Are Red Uk Phone Boxes Useless Now? Learn English Ep 816

Learn English Language - Can phone boxes still be useful?

Did you know that over 3,000 iconic red telephone boxes in the UK no longer have phones inside? They are beiung converted into mini libraries, cake shops, even storing life-saving defibrillators!

Welcome to Adept English, the podcast where you learn real British English through fascinating cultural stories. Today we're exploring how these symbols of the UK, those bright red telephone boxes—have been given surprising new purposes. You'll pick up essential vocabulary, like 'stained glass' or 'honesty box', while discovering quirky, uplifting tales from villages across Britain.

Now, I'll admit, when I first saw a British Red Phone Box turned into a flower display near my home, I thought it was a bit odd. But after hearing about the Colour Therapy box in Suffolk or the tiny café on Eastbourne Pier? Well, let's just say I thought it was interesting!

This English lesson is perfect if you're at an intermediate (B1+) level and want to improve your English listening skills with clear, natural speech—complete with the occasional 'um' or self-correction (like that time I called a defibrillator a 'de-fib... no, defibrillator!).

So, if you're ready to improve your English skills while uncovering the creative side of British culture, press play. By the end, you'll not only understand phrases like 'remote village' or 'focal point', you'll see how language learning can be as delightful as finding a lemon drizzle cake in a phone box!

More About This Lesson

Have you ever noticed those bright red phone boxes in pictures of the UK? You know, the ones that look straight out of a postcard? Well, here's the thing, most of them don't even have phones any more! So what's happening to them? Are they just... sitting there? Well actually, no! Communities across the UK are turning these iconic boxes into something totally unexpected, like mini libraries, cake shops, even life-saving medical stations! Intrigued? Join us in this quirky bit of British culture, and pick up some great English along the way.

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Listening to this English lesson will help:

1. You learn common British vocabulary like "iconic," "stained glass," and "buttercup."
2. You hear natural pronunciation of challenging words like "defibrillator."
3. You understand cultural context through UK-specific examples (post boxes, phone boxes).
4. You practice listening to statistics and numbers in real-world scenarios.
5. You discover practical phrases like "take time out" and "focal point."
6. You engage with storytelling techniques for clearer explanations.
7. You recognize British place names and their pronunciation (Mellis, Cladich).
8. You learn transition phrases like "Another example" and "So what's happened?"
9. You hear contractions and informal speech ("don't," "you'll").
10. You grasp descriptive language for everyday objects (e.g., "honesty box").

Why is this useful for your English? First, you'll learn vocabulary for everyday objects (like 'post box' or 'defibrillator') and phrases like 'honesty box' or 'remote village.' Plus, it's a fun way to practise listening to descriptions and stories, just like chatting with a friend about interesting local news. And if you ever visit the UK, you'll have a cool topic to discuss! Ready to explore how old phone boxes are getting a second life? Let's go!

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What are some iconic symbols of British culture mentioned in the podcast?
   The podcast highlights red post boxes and red telephone boxes as iconic symbols of British culture. These are often featured in tourist posters and souvenirs. While post boxes are still used for mailing letters and cards, most telephone boxes have been repurposed due to the decline in their original use.

2. How are old red telephone boxes being repurposed in the UK?
   Many red telephone boxes in the UK have been creatively repurposed. Examples include:

   • A "Colour Therapy" British Red Phone Box with stained glass windows in Mellis, Suffolk.
   • A mini-cafe on Eastbourne Pier serving tea, coffee, and snacks.
   • Tiny libraries where people donate and borrow books.
   • Housing defibrillators for emergency cardiac care.
     These adaptations preserve their cultural significance while serving new community needs.

3. Why is the term "post box topper" significant in British culture?
   A "post box topper" refers to decorative covers made by the public, often to celebrate events like Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. These knitted or crafted designs add a festive touch to red post boxes and reflect community creativity—a charming British tradition worth knowing if you're learning about UK culture.

4. What is an "honesty box" in the context of repurposed telephone boxes?
   An "honesty box" is a self-service payment system where customers take goods (like cakes or jams) and leave money without supervision. In the podcast, a village in Scotland uses a British Red Phone Box as a cake shop with this trust-based system—a great example of British community values and vocabulary.

5. How does learning about British cultural symbols improve English fluency?
   Understanding cultural references like red telephone boxes, post box toppers, and honesty boxes helps you engage in authentic conversations about British life. The podcast's examples introduce useful vocabulary (e.g., "stained glass," "remote village," "defibrillator") while offering listening practice with real-world context—key for fluency.

Most Unusual Words:

• Iconic: Very famous or well-known, representing something important.
• Topper: A decorative cover placed on top of something.
• Stained glass: Coloured glass used in windows, often in churches.
• Buttercup: A small yellow flower common in the UK.
• Remote: Far away from other places, isolated.
• Commemorates: Honours or remembers an important event or person.
• Defibrillator: A machine used to restart a stopped heart.
• Cardiac arrest: When the heart suddenly stops beating.
• Dire: Very serious or bad, often dangerous.
• Repurpose: To give something a new use or purpose.

Most Frequently Used Words:

Listen To The Audio Lesson Now

Transcript: Are RED UK Phone Boxes Useless Now-Learn English

Iconic Images of the UK: Red Post Boxes and Telephone Boxes

Hi there and welcome to this podcast. If you look at tourist posters of the UK, you'll see red post boxes and red telephone boxes everywhere. You could even get them on a keyring! These are what you might call 'iconic' images of the UK. I-C-O-N-I-C, 'iconic'. And indeed, these red post boxes and red telephone boxes are everywhere in the UK. But are they still used?

Hello, I'm Hilary, and you're listening to Adept English. We will help you to speak English fluently. All you have to do is listen. So start listening now and find out how it works.

The Enduring Use of Red Post Boxes

Well, despite the fact that we have many ways to message people these days, the red post boxes are still used, mainly for birthday cards, official documents and official letters. And you may remember a while ago, I did a podcast on Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. That was her 70th anniversary as queen in 2022. In that podcast, I mentioned the tradition of the 'post box topper' or cover. This is where members of the public make covers for the top of red post boxes. And if you go to our website, adeptenglish.com, go to 'Lessons', put number 543 in the search bar - that's the number of the podcast - it will bring that podcast up. And if you page down, you can see a photograph of a lovely Queen's Jubilee post box topper that was just down the road from my house. So the red post boxes are still used.

The Decline of Red Telephone Boxes

But what about the red telephone boxes? Well, these are largely unused in the era of mobile phones. In fact, in the whole of the UK, there are only about 3,000 red telephone boxes still with a telephone inside. At their peak, there were around 132,000 red telephone boxes in the UK.

So what's happened to them? What are they being used for now? I think you'll be surprised. Let's answer this question in today's podcast. It's a bit of British culture and some great English language listening practice.

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Creative Reuses for Red Telephone Boxes

So what are all those red telephone boxes now being used for? As I said, most don't contain a phone. I certainly know one close to where I live which is simply filled with silk flowers.

Well, another example, in the small Suffolk village of Mellis, that's the name of the village, residents, meaning 'people who live there', along with a local artist, Hilary Beal, have created a Colour Therapy phone box. The idea is that you can go and sit inside the phone box to calm yourself down if you're having a bad day.

Are Red Uk Phone Boxes Useless Now? Learn English Ep 816 Article Image

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Are red telephone boxes proof that English culture is dying?

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The windows of the phone box have all been replaced with stained glass. That's coloured glass, the kind of coloured glass windows that you see in churches. That's 'stained glass'. How beautiful! The glass panels in this telephone box feature pictures of mushrooms, bees, fish and buttercups. That's a yellow flower found very commonly in the UK, a 'buttercup'. And there's a seat inside this phone box so that you can sit and admire the stained glass windows. So if you're anywhere near the village of Mellis in Suffolk and you're having a bad day, you need to take time out to calm down, then the Colour Therapy phone box will be a great place to go.

Cakes in the Call Box: A Village Hub in Cladich

Another example, up in the wilds of Scotland, in a remote village - 'remote' means 'far from anywhere' - called Cladich, near Inverary in Argyll - there, a small local company called 'Cakes in the Call Box' was opened recently by Holly Ford and Bron Campbell. They say that their village is so small that there's no pub, no church and only about 30 people living there.

So using the box to distribute their cakes has given this little village, this little community of people a focal point. In this telephone box, you will find very reasonably priced cakes, lemon drizzle cake, ginger cake, as well as a selection of jams and chutneys, all on sale. You just take what you fancy and you leave the money. It's called an 'honesty box'. And are people honest? Well, the owners of the business, 'Cakes in the Call Box', say that they haven't had a single day so far where the honesty box, the place people leave the money, didn't exactly match with the number of cakes sold. Lovely! I like stories like that.

Commemorating History in Branxton: The Battle of Flodden

Another telephone box in the north of the UK, in Branxton, Northumberland this time. Well, this one commemorates a local battle, a piece of history. The telephone box is home to a tiny exhibition, in other words, all about local history. It 'commemorates' or remembers the Battle of Flodden, F-L-O-D-D-E-N, in 1513, where 10,000 Scottish men died. The telephone box contains walking maps of the area so that you can visit the battleground. And there's a button to press if you want to hear a three-minute audio guide to the story of Flodden.

This telephone box has been called 'the world's smallest visitor centre', unless of course you let us know about a smaller one that you know?

A Seaside Cafe on Eastbourne Pier

Another red telephone box found this time on Eastbourne Pier, on the south coast in the UK. Well, this one has been converted to a small cafe. You can make yourself a cup of tea or coffee - instant, I'm afraid - but there's also an ice cream machine and a hot dog machine. What a brilliant idea! And how appropriate for the British seaside - tea, coffee, hot dog and ice cream.

Tiny Lending Libraries Across the UK

One very common use of an old red telephone box across the UK - they're being used as tiny little libraries. A 'library', L-I-B-R-A-R-Y, is a place from which you can borrow books, often called 'lending libraries'. You can take a book, but you don't own it, you read it and then you put it back. You return it to the library. So there are lots of old red telephone boxes that have had shelves fitted and to which people 'donate' or give their books.

Books that they no longer want. This means that other people who live in the same place can take out the books and read them, put them back and maybe donate a few of their own. Again, that's a lovely idea.

Defibrillators: A Lifesaving Transformation

And finally, one idea for using red telephone boxes - and I've seen this in a number of places, including up the road in a red telephone box near my sister's house in Staffordshire. Red telephone boxes are now being used to house defibrillators. That's a difficult word for me to say. Defibrillator.

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That's D-E-F-I-B-R-I-L-L-A-T-O-R. Difficult to spell as well! If you're medically trained, you'll know what a defibrillator does. It's a machine used to save people's lives. A defibrillator is used when someone has a cardiac arrest or their heart stops, in other words.

If someone has a cardiac arrest, there's usually not time to wait for the ambulance or for medical assistance. To save that person's life, you need to restart their heart as soon as possible.

The Critical Importance of Quick Access to Defibrillators

Let's practise some numbers or statistics, and these ones are quite frightening. Apparently, British ambulance staff attend some 30,000 cardiac arrests each year. That's people whose heart has stopped.

And they are able to save only 10% because usually it's too late. So in 90% of cases, the person dies of cardiac arrest because there's no defibrillator nearby. The chance of surviving cardiac arrest goes down or decreases 10% for every minute that there is no defibrillator to use. Meaning more than 25,000 people die from cardiac arrest every year in the UK. You've a much greater chance of surviving if you have one in a hospital. So those statistics if you have a cardiac arrest outside of hospital are pretty dire. Only 10% survive.
But if a defibrillator is used within one minute, 90% of people survive. So you can see why having more defibrillators for public use is really important.

BT and the Community Heart Trust Partnership

So using old red telephone boxes to house defibrillators, what a great idea! There's a scheme running between BT or British Telecom, the owner of the red phone boxes in the UK and an organisation called the Community Heart Trust or CHT.

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BT and CHT are working together to help communities turn their old red telephone boxes into small local medical centres with defibrillators for anyone to use. Telephone boxes are very suitable places. Defibrillators can be stored in a well-recognised, safe and weather protected location. And BT have promised to provide electricity free of charge for the first seven years for all red telephone boxes with defibrillators in them. So another fantastic use of old red phone boxes and one that surely will save people's lives!

Adopting and Repurposing: A Call for Ideas

So if you live in the UK and you can think of a new use for an old red telephone box, apparently you can adopt one for a pound from British Telecom and you can repurpose it. Give it a new purpose in life. I love this! And I wonder if it's an idea that's happening in other countries? You too probably have old unused telephone boxes that could perhaps be put to a different purpose.

Goodbye

Or maybe it's already happening? Get in touch and let us know. Enough for now. Have a lovely day. Speak to you again soon. Goodbye.

Thank you so much for listening. Please help me tell others about this podcast by reviewing or rating it. And, please share it on social media. You can find more listening lessons and a free English course at adeptenglish.com

Links

• Episode 543
• Adopt a BT Kiosk
• Community Heartbeat
• Red telephone boxes get a makeover
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