2012

NG0294 : Scarista: the post office

taken 12 years ago, near to Borve, Isle of Lewis And Harris, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scotland

Scarista: the post office
Scarista: the post office
Scarista's little post office is open two afternoons a week. In front of it is a red telephone box with a special panelled door, presumably to aid use in windy weather.
English/Gaelic names in the Western Isles

In around 1999, the Ordnance Survey replaced English-language placenames in the Western Isles with Gaelic-language names. Some of the more prominent features (e.g. Isle of Barra; Stornoway; Sound of Harris) do have bilingual labels but, on the whole, villages, lochs, peaks etc. generally have the Gaelic names on the modern-day mapping.

Because the English versions have a tendency not to appear on the maps any more, I have decided to use them in my image titles and, as such, a translation will be readily available from the Gaelic labelling on the map.

(NB I have not translated some of the more minor loch and river names, where I have not easily found the English version.)

K2 & K6 Telephone Boxes

The iconic red telephone kiosk was the result of a competition in 1924 to design a telephone box suitable for London Metropolitan Boroughs. A design by Giles Gilbert Scott, a British Architect, was chosen. The box, to be known as the K2 was deployed in London in 1926. The post office suggested it be painted red.

The K6 was introduced in 1935, designed to commemorate the silver jubilee of King George V. It was a smaller version of the K2, and went on to be installed prolifically around the country. It is the most recognised and iconic telephone box, that many people around the world are familiar with. The first K6 is still to be found outside the Royal Academy of Art in London.

Other versions of the red telephone box were designed and implemented but none were ever to survive the popularity of the K6.

Over 240,000 red telephone boxes were built between the 1920s and 1980s.
BT had replaced many red telephone boxes during the 1980s and 90s with the aluminium KX100, leading to English Heritage to designate over 2000 as listed structures. Only 9400 K6's remain.

BT offered councils to 'adopt-a-kiosk' for £1 to keep local K6's in place. Many have found alternate uses as mini libraries/book exchanges & art galleries, and even for storage of heart defibrillators.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Chris Downer and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Village, Rural settlement Business, Retail, Services Communications other tags: Post Office Telephone Box Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Post Office [6] · Scarista [5] Other Photos: · Scarista: postbox № HS3 134 ·
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
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1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
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Grid Square
NG0294, 27 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Chris Downer   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Wednesday, 15 August, 2012   (more nearby)
Submitted
Saturday, 8 September, 2012
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! NG 0263 9401 [10m precision]
WGS84: 57:50.1836N 7:0.7399W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! NG 0262 9403
View Direction
South-southeast (about 157 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph
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