I’ve always loved those old phone boxes - now they’re finally being looked after

The iconic red phone box, a symbol of British streets for nearly a century in Blackpool is getting a new lease of life as someone was spotted re-painting the listed phone boxes.

A previous planning statement from last year says: “The existing [or older] kiosks, which date back to the 1990s, are tired-looking structures and outmoded in terms of their telephony equipment.

“This kiosk type has also experienced historic problems including anti-social behaviour and lack of access for people with mobility impairments.

“These factors notwithstanding, the kiosks are in use, with most calls made to mobile and 0800 numbers, including the emergency services.

“The new kiosks will feature enhanced electronic communication services to the public and the upgrade and removal process will be part funded by revenues from advertising.”

This could well be the start of the updates of the heritage red phone boxes coming to Blackpool.

The original red kiosk was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1924 as part of a national competition.

There are currently around 20,000 working payphones still in place across the UK, including approximately 3,000 traditional red ones. This is a steep drop from the peak of 100,000 in the 1990s, reflecting the rapid growth in mobile usage - now used by 98% of UK adults.