Did we ever imagine red phone boxes would end up ‘listed’ as we juggled bags of coins, risked frostbite and braved the smell of fags and urine to contact the loved one?
In Highgate one of the six listed, iconic phone boxes in the village is at the centre of a scandal. The charity devoted to saving them, Thinking Outside the Box, has suggested that it could pay for itself if an LCD display was installed inside showing advertisements. The Ham & High report that this suggestion has sparked fury from some residents who fear the charity might go even further, as they have in Leeds, and place a mini coffee shop inside, thus threatening local businesses.
Hopefully a solution that rings everyone’s bell will be found – a little red library seems to be one acceptable compromise – but at the moment it’s too close to call.
