Yellow phone box removal gets mixed reception

The planned removal of two of Guernsey's yellow phone boxes has sparked debate among locals.

Telecommunications company Sure said the structures at the bus terminus in St Peter Port town centre were "beyond repair" and had seen "very little use in recent years", adding their removal would "better reflect how people communicate today".

Reflecting on the removal, some islanders said the brightly coloured phone boxes were part of the island's history.

Others said they thought it was time for the boxes to go and their removal was "inevitable".

Islander Brandon Taylor said the saved funding could be used to benefit the company's network instead.

"I think it's actually beneficial because Sure will get to reuse that amount of resources elsewhere," he said.

"To keep spending money on boxes that I'm sure don't even pull an actual revenue, there's no need for them really."

Niall, who relocated to the island, said he liked that the phone boxes in Guernsey were yellow in comparison to the traditional red in the UK.

"I think it's sad because it's what makes it special here since I moved here, the yellow colour of it," he said.

Ben Jenkins said the removal of the phone boxes was "inevitable".

He said: "They're in pretty poor shape - I come to terminus quite often just to get the bus and I walk past them and they're just peeling and nothing's been done with them really.

"A lot of people have phones now and they're not really in use.

"Whilst it's a shame because they're quite unique and I've heard quite a few visitors like to get photos with them, I think it's about time because nothing's really been done with them."

Pam Gidney said the phone boxes could be turned into "something to make people smile".

She said: "I think it's a shame to take them down, and they're traditional... what's left of our history?

"It would be like taking all of the post boxes away, it's just something that people look and say 'oh look, there's a yellow phone box'.

"It's only a little thing, but I think it would make a difference for visitors and I think it's good for us to remember."

Alistair Beak, group chief executive of Sure, said he appreciated the "community's fondness for these iconic structures".

He said: "While we appreciate the heritage value they hold, we must also balance this with practical considerations around maintenance and usage.

"We are living increasingly digital lives, and Sure is focusing investment on infrastructure and services that better reflect how people communicate today."

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