Council fights to save Red Phone Boxes!
- 12 June 2009 16:3723349Oh excellent post Ed. Yes that is a lovely location right at the bottom of Castle Hill isnt it, It is great that these items, these gems, of real heritage are being saved. It shows considerable foresight, so well done to Graham Wanstall for the efforts made. I often see that chaps name in the paper as he writes in a lot...wonder if he would like to come on here.
Gawd I didnt know the forum would save memory by deleting pictures, I must check that one out with Chris T, I thought they were there forever.
email: dover7@msn.com - Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,037
12 June 2009 18:5323356I put a few pennies in that telephone when I lived in Victoria Park over thirty years ago, before mobiles were invented.
I was courting my wife to be long distance at the time. - 12 June 2009 20:3723364So Alec it is clearly you who were responsible for those massive BT profits over the years.email: dover7@msn.com
- 12 June 2009 21:1023366i never knew that alec was such a romantic!!
all that money pumped in to those boxes.
maybe she would not accept reverse charge calls? - Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,037
13 June 2009 01:4923372When I ran out of pennies Howard she would ring me back.
It cost me more than pennies after we got married. - 13 June 2009 06:5423375Many of these old red phone boxes are being converted to non-cash ones as so little is spent on using them.
They will only be able to be used if you have a credit/debit card.
Roger - Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,037
13 June 2009 18:5123403When I worked on Townsends Ferries(later P&O Ferries) a certain Chief Officer who was married to an American lady made a few bob by buying up redundant red phone boxes and shipping them to the States where they were in great demand.
Roger, the phone boxes that are dotted around the Market Square area accept Cards and cash. I was surprised to find out the minimum charge for cash was 40 pence when I had occasion to phone my lovely a while ago.
I used to see cruise ship crews, mainly Phillipinos, using them a lot in previous years but haven't seen them for a while. Maybe they are getting better deals with mobiles. - 13 June 2009 20:4523410I sailed with him as well, Alec. Mike something, small bloke with a moustache. Very nice chap. Think he said he shipped a complete container load to the States.
Now that we all know our K6 telephone box from, er, all the others, I am tempted to wonder how they were greeted when they were first installed. Today they are much loved British icons of yesteryear but back then they were presumably the latest technology, bit like our big telly in the Market Square.
I wonder if residents of a quaint country village with thatched roofs and roses over the doors might have said "What? You mean you're going to stick that great red monstrosity in the middle of our little village? Over our dead bodies!" - Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,037
13 June 2009 21:4423411Thats the one Ed. I won't mention his second name in case he is still around and is wanted for tax evasion . He was on the European Trader for years when Alex. was Bosun. They used to move the Mates around in those days but they forgot about him for some reason, as you say, a nice chap.
A bit off topic I know but did you know Timothy Twomey and Barry ?(can't remember his second name) a big Gillingham supporter, both R/O's when I was on the Trader. They were there for years as well. Mind you I was there for twelve years myself. - 6 July 2009 13:5225023Apologies for the delay in replying to this one, Alec. I was waiting for a Skyfoto I ordered of the European Trader to come, then I had to go back for my two weeks on.
Lovely little ship and this one shows her in action with lots of interesting spray being blown about! I don't remember the names of the R/O's onboard, only met them in passing. Just did a week on the Trader and a few nights on the Clearway, relieving when I was attached to the Spirit of Free Enterprise.
Got off one of them in the afternoon and the hurricane of 1987 occurred that night. Bit of a lucky escape, not a place to be out on the Dover Strait on one of those little freighters in a hurricane! If I remember correctly, even the linkspan on the berth they used in the Camber was reduced to a heap of scrap metal.
Don't know if you have across the site below. A motorman on my ship has just pointed it out to me. Looks quite interesting although not in the same league as Ships Nostalgia.
http://www.allatsea.cx/welcome2.html - Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,037
7 July 2009 21:5025096Thanks for the picture Ed.. As you say a "lovely little ship" in comparison to the monsters of today, and no stabilisers either. I also came off just before the big blow so thankfully missed it, and yes, the linkspan in the Camber collapsed that night.
Thanks for the link, it looks interesting.
Alec. - 4 February 2014 13:12259947just heard that the door to the red phone box at the end of victoria park has been missing for a few weeks now.
- 4 February 2014 14:24259959Done welding on both of them,and one of them we were at sea on the night of the big storm of 1987.
