This is in no way a criticism of local folk and organisations who care for their environment and want to keep it tidy and well-maintained etc - they are to be applauded.But when it comes to the issue of red telephone boxes generally, I always smile when people in this country laud them as part of our "heritage" etc.For when they were first introduced by the Post Office, there was an outcry from the same sort of people who are looking to preserve them now.That is because the designer, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, originally suggested that they should be silver, with a green-blue interior, but the Post Office insisted on bright red instead, presumably for commercial reasons (more visible, P.O. colours etc).This was widely thought to be an eyesore at the time, especially in rural settings.Moreover, Scott's design was actually pretty terrible. For one thing he (typically) reverted to a tired, old Classical theme - hardly appropriate for a ground-breaking piece of new technology, nor something which could be claimed to be uniquely British.Worse, all the tiny glass panels were a nightmare to clean and maintain, and soon became a target for vandals and disgruntled callers etc.And worst of all, the heavy (and unnecessary) cast-iron door leading into a tight space made them virtually impossible for wheelchair users and other disabled people to gain access. But still, as we've seen time and again, once something becomes sufficiently old in this country, it eventually achieves a sort of iconic status, regardless of how much it was disliked in earlier times.I call it "The Tony Benn Effect".
Richard Cathcart ● 2044d