Wigan Album
Beech Hill
17 Comments
Photo: Keith
Item #: 30222
The second photo shows the Police Public Call Box "in action" and a description of it goes as follows...."The way it worked was that you could put your hand into a little door, behind which was the phone itself, connected directly to the police station. Inside the box, unseen by the general public, was a miniature office for patrolling police officers, complete with incident report forms, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, sharp pencils and very probably a place to put a flask of hot soup. If the blue light was flashing, this meant the police officer was to use the phone to contact the station as soon as possible.
You would imagine it was the advent of the red public telephone box, a phone anyone could use for any purpose, which brought about the demise of its blue brother, but actually once police officers began to use personal radios more, the need for these mini-offices declined sharply, coinciding with the end of the 1960s. So the period of overlap between their use and the appearance on Doctor Who was incredibly short, especially bearing in mind the show’s near-50 year lifespan."
I can't see a Police phone box in the background.
Looks like a Metropolitan PC waring a duty band on his sleeve.
The Doctor left just before the picture was taken.
there was one at the top of darlington st east
There used to be a police box outside the Outdoor License that stood on the corner of Woodhouse Lane and Springfield Road.
I used the boxes mentioned on many an occasion, plus the one in Wallgate, the one in Scholes, and the police pillar, on the Market Place. Just cannot remember the one in Wellfield Road. As someone mentioned, that appears to be a Metropolitan Police Box, as the officer is wearing a Met. Police band, around his cuff.
I remember one being on Ridyard Street at the Mortar Mill also.
AW. Was once told after a smash and grab at that off licence that the whisky bottle which was stolen from the window display contained only cold tea, imagine the thief came out with some expletives after taking a swig.
Hi Phil as soon as I'd posted the photo I realised I should have clarified just where it was - on the photo. It's in between the tree and the left face and shoulder of my auntie, well what there is to see of it is.
Phil, the box is seen to the immediate right of the lady's head. my dad (Tommy Bond) was a beat officer working Beech Hill and, since we lived there, he used to phone himself on and off shifts using this red police box.
There was one on Standishgate opposite Florence House.
One of the main uses of the police boxes, was to record messages, by that beat bobby, they were telephoned through from the Central Police Station, especially urgent express messages, that had come through from other forces, by tele printer.
I can remember a police box in Whelley, just bellow Bradshaw Street, and one in Scholes, some where near Longshoot, but they were both red. I think there was also one in Poolstock Lane, also red.
DTease, is that the witch Doctor or Doctor Who, that just left.
Sorry forgot to say hi to Keith F. It's been a while no speak, nice photo.
Can remember the box being there but like Keith remember it as blue ( too much dr who watched since ). Seem to remember that instead of a normal telephone, it was a spring loaded flap behind which was a fixed speaker and microphone
tuddy, seem to remember the one in Scholes which you mention was opposite Mc Curdy's furniture shop at the entrance to Jacksons(?)yard.
It was the police box in Wallgate, where I working the front of Wallgate, that I received a message from Central, that I was the proud dad of a son, born at Billinge Hospital, 2nd, June, 1962. He is now retired from the Kent Police. Time certainly speeds by.