FEATURE KCOM Creamofthe city’s iconic phone boxes Open... · NTC or the Post Office, leaving...
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12 Y ou can’t get more ‘Ull than a cream coloured phone box. When you see one in a photograph you instantly know where you are. They are a symbol of Hull’s uniqueness, of its determination not to be like anywhere else, its “otherness” and, quite frankly, of its bloody-mindedness. While the rest of the country was united in its adoption of the red phone box of BT, Hull has always remained steadfastly cream. But why so? It’s a long story with roots reach- ing right back into the dawn of telecommunications. When the Telegraph Act of 1899 made it possible for local author- ities to set up their own systems to compete with the National Tele- phone Company (NTC), one of those that took up the challenge was Hull Corporation. By 1902, despite strong opposi- tion from the NTC, the corpora- tion had been granted a licence to set up its own network by the Post- master General, making it one of a handful of local authorities around the country to do so. On November 28, 1904, the Hull Telephone Department opened its first telephone exchange at 7 Win- colmlee, in east Hull, on the site of a former public baths. The exchange was equipped with a new, “state of the art” 20 position Ericsson-Bell manual switch- board, capable of handling 1,000 subscribers at a time and the age of the phone was upon us – even if the vast majority of people didn’t have one. By 1913 the other services in places such as Brighton, Glasgow, Portsmouth, Tunbridge Wells and Swansea had all been sold to the NTC or the Post Office, leaving Hull’s network as the last surviv- ing independent phone company. It was an independence the city was not prepared to give up. As the Post office gradually took control of the other authorities’ networks, Hull Corporation decided to take its future into its own hands and, in 1914, bought the NTC network in Hull outright for what was then a king’s ransom of £192,423. In today’s money that’s more than £15.5m - no small amount or decision for a local council. Ever since that day Hull has had its own independent telecommu- nications company, which down the years has gone by names such as Kingston Communications (Hull) PLC and the KCOM Group PLC. The company is no longer owned by the council, which partially floated the company on the Lon- don Stock Exchange in 1999 before selling its remaining stake in 2007. Today it’s called KCOM and has changed with the times, supplying not just phone lines to the pop- ulation of Hull and East Yorkshire but 21st century innovations such as ultrafast fibre broadband too. It also directly employs nearly 900 people in the region, creating 1,600 jobs in total through its sup- ply chain. But why cream phone boxes? FEATURE KCOM Cream of the city’s iconic phone boxes Ian Midgley looks at the history of Hull’s cream phone boxes INCOMING: An early image of telephone exchange. FORM A LINE: Line gang in Hull circa 1910. Right, a K1 kiosk.
Transcript of FEATURE KCOM Creamofthe city’s iconic phone boxes Open... · NTC or the Post Office, leaving...
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Y ou can’t get more ‘Ullthan a cream colouredphone box. When you seeone in a photograph you
instantly know where you are.They are a symbol of Hull’s
uniqueness, of its determinationnot to be like anywhere else, its“otherness” and, quite frankly, ofits bloody-mindedness.
While the rest of the countrywas united in its adoption of thered phone box of BT, Hull hasalways remained steadfastlycream. But why so?
It’s a long story with roots reach-ing right back into the dawn oftelecommunications.
When the Telegraph Act of 1899made it possible for local author-ities to set up their own systems tocompete with the National Tele-phone Company (NTC), one ofthose that took up the challengewas Hull Corporation.
By 1902, despite strong opposi-tion from the NTC, the corpora-tion had been granted a licence toset up its own network by the Post-master General, making it one of ahandful of local authoritiesaround the country to do so.
On November 28, 1904, the HullTelephone Department opened itsfirst telephone exchange at 7 Win-colmlee, in east Hull, on the site ofa former public baths.
The exchange was equipped witha new, “state of the art” 20 positionEricsson-Bell manual switch-
board, capable of handling 1,000subscribers at a time and the ageof the phone was upon us – even ifthe vast majority of people didn’thave one.
By 1913 the other services inplaces such as Brighton, Glasgow,Portsmouth, Tunbridge Wells andSwansea had all been sold to theNTC or the Post Office, leavingHull’s network as the last surviv-
ing independent phone company.It was an independence the citywas not prepared to give up.
As the Post office gradually tookcontrol of the other authorities’networks, Hull Corporationdecided to take its future into itsown hands and, in 1914, boughtthe NTC network in Hull outrightfor what was then a king’s ransomof £192,423.
In today’s money that’s morethan £15.5m - no small amount ordecision for a local council.
Ever since that day Hull has hadits own independent telecommu-nications company, which downthe years has gone by names suchas Kingston Communications(Hull) PLC and the KCOM GroupPLC.
The company is no longer ownedby the council, which partiallyfloated the company on the Lon-don Stock Exchange in 1999 beforeselling its remaining stake in 2007.
Today it’s called KCOM and haschanged with the times, supplyingnot just phone lines to the pop-ulation of Hull and East Yorkshirebut 21st century innovations suchas ultrafast fibre broadband too.
It also directly employs nearly900 people in the region, creating1,600 jobs in total through its sup-ply chain.
But why cream phone boxes?
FEATURE K C O M
Cream of thecity’s iconicphone boxes
Ian Midgley looks at the history
of Hull’s cream phone boxes
INCOMING: An early image of telephone exchange.
FORM A LINE: Line gang in Hull circa 1910. Right, a K1 kiosk.
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That’s a tricky one.No-one knows exactly why
cream was chosen. But KCOM’scream phone kiosks have alwaysbeen just that, cream. It’s the restof the country that has dilly-dal-lied over the colour of its phoneboxes. It wasn’t until the 1930sthat the rest of the nation defin-itively chose red and by then Hullwas already devoted to cream.
The 1930s also saw the arrival ofarguably the most famous – andcertainly the most photogenic – ofHull’s phone boxes, the K6.
Designed by Sir Giles GilbertScott, whose credits also includeLiverpool Cathedral and BatterseaPower Station, the K6 is rightlyregarded as a British design clas-sic. It’s as quintessentially Britishas the double decker bus, fish andchips and Monty Python.
This year, to mark Hull’s reignas the UK City of Culture, KCOMlaunched a city centre trailaround its K6 phone boxes.Phone box trail: The trail, whichcan be found at www.kcomhome.com/campaigns/trail takes visitorson a journey through Hull s historyand heritage, from the old city wallsthat defied a king to the Victoriansplendour of Victoria Square andthe old docks where Hull smerchants welcomed the world. It sa great way to discover the city, andyou ll never find a more Ull way.
PHONE FANS: Some Hull peoplewill recall this set of phone boxes inMonument Bridge outside what isnow Princes Quay in 1956.
WORKERS: TheHull TelephoneDepartment in 1911.
CREAM OFTHE CROP: AK6 phone box inNelson Street.
