England's Red Phone Boxes

Click on image to enlarge

What?? you ask. We're still in Yorkshire? 

Yes, I'm afraid that my husband and I enjoyed Yorkshire so much that you'll have to endure several more photos of that lovely part of northern England. So once again, here we are, with our little travelogue in...drumroll...Yorkshire, England.

Okay class, on the map above, circled in pen, you will find the town of Thirsk. I realize there are many other marks on my map also, but for now just try to ignore them. I tend to mark out routes on my maps when we're traveling. And if I ever get back to Yorkshire, I must get to a Tourist Information Centre and purchase another map. This one is falling apart and in many places is held together with tape. To the tourist's eye, Thirsk is roughly in the center of Yorkshire, between the Yorkshire Dales (west) and Yorkshire Moors (east), and is where Alf Wight, whose nom de plume was James Herriot, had his veterinary practice. I wrote a post about All Creatures Great and Small at an earlier date, in case any of you James Herriot fans would like to see The World of James Herriot Museum.

As my husband and I were traveling on the A61 west of Thirsk, we came upon the little village of Carlton Miniott.  On the map above, I have drawn an orange line from Thirsk to Carlton Miniott.  What caught my eye was the huge lot full of discarded red phone boxes. Yes, you heard me right...discarded!!

 Photo by Guy Hatton, Flickr

It was almost like visiting an animal shelter. I saw all those phone boxes in need of a good home. Only difference is, they couldn't bark and paw at the fence. Immediately, I began contemplating how I might be able to transport  them back to the States to homes that would adopt them. Of course I wasn't being particularly realistic at that point, but it disturbed me that so many phone boxes, once in use somewhere, probably loved for many years, were cast off and thrown on the dung heap (as it were).

I have even heard rumors that the wonderful red phone box is being replaced with the boring black and silver, modern phone box. How could this be?? I'm hoping this is only a malicious rumor.

My friend Bethany recently sent me this article from BBC News which I thought you would enjoy. It gave me hope that at least some of those wonderful old phone boxes are getting a second chance.

 

I would still love to have a red phone box in my garden. This one is in Hawling, in the Cotswolds.

From the back - a row of phone boxes in Ripon 

Have a great weekend!

This post is linked to Friday-Follow

and New Friend Fridays

and Friendly Friday Follow

Pin It