WEB PAGE NO.2790 5TH JUNE 2021 WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO USE PUBLIC TELEPHONES IN 1940S/1950S BRITAIN 1ST PICTURE: THE TYPICAL RED PUBLIC PHONE BOX

2ND PICTURE:. THE PHOTO GIVES A VERY GOOD IDEA OF INSIDE A RED PUBLIC PHONE BOX. NOTE THE TELEPHONE ON ITS CRADLE, THE FABRIC-INSULATED LEAD, THE COIN SLOTS, THE BUTTON A, BUTTON B AND THE LARGISH COMPARTMENTS FOR TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES.

3RD PICTURE: WOODEN BOOTHS OF PUBLIC TELEPHONES AS FOUND IN THE LARGER RAILWAY AND COACH STATIONS AND OTHER PUBLIC PLACES, SOMETIMES DEPARTMENT STORES.

4TH PICTURE: A PHONE AND PAYING MECHANISM AS SEEN IN PUBS AND GUEST HOUSES.

VERY FEW FAMILIES HAD PHONES AT HOME IN THE EARLY 1940S, AND 50’S IN FACT WE NEVER HAD A PHONE AT HOME AT ALL WHEN I WAS YOUNG. SO THE PUBLIC PHONES WHEREVER THEY WERE SITUATED WERE IN FREQUENT USE FOR KEEPING IN TOUCH AND MAKING ARRANGEMENTS. TELEGRAMS WERE USED IN AN EMERGENCY OR FOR SPECIAL GREETINGS AT THAT TIME. FINDING A PUBLIC TELEPHONE PUBLIC TELEPHONES COULD EASILY BE RECOGNISED ON THE STREETS BECAUSE THEY WERE IN BRIGHT RED TELEPHONE BOOTHS AND THERE WERE PLENTY OF THEM IN POPULATED AREAS. THE TELEPHONE BOX WAS THE SMALLEST THING DESIGNED BY THE ARCHITECT SIR WILLIAN SCOTT, WHEREAS THE LARGEST THING WAS LIVERPOOL’S ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL. IT IS NOTED THAT IN A SIDE AISLE OF THE CATHEDRAL IS A TELEPHONE BOX (NOT CONNECTED TO THE SYSTEM) SO SIR GILBERTS ACHIEVEMENTS BOTH LARGE AND SMALL CAN BE SEEN IN THE ONE PLACE. MIND YOU IN LATER YEARS OUT ON THE STREETS YOU WERE LUCKY TO FIND ONE WITH A TELEPHONE DIRECTORY IN IT AND UNVANDALIZED. IN BUS AND TRAIN STATIONS, SEVERAL WERE LOCATED TOGETHER, USUALLY IN MORE SUBDUED WOODEN BOOTHS. HOWEVER, FINDING A PUBLIC PHONE BOX DID NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT IT WAS WORKING OR THAT IT WAS UNOCCUPIED. THERE WAS QUITE OFTEN A QUEUE AND IT WAS RATHER OFF-PUTTING TO TRY TO CHAT WHILE PEOPLE WERE WAITING OUTSIDE, POSSIBLY EVEN BANGING ON THE WINDOW, IF THEY THOUGHT THAT A CONVERSATION WAS TAKING TOO LONG. ANOTHER REASON FOR PEOPLE WAITING OUTSIDE PUBLIC PHONE BOXES WAS THAT THEY WERE WAITING FOR A CALL. PUBLIC PHONE BOXES HAD THEIR OWN NUMBERS AND COULD BE PHONED INTO. SO, PEOPLE WOULD ARRANGE TO PHONE ONE ANOTHER AT AN AGREED TIME AND THEN WAIT OUTSIDE THE PHONE BOX UNTIL THEY HEARD ITS PHONE RING. MAKING A PHONE CALL FROM A PUBLIC PHONE USING BUTTON A AND BUTTON B IS SOMETHING I HAD TO TEACH MY WOLF CUBS WHEN I WAS A SCOUT LEADER. IN ORDER TO MAKE A CALL FROM A PUBLIC PHONE BOX, YOU HAD TO HAVE THE RIGHT COINS. THIS WAS NOT TOO ONEROUS BECAUSE COINS WERE IN EVERYDAY USE AS THERE WERE NO CREDIT CARDS. NEVERTHELESS, IT WAS NOT AT ALL UNUSUAL TO BE STOPPED IN THE STREET AND ASKED IF ONE HAD CHANGE FOR A PHONE CALL. PEOPLE ALWAYS TRIED TO OBLIGE EACH OTHER IN THIS RESPECT, AND I NEVER KNEW OF ANYONE GETTING MUGGED WHEN THEY GOT OUT A PURSE OR DELVED INTO THEIR POCKETS FOR MONEY. CALLERS PUT THEIR COINS INTO THE COIN SLOT, DIALLED THE NUMBER THEY WANTED AND PRESSED BUTTON A TO BE HEARD OR BUTTON B TO GET THEIR MONEY BACK IF NO-ONE ANSWERED. IN BUSY CITIES QUEUES WOULD FORM, ALTHOUGH IN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS THIS WAS UNUSUAL. SOME PEOPLE RECALL THAT IN THEIR TEENAGE YEARS THAT IF TWO FRIENDS WISHED TO 'ACCIDENTALLY' BUMP INTO SPECIAL YOUNG LADIES, THEY WOULD COVER THEIR LIKELY ROUTES OF TRAVEL AND USE THE PUBLIC TELEPHONE TO ADVISE WHERE A FORTUITOUS MEETING COULD OCCUR. OTHER USES FOR BUTTON B AS A CHILD, YOU DID NOT PASS A PHONE BOOTH WITHOUT PUSHING BUTTON B ON THE OFF-CHANCE IN CASE THE LAST CALLER HAD FORGOTTEN TO COLLECT THEIR LEFT-OVER COINS. IT WORKED MORE OFTEN THAN YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT AND 4D BOUGHT YOU A LOT OF SWEETS. HOWEVER, SOME CHILDREN STUFFED A RAG UP THE REFUND CHUTE ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL AND ON THE WAY HOME PULLED IT OUT HOPING THAT BUTTON B HAD BEEN PRESSED IN THE MEANTIME. IF SO THE REFUNDED MONEY, HAVING BEEN BLOCKED BY THE RAG, CAME TUMBLING OUT. STAY IN TOUCH PETER