The red telephone booth is one of the most enduring icons of the UK; but as delightful as their housings may be, the humble payphone has had its day. Coin and card-fed phones are on the verge of being consigned to the history books, while the mobile phone goes from strength to strength. But mobile phones, for all their strength in portability, coverage, and flexibility, have their kryptonite: battery life. In keeping with the environmentally-friendly preference for recycling and reusing rather than trashing, unused phone boxes are being given a new lease on life.
Should you find yourself wandering down London's Tottenham Court Road and notice that your battery is getting a little low, there's a green solution popping up. Phone booths that would have otherwise be left to rack and ruin are being converted into solar-powered charging stations that can be used completely free of charge.
Within the newly-painted boxes -- now a lurid green -- are a series of adaptors to suit a variety of different phones. If your handset needs a boost, just wander in, plug in, and charge up. Few people would be foolish enough to walk away from their phone while they charge, so the company behind the venture, Solarbox, has something of a captive audience to whom to show adverts on a vandal-proof tablet. Advertising comes from the likes of Tinder and Uber, but nearly a third of ad space is reserved for local community projects.
For now there is a single solar-powered phonebox, but more are planned. Five more are currently due to open, with number two expected to be unveiled in January.
Photo credit: Tupungato / Shutterstock