A fab use for an old phone box
By Christina
@chrisandmark (606)
United Kingdom
July 16, 2016 8:48pm CST
While we were in Birmingham city centre some time ago I noticed a guy had taken over a couple of the old red phone boxes that are dotted around the city - he'd turned them into a kind of takeaway coffee kiosk which looked fantastic.
So many of these old phone boxes have been taken away to make room for plastic-glass modern constructions (or more likely taken away and not replaced with a phone box at all!) - there's quite a following on social media about 'red phone boxes' and while you see a lot that have been put in people's front gardens, there aren't all that many that are being used for other actual purposes now everyone has a mobile and people don't need phone boxes any more.
I know a lady through another website who has a red phone box in her village that has been turned into a book swap shop, I really love that idea!
Have you seen any old fashioned red phone boxes around? And any that are doing more than just sitting around looking 'quaint'?
10 people like this
10 responses
@CRK109 (14558)
• United States
17 Jul 16
I live in the States so we don't have those here, but I've heard about people who have taken some of those over and done really fun things with them! Now that could be so much fun - traveling around and visiting different ones to see what they've become!
2 people like this
@CRK109 (14558)
• United States
28 Jul 16
@chrisandmark wow that's pretty amazing! I've always thought they were very cool. I wish we'd had them here back when we had pay phones. Ours were dingy and ugly.
@chrisandmark (606)
• United Kingdom
27 Jul 16
I know there are a couple of people in the US who have them shipped over for collections @CRK109 - I saw a clip of them in a documentary once
1 person likes this
@chrisandmark (606)
• United Kingdom
27 Jul 16
They're iconic in England @sallypup - I remember when the red phone boxes were in use (pre-vandal days!) so it's great to see them being used in another way now!
2 people like this
@sallypup (58155)
• Centralia, Washington
27 Jul 16
@chrisandmark I'd love to put one in my garden. It would make a fun tool shed.
@chrisandmark (606)
• United Kingdom
27 Jul 16
They are very cool @MGjhaud - especially now you don't see many of them!
1 person likes this
@epiffanie (11326)
• Australia
18 Jul 16
Very cool! .. I miss those old phone boxes ..There was one on the corner of the street where we used to live ..
1 person likes this
@chrisandmark (606)
• United Kingdom
27 Jul 16
@epiffanie - I had one outside my house when I was growing up, it got replaced with a rubbish plastic one though and lost all charm!
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72279)
• Philippines
17 Jul 16
England is famous for having red phone boxes but not in my country. WE don't have it. I think it's a very cool idea how those people use it.
1 person likes this
@chrisandmark (606)
• United Kingdom
27 Jul 16
Yeah @toniganzon - the phone boxes are a bit cult now in the UK and people are coming up with really good uses for them
1 person likes this
@chrisandmark (606)
• United Kingdom
27 Jul 16
There's a few in Birmingham city centre @jaboUK but you really have to look for them these days!
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29290)
• Eugene, Oregon
28 Jul 16
Our phone boxes were never so picturesque. They were very plain, inspiring no nostalgia.
@JudyEv (326170)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Jul 16
It's nice to see them being used for something. We saw lots of 'little libraries' when we were touring. They'd be great for that.
