- 1960) and, along with the red post box and the red London bus, is an instantly recognizable. The Harlaw Road phone box is a K6 model, designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V. Painted pinewood with LED light, 40' cord with dimmer switch. Miniature version glows like there's someone inside making a call. K2 kiosk The original red telephone kiosk. Designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1924, the iconic red phone booth (phone box, to the Brits) has been voted the greatest British design of all time. K6 kiosk The classic red telephone kiosk. A group of residents, headed by Sofia Soboleva, decided that they really didn’t want to see this iconic piece of history removed from their street and approached Balerno Village Trust for assistance, which the Trust were more than happy to give. British Red Telephone Kiosk Beautifully restored original kiosks Unicorn Restorations are acknowledged experts when it comes to the restoration of red telephone boxes and cast iron street furniture. Towards the end of 2019 the last red phone box in Balerno, sited on Harlaw Road had a note from BT put inside stating that it was due to be decommissioned and removed. Most of us will be familiar with the iconic image of the British Telecom Red Phone Box, though as the years pass there are less and less of them about.