We took a walk around Angel yesterday. It’s been a while and good to see some things hadn’t changed. I have two phone box photos to share – a classic autumn scene and a wine cabinet specially crafted..
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UK’s highest phone box faces axe by BT
And another story about closures… My thought – if it costs £310 a year to maintain the box then can the three groups quoted in this article all throw in £100 a year to sponsor the phone-box? BT can pay any remainder costs and everyone should be happy. Anyway, the story:
From the Guardian, Will Coldwell and agencies, 20 October 2016.
The traditional red phone box, which sits 2,150 ft up Cairngorm at the skiing base station, is an iconic feature at the resort. But after the resort ranger found a note from BT inside it, saying it was to be scrapped to save money, locals have been fighting to save the UK’s highest phone box, claiming it not only serves as a popular tourist attraction, but is a vital lifeline for those on the mountain.
The latest group to voice its opposition to BT’s plans is Aviemore & Vicinity Community Council, which has decided to formally object to its removal. “We felt it should be retained on safety grounds, but that it should only be available for 999 emergency calls,” said chairman John Grierson.
“Mobile phones do work in the area, but not everybody has one – or after a long day on the hill, their battery is run down.”
Natural Retreats, which operates the CairnGorm Mountain resort, has also backed the campaign by urging people to register their protest with Highland Council. The company describes the phone box as “a potentially life-saving tool … due to increasing costs, this iconic landmark could be disconnected, so we’re reaching out to you to help us save this much-loved figure on the Cairngorm landscape.”
Mountaineering Scotland has echoed this view, saying public payphones can be a “lifeline” and urged the Highland Council to push BT to retain those located in areas of interest to mountaineers.
Speaking to UK Climbing, chief executive officer of Mountaineering Scotland David Gibson said:
“The closure of these payphones could result in a risk to life if those involved in a mountaineering accident seek urgent contact with the police and mountain rescue.”
For the full article go to the Guardian – https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/oct/20/cairngorm-payphone-faces-axe-by-bt?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Gmail
Banksy likes a phone box
Banksy likes a phone box – and so, it seems, does someone else…
Gift shop draw
Street action
A bit of street art and entertainment, as seen from above, utilising the phone box (July 2016, Canary Wharf, London).
Uplifting story
Woman left in phone box as a baby is reunited with the man who found her
A woman abandoned in a phone box as a baby has been reunited with the man who found her. Kiran Sheikh was just two hours old when her mother dumped her in the middle of the night on April 30, 1994.
Her rescuer Joe Campbell said at first he thought the baby – who he named April – was an empty chip wrapper as he approached the phone box. He told Good Morning Britain:
“When I saw it was a little baby I called 999 and the police came and the ambulance came and that’s when I found out she was just about two hours old.”
Joe said he felt an “instant connection” with the baby and even asked if he could adopt her, but was told it wasn’t possible as he wasn’t married at the time.
“I asked if I could keep in contact, I was told no, that’s not possible. I asked if I could find out how she was doing, and I was told no, that’s not possible.”
In the end Joe had to cut all contact with Kiran but said he never gave up hope of finding her one day. Kiran went searching for him after discovering who he was in her adoption file.
For the full story with images – go to the ITV News website.
Rome…if you want to
Heard the B52’s song the other day and then we were off to Rome and I keep humming the tune.
Nothing new on the phone box scene but here’s a block all the same:
More phone viewing
I really do watch too much tv… Here are a couple from the classic ‘Twin Peaks’ :
A recent show set back in the 1960s – ‘11.22.63‘. Here we see the phone box seconds before it gets demolished in a car crash…
And yet another from ‘Person of Interest’ . This show has been great in presenting new ways to use the phone. This one gets bricked up behind a wall and still manages to work years later…
Phone box body wear
Phone closures
This appeared in the ‘i’ newspaper yesterday, 11 October 2016. Sign of the times:
Which leads nicely onto this:
Apologises as I have no acknowledgement for this one. If it’s yours please let me know and I will update with a caption.
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Posted in Comment, News
Tagged curiosity, rural, Wales