La cabine téléphonique qui ne veut pas mourir
The phone box that does not want to die
ENGLISH VERSION BELOW THE PICTURES
Le 27 Août dernier nous étions en Angleterre à Folkestone station balnéaire et petit port au sud de Douvre.
Ma fille Isabelle nous conduisit au port pour nous montrer une cabine téléphonique typiquement britannique, la fameuse cabine rouge. Comme la plupart des cabines publiques, elle ne fonctionne plus, depuis 2008. Les gens utilisent le téléphone portable de nos jours. Mais beaucoup d’habitants de cette ville ne veulent pas que cela disparaisse et dirigés par un artiste peintre Shane Record … bataillent pour maintenir la cabine téléphonique rouge au port. Les jeunes et parmi eux mon petit-fils Joe (16ans ) ont écrit des phrases sur la vitre de la porte pour exprimer la douleur de la cabine
My grandson Joe (16)
Mon petit-fils Joe , 16 ans
Last August 27 we were in England in Folkestone resort and small harbor at the south of Dover.
My daughter Isabelle takes me to the harbor for visiting and showing me a typical British phone box , the red one . Like most of the phone boxes it does not work anymore since 2008 . People use the cell phone nowadays . But many people of that town do not want this disappears and led by an artist painter Shane Record…battle to maintain the red phone box at the harbor . Young people and among them my grandson Joe ( 16 ) wrote sentences on the glass of the door to express the sorrow of the box
Cette photo rapprochée montre la phrase écrite par Joe

“Help me , don’t destroy me ” by Joe Aide moi , ne me détruis pas This close photo shows the sentence written by Joe
Pour soutenir la cabine téléphonique historique je fis semblant de téléphoner…à côté …avec mon appareil photographique !!! Après tout tant de gens prennent des photos avec leur téléphone pourquoi ne téléphonerais-je pas avec mon appareil photo ?? 🙂
To support the phone box I did pretend to phone at its side with my… camera 🙂 and not a cell phone !! After all so many people take pictures with their phone why would not I phone with my camera !!!!! ? 🙂
Après quoi comme des vaillants guerriers nous nous accordâmes une petit verre dans un pub du port!! Bien mérité !

My youngest daughter Isabelle waiting for us to have a little drink at the pub
Afterwards as valiant warriors we got a little drink at a pub at the harbor! Well deserved !
Heureuse est la nation qui a de tels défenseurs des traditions
Blessed the nation which has such defenders of the traditions
Like London cabs, Buckingham guards, Big Ben, and fish and chips, these phone booths are iconic. Good to see that people in UK are working to try to preserve them!
You are quite right ,Doug . I thought of those British symbols icons too
I’m glad someone wishes to preserve the past. It bothers me sometimes that one can’t even find a pay phone any more. Problem is so many were vandalized while active so they couldn’t just leave one “in case” your cell battery was dead. 🙂 I remember the phone booths years ago inside the one and only hotel near our home.
There are not many of them around
Yes and you have not to loose your cell phone !! 🙂
My cell only works part of the time when we travel.
Sounds like you are having a lot of fun. That phoning with your camera was funny! 😀 😀 Your youngest daughter looks pretty.
There are so many things to see in London. I remember seeing them when I was a flight attendant.
Flight attendant? What a beautiful job, Angy . You must have a lot of memories !
Lovely photos and family! I love the British phone booths in London, to destroy this is to destroy history! We had phone booths of course but not like those, just drab black stands with phones, no privacy, all gone too! Love ❤
Like weggieboy says above : ” London cabs, Buckingham guards, Big Ben, and fish and chips, these phone booths are iconic.” How to say better. I agree with you Holly.
🙂
I can understand this very well. It a tradition. The telephone box does no harm, but it brings many fond memories. Many people today, myself included, would like to escape back to the things we know and love. This world coming up does not seem to have the same warmth, love and comradarie of the past. But, listen to me! I am sounding les than hopeful. We must embrace the new, yes?!
Yes Rachel we have to live on the ways of our time but without throw to trash the traditions and our roots
Interesting – I think these old phone boxes / booths hold a lot of sentimental value. Maybe they should change it to a recharging station for phones.
This looks like a good idea!
It’s lovely that even your handsome young grandson, at 16, sees the value in preserving some of the past. After all, that phone booth is not hurting anyone (though it is not helping anyone either!) Maybe it could become the locus of inspirational quotations for people to meditate upon when they pass by.
It must have been very laborious, making a phone call with a camera. Certainly worth a reward at the pub!
I am proud indeed, Cynthia, to see my grandson participate in saving one of what made a part of the image of the United Kingdom for a long time
It can still be a good place for escaping a sudden rain storm. 🙂
I love the pretense of you making a phone call by the phone box. 😀
Love the photo of you.
I also hate to see these phone boxes going away. There was something of a safety in having them around.
It was my way to support the old phone box . We do what we can and I had only my camera but for the photo it was good ! It was like a cell phone!
By all means: Save the Phone box….save the History!! Such a lovely box too! Your camera/phone is delightful. 🙂 Thanks for the post. ❤
You are right to say this phone box is a part of the inheritage of England ,Rhonda
Wonderful!
I would love to see a phonebox in the UK! I still see some phone payphones here in my area (my library has a now-defunct one in its lobby). I remember using it to sometimes call my mother to pick me up after study times and various events at the library. I think it was 25 cents or 50 cents for a phone call? Ah, the days of when we weren’t attached to cellphones!
And little drinks in pubs are always enjoyable. 🙂
Fortunately pubs still are there ! 🙂
Yes, we have seen many changes in our lifetime. Good bye pay phone. The phone booth now goes the way of the horse and buggy.
I, for one, am rather glad for the cell phone. When we on the road in our motor home years ago, we looked forward to speaking with family and to do so, we waited in long long lines and then only had a brief, all too brief time to talk . I don’t miss that at all!
Some things do change for the better. I never leave the house without my cell phone.
I regret the passing of some things like old fashioned letter writing. Thank you notes, Kindness and polite speech.
Email and facebook are easy ways to keep in touch… A letter is still nice to receive.
You are right Françoise the cell phone is very useful for asking help when we are in the countryside or for urgent things but the battery has not to be out and you have to take care to not loose it or not to be stolen . Besides more and more people are stuck at their cell phone even when they are around the table for a meal . I recently saw in a restaurant a young couple: each of the two was stuck at its phone and there was not any conversation between them.
The technic progress always is good but with a good use . The phone box is a witness of the past and especially the British ones so picturesque ! 🙂
Love the phone selfie! 🙂 Such a pretty phone booth and a handsome grandson!
We still have pay phones here, but not nearly as many as in years gone by when there were no mobile phones! Some don’t work, but many do at big public transport facilities. I love those old red phone boxes! Lovely blog, Michel! 🙂 ❤
You are prudent in Australia to keep this basic public phone in case of failure of the cell phone .
You look so cute standing beside that classic bright red phone booth, Uncle Michel.
c’est vrai que ce serait dommage de les supprimer….je les trouve belles ces cabines téléphoniques.En tout cas c’était une belle et agréable journée
I agree! They should be preserved. They are part of British history and recognized throughout the world. Wonderful photos. I’m glad you had a good visit with family.
Peace & love,
Jane
Yes they are part of the image we have of the Great Britain .
I like the British phone booths and like the idea that some of them are being preserved. They are a memory of another time!
Yes they participe to the memory of a country about its ownhistory.
Iconic. I hope they keep it.
Your grandson is handsome and daughter beautiful.
Hugs, E
A great photo of you with the telephone box 🙂 hope you enjoyed your English pint of beer :-D. Your grandson is very handsome
Coucou Mon Ami MICHEL nous les anciennes cabines de téléphone servent à un échange de livres dans certains endroits
Je viens te chanter la ballade des bisous
je viens faire une ballade des bisous
Pour te montrer que je ne t’oublie pas
1)Mon premier sera un bisou tout rond
Juste sur le front
2)Mon deuxième sera un bisou tous doux
Sur les deux joues
3)Mon troisième sera bisou délicieux
Sur tes deux yeux
4)Mon quatrième sera un bisou fripon
Sur ton menton
5)Rien de plus beau que de recevoir quelques bisous
Bisousbisous
Je pense que tu auras appréciée (é)
J’aime plaisanter ne soit pas vexée (é)
Pour que ta SOIREE soit plus que reposante
Bernard
How nice that these phone boxes can still be found. You can barely find a pay phone in the United States.
Hahaha! I love the photo of you posing with a camera, pretending it’s a phone. 😀
It’s heartening to know that the people in England are fighting to preserve their telephone booths. I’ve always found their red telephone booths very charming. It would be a shame to see them go.
Have a good weekend, Michel!
This british red phone box is an antique nowadays.. Wishes for your mission.. Lovely photographs, especially the one with camera in your hand..
Thank you for your kind comment. I went on your website but I did not find the content of your blog. Did it start ?
Oh no.. My website is working perfectly.. Can you please open the link on Google I am attaching here and if the same problem persists please lemme know
https://talkaholicme.wordpress.com/
Oh I do hope the phone box survives and your grandson Joe, is a handsome young fellow.
I loved those red phone booths. I have a miniature one as a magnet on my fridge. Neat post Michel. Handsome grandson, and I am so happy he got to write on the glass of that iconic booth.
Yosemite National Park had pay phones all over it because there was no cell phone service there.
For the least those pay phones are not seen like antics! 🙂
Those beers look good! It is almost 90 degrees F today.
You are right, sometimes we appreciate especially a glass of beer ! 🙂
What a fun time! I love what Joe wrote! 🙂
I’m SO glad the phone box and you are still around, Michel! 🙂 Love your smiling face! 🙂
Do you ever wonder where Superman changes his clothes these days?!
I do! 😉 😛
HUGS!!! 🙂
I am waiting before answering to your question about superman’s clothes? Carolyn. ,
It’s iconic! And their traditional post box too, isn’t it?
24 years ago, my friend’s classmate created the British red phone booth using cardboard. It was for her national art exam.
yes we were soooo sad in london too when so many phone boxes are gone and disappeared! that is such an english landmark! the red phone boxes!!! so we were sad to see them gone also… 😦
“Blessed the nation that has such defenders of the traditions.” You are so right! It us a worthy fight indeed!