Phone home

Each time I walk to the post box in the centre of my village I am reminded of the massive impact with which the ubiquitous cell phone has ripped into the very fabric of our way of life. “Mobiles” seem to have spread with viral speed, whereas this geriatric public telephone box is decomposing at a more bacterial rate. The K6 kiosk is an iconic design. There are still over 63,000 of them in working order throughout the UK. 

Long tendrils of insidious ivy are determinedly invading this one. Landmark red paint is sloughing from its classic shape. But the handset still works perfectly, although the service is no longer coin-operated. Repeated vandalism and theft have left BT with no other choice than to replace the standard money box with a card reader. 

I suppose it’s only a matter of time before some remotely collected data about this vanishing feature of outdoor life in Great Britain triggers an execution order for this shabby example. I’ve read that BT are allowing the dear old K6s to be adopted by their communities. So the future is bright. The future could be red.