In 1946, as the K6 again began to appear in significant numbers, and as town and country planning legislation began to proliferate, the Council for the Preservation of Rural England asked the Royal Fine Arts Commission to reconsider the insistence on the universal use of red.
This time the Commission relented. In areas of special beauty, dark grey or black could be used so long as the glazing bars were picked out in red. The dispute was not over yet, however. Questions were asked in Parliament and, within a year, the Postmaster General agreed to look at the issue yet again. Six kiosks were painted in different colours and placed on view for inspection. One was painted red, the others Deep Brunswick Green, Light Brunswick Green, black, Light Battleship Grey and Dark Battleship Grey. The five boxes which were not red had the glazing bars of their doors and of one other side picked out in red so that they could be viewed with or without the feature. The conclusion was that red should remain the standard colour for normal rural and urban sites, but that Dark Battleship Grey with red glazing bars could be used in places of exceptional natural beauty.
Colour was not the only source of complaint. The K6, like the K2 before it, carried the royal crown motif from the Post Office crest. With the death in 1952 of King George VI and the ascent to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II, the Post Office changed this motif to represent the St Edward's Crown adopted by the new monarch.
The Post Office used the new Kiosk No. 6 to replace most of the concrete K3s. The reasons of lower maintenance costs and better provision for users were to be used again fifty years later when it was the K6's turn to be displaced.
The most convenient way to distinguish between a Mkl and a Mk2 Kiosk No. 6 is to look at the back. If it has symmetrical cable entries, like this example, it is a pre-1939 Mkl. If the holes are asymmetrical (moved to the right), it is a Mk2. The identity of the manufacturer can also usually be found there. There are five: the Carron Foundry; Lion Foundry; Macfarlane (also known as Saracen Foundry); McDowall Steven; and Bratt Colbran.
Although the model was pre-war, most K6s were installed after the war. The peak rate was in the late 1940s and early 1950s, when kiosks represented one of the few means the government had of extending the telephone service.
The St Edward's Crown was first introduced on K6s in 1953. The 'slot' detail introduced in 1955 to placate the Scots provides a convenient means of identifying post-1955 kiosks. Integral St Edward's Crowns date a K6 to between 1953 and 1955.
The Queen's Crown of Scotland, as fitted after 1955 into K6s destined for use north of the border. At least one of these crowns is known to have travelled south. А Кб outside Wembley Stadium sported a mixture of crowns.
This time the Commission relented. In areas of special beauty, dark grey or black could be used so long as the glazing bars were picked out in red. The dispute was not over yet, however. Questions were asked in Parliament and, within a year, the Postmaster General agreed to look at the issue yet again. Six kiosks were painted in different colours and placed on view for inspection. One was painted red, the others Deep Brunswick Green, Light Brunswick Green, black, Light Battleship Grey and Dark Battleship Grey. The five boxes which were not red had the glazing bars of their doors and of one other side picked out in red so that they could be viewed with or without the feature. The conclusion was that red should remain the standard colour for normal rural and urban sites, but that Dark Battleship Grey with red glazing bars could be used in places of exceptional natural beauty.
Colour was not the only source of complaint. The K6, like the K2 before it, carried the royal crown motif from the Post Office crest. With the death in 1952 of King George VI and the ascent to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II, the Post Office changed this motif to represent the St Edward's Crown adopted by the new monarch.
The Post Office used the new Kiosk No. 6 to replace most of the concrete K3s. The reasons of lower maintenance costs and better provision for users were to be used again fifty years later when it was the K6's turn to be displaced.
The most convenient way to distinguish between a Mkl and a Mk2 Kiosk No. 6 is to look at the back. If it has symmetrical cable entries, like this example, it is a pre-1939 Mkl. If the holes are asymmetrical (moved to the right), it is a Mk2. The identity of the manufacturer can also usually be found there. There are five: the Carron Foundry; Lion Foundry; Macfarlane (also known as Saracen Foundry); McDowall Steven; and Bratt Colbran.
Although the model was pre-war, most K6s were installed after the war. The peak rate was in the late 1940s and early 1950s, when kiosks represented one of the few means the government had of extending the telephone service.
The St Edward's Crown was first introduced on K6s in 1953. The 'slot' detail introduced in 1955 to placate the Scots provides a convenient means of identifying post-1955 kiosks. Integral St Edward's Crowns date a K6 to between 1953 and 1955.
The Queen's Crown of Scotland, as fitted after 1955 into K6s destined for use north of the border. At least one of these crowns is known to have travelled south. А Кб outside Wembley Stadium sported a mixture of crowns.