Dear LPG,  

I saw this picture and just had to capture it.  This little red box is outside Lewisham Hospital and, but for the lady making a mobile phone call while standing outside the booth, I would have passed it as I have so many times before when walking along that street.  To me the picture shows a truly iconic bit of street paraphernalia with the reason that it is now effectively redundant, and I think that deserved a pictorial mention.   

There it stands, bright red and practically invisible.  In spite of its size, it has become one of those things that were once vital to us in a time when everyone would have completely understood the significance of the phrase ‘push button B’ to get your money back.    

How times change… That red box that was originally designed to be just big enough for one person to have a relatively private conversation in (although I remember three of us managing to share the occasional telephone call when I was a schoolgirl).    There used to be places where neighbours would queue up to use them and I cannot be the only caller who has spent so long in one that my call was interrupted by an impatient knock on the window outside.  

Taking the time to notice it got me using my own mobile phone to take the picture and do a quick bit of googling which is when I found some interesting information.  

Did you know that the first ever phone box appeared in 1920 in London somewhere and that not all of them are completely derelict.   The borough of Lewisham still boasts the one that became the country’s first mini library although many others have now followed suit or been changed for other uses.    Another interesting thing I found is that, with the right credentials, they are on sale for £1 each and many of them are designated as grade 2 listed buildings.   Because of this many are now back in use again although this one remains redundant for now. 

Looking back to the scene that provoked me to get my mobile out for this picture, I can’t help but remember that these kiosks which were  made for a person to fit into when making a telephone call,  have been superseded by that all important appliance that fits in your pocket.  The modern mobile does so much more than just facilitate phone calls that according to recent statistics the average Brit spends about 3 hours and 20 minutes per day preoccupied with them.  

How times change.  

AJ, Lewisham. 

 

AJ did a little research and shares her findings on their history and now some are being upgraded…

 

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