Some two years ago, the Community Council purchased the red phone box at the top of Inverallan Road. We’ve touched on the subject of what to do with it several times and made a bit of progress on the item but, sadly, it is now hanging on to the agenda like a bad smell and we would really like to get some action on it.
What we’d primarily like to establish is this. Would you, the wider Community, want to retain the phone box, in some form, in the village? If so, what purpose do you see it serving?
We’ve batted a few ideas around and we had gotten as far as it potentially being moved into the centre of the village and used as an information hub to contain leaflets, maps and local notices. It’s also been mooted as a book swap hub and most recently it was suggested as a food bank.
None of the above are set in stone though and we’d really love to hear your suggestions.
If there is an appetite to keep the box we’d be looking to set up a group to help with the work needed to get the project completed. The phone box is in poor condition just now so we would need both creative and skilled and enthusiastic folks to help with the refurbishment of the box and the potential fit out. An initial list would be the following:
- We think the box has been disconnected from the power by BT but we’d welcome confirmation from a suitably qualified electrician.
- The glazing panels are damaged with many having been replaced with perspex. We’d like to discuss the best way forward to rectify this so someone with glazing skills would be a huge help.
- There may be the need to move the box into the village so we’d need assistance both with construction of a new base for the box as well as moving it to a new location.
- Eventually, there would be a fitout required in order to suits whatever new role it is to play.
There’s a bit to think about but we would ask for your thoughts on whether it could provide a tangible use in the village in the first instance. We look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Bridge of Allan Community Council
A defibrillator was purchased following a campaign by Cullens the butcher. It was proposed to install it alongside ‘ a restaurant’ if the phone box could be moved and restored it could house this and be very easily identified…. Trossachs research and rescue do a great job with defibrillators across the area and could be consulted
I like the idea of a food bank. However, is the cost of refurbishing and moving the phone box worth it? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to simply get rid of it (or leave it where it is to decay gracefully) and spend the money saved on food for a more ‘conventional’ food bank? I’m sure that there are plenty of people in the surrounding area whose need for free food is more pressing than wanting to look at an old phone box.
TO BoACC. Hi. Your K6 concerns were brought to my attention via the Museum of Communications in Burntisland, they recently published an article on the newly discovered origin story of the red cast iron pay phone kiosk. The group I am secretary of ‘Falkirk made Friends’ are engaged in a campaign to inform the public about the historical origins and social significance of the cast iron phone box. Apart from 500 K6s, they were all cast iron products of four central Scotland foundries. Carron Co of Falkirk won the first GPO tender in 1927, to supply 500 K2s for installation in London, they then with four other foundries would supply the GPO until 1983. FMF have already advised heritage Groups and Community Councils and have considered new uses for the kiosk that reflect its engineering and social history innovations.
Some new insights worth consideration: If you take into account the role the K6 phone kiosk had in enabling the social revolution in personal telecomms and add two other factors: Carron Co won the tender because it offered a packaging return refund to the GPO. and that the kiosks are examples of reuse, second life etc. They could be interesting project spaces for local schools, youth groups and others. A community asset that reflects the recycle reuse aspirations of contemporary society. They could also be considered as a way to display any engineering or social innovations that originated in the area?
I’ll be in touch by email.