* K2 really deserves to be called 'the "London" or "English" phone box' - it is sufficiently like K6 and there are still some examples in London, to where it was mainly confined.

1935 This is the true all-time "classic" telephone kiosk. It's the one the tourists expect to see, along with Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace; it's the model for countless money-banks and other souvenirs, including postcards (usually pictured beside Highland Cows or London bobbies); it's the one you find housing public telephones in youth hostels and British-style pubs world-wide; in short, this design says, "telephone box", more than any other! Designed, yet again, by Sir Giles Gilbert-Scott - not only to update the call-box design, but also to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V - this was the first truly national, or nationwide kiosk (often mistakenly referred to as the "London" or "English" phone box *). The windows afforded greater visibility than the K2 and, for night use, there was an interior light (on a timer!). K6 also featured a writing shelf and, according to British Telecom, "combined a smaller exterior with a roomier interior." (Left: K6 in Oxford. Photo © Mark Litherland 2003)

Isn't it interesting how many websites devoted to hometowns include Jubilee kiosks as points of interest or pride? Quite right, too! Sadly, my own home town has little architectural heritage left, but there are some K6's in some local towns & villages:

Chester, England (2008) Photo © Ian McPherson	Bridge of Allan, Scotland (2008) Photo © Ian McPherson	Royal Mile, Edinburgh(2008) Photo © Ian McPherson
Ards Peninsula, County Down (1995) Photo © Ian McPherson	Mourne Mountains, Co. Down (1995) Photo © Ian McPherson	Greencastle Post Office, Co. Down (1995) Photo © Ian McPherson
K6, Cavern Club, Liverpool (2007) Photo © Ian McPherson	K6 and K3, Liverpool (2007) Photo © Ian McPherson	Liverpool (2007) Photo © Ian McPherson
Castlewellan, Co. Down (2002) Photo © Ian McPherson	Rusted village water-pump in foreground. Tullynacross, County Down. (2004) Photo © Ian McPherson	Drumbo, County Down. (2002) Photo © Ian McPherson
Lisburn, County Antrim (1989). It's not there anymore! Photo © Ian McPherson	The last K6 in Belfast? Photo ©2003 Ian McPherson	Privacy guaranteed in this Jubilee kiosk at the Giant's Causeway, County Antrim. (2002) Photo © Ian McPherson
Loanends, County Antrim (2002). Photo © Ian McPherson	Downpatrick Railway Museum, County Down (2003) Photo © Ian McPherson	Brown's Bay, Island Magee, County Antrim, Northern Ireland (2003) Photo © Ian McPherson
Armagh, Co. Armagh (2006). Photo © Ian McPherson	Minishant, Scotland (2006) Photo © Ian McPherson	Ulster Folk & Transport Museum (2005) Photo © Ian McPherson

HOME TOWN JUBILEES

Llandrillo, North Wales. Mrs. Mary Bull - Postmistress, Llandrillo Post Office - was instrumental in having this Jubilee kiosk listed, thus preserving this lovely view. Can you imagine a KX100 in this picture instead? Photo © Geraint Richards	A Jubilee kiosk on a snowy February day, 2001. Permission to use this picture comes from Paul, who runs a website dedicated to the Lancashire town of Rishton.
Blackpool (2007) Photo © Ian McPherson

REDECORATED

Doorless green K6 in Bermuda. Courtesy THE PAYPHONE-PROJECT	Off-colour K6, Post Office, Kimmeridge Bay. Photo © Ian Kemp 2005.
Black and gold kiosks are often found in areas of architectural heritage, such as the Tower of London. Photo courtesy UNICORN KIOSKS	Going green in West Dean. Photo © Robert Ore RED PHONEBOX INFO
Red stands out. It is easy to see. It is the colour of fire engines and post boxes, warning flags and stop lights. Red is the opposite of green, so a red phone box can easily be spotted in the countryside - useful when you've broken down miles from anywhere. Still, as you can see from these pics, not all K6's were red. Although, in some areas, for aesthetic reasons, boxes were painted grey with red window frames, or black and gold, it is mainly in the scenic and/or rural areas that one still finds the much-loved Post Office red boxes! Thankfully, some at least have survived as listed buildings, while others do so only as garden sheds or ornamental features for those who can afford to buy one of the many that BT shamefully ditched.

THE WAR CABINET

Introduced four years before the outbreak of World War Tow, the sturdy Kiosk 6 had to withstand Nazi blitzkrieg in many British cities. (Left)Ex- Isle of Man kiosk at planned "blitz" exhibit, Langford Lodge, County Antrim (1994). Photo © Ian McPherson (Right) Anti-bomb blast tape added to windows of this K6 during 1940's weekend at Kidderminster. Courtesy: Chris Wright

Better Dead than Red?

The NEXT section deals with the last of the traditional red boxes - the K8, and its successors. K6 and K8 boxes were manufactured at the Lion Foundry, Kirkintilloch. The foundry closed its doors in 1984 as British Telecom began to replace the red phone boxes with the new KX range. For more information, visit the East Dunbartonshire site here, and/or the RLS (Resources for Learning in Scotland) site here. Thanks to Don Martin for this information. Read a highly relevant article by Gavin Stamp at the Things website: Soane in Budapest.

DISCLAIMER: All opinions expressed in the text are mine alone, unless otherwise stated, and are not necessarily shared by any of the other contributors. Ian McPherson is NOT responsible for the content of external sites linked to, either directly or indirectly, from Kiosk Korner. Kiosk Korner © Ian McPherson, 2004.