UK’s 1st-ever red phone kiosk joins cultural hall of fame
London: The UK’s first red public telephone box, was given one of Britain’s highest cultural honours and joined a list that includes many of the country’s most iconic buildings.
The Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on Friday announced that the K2 prototype telephone box in London has been granted a Grade II listing, Xinhua news agency reported.
The telephone box, which has been outside the Royal Academy in London since 1924, was built as part of a competition to create an iconic design for public phone boxes.
Heritage Minister Helen Whately announced that the prototype for Britain’s first red public telephone box has been upgraded in recognition of its iconic design status.
Created in 1924 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the prototype K2 — known as Kiosk No.2 — telephone box formed the basis of the design of future telephone boxes across the country.
The timber K2 prototype was designed for a competition launched by the Royal Fine Arts Commission at the request of the Postmaster General. It’s an alternative to the unpopular concrete K1 structures which had been introduced in 1921 was needed.
Scott’s prototype was initially displayed in 1924 outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square with four other designs, and in 1925 it was announced that the K2 telephone box was the one most suitable for erection in busy thoroughfares of large towns.
Duncan Wilson, CEO of Historic England, said: “This unique timber structure by the celebrated British architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott represents a milestone in industrial design.
“Still sitting where it was placed after judging, the K2 prototype remains a striking feature at Burlington House, and its protection is now further enhanced as an important part of our nation’s industrial heritage.”
Scott’s winning design was originally intended to be made of steel and painted silver with a blue-green interior, however, upon selection of the K2 design, the General Post Office chose to make it of cast-iron and painted in its distinctive red color. Only just over 200 K2s survive today.
The K2 was replaced in 1935 by the streamlined, more compact and cost-effective K6 model which was also designed by Scott and is the most common red telephone box still in existence. (IANS)
1,000 transgender people request name, sex change in Chile
Santiago: Some 1,000 transgender people in Chile have requested to update their names and sex on legal documents after a new gender identity law came into force in the country.
The law which came into force on Friday and signed by President Sebastian Pinera, means transgender people aged 14 or over can update identification documents to reflect their gender, reports Efe news.
Alessia Injoque, Oresident of the Fundacion Iguales (Equal Foundation) LGTBI collective said: “It is the first time that the state of Chile, through a law, recognizes and gives protection to the right to gender identity.
“The most important thing is that with this the state recognizes that trans people exist.”
The law stipulates three types of procedures one for people aged between 14 and 18 years old, another for adults who are not married and a third for adults who are married, the Foundation said.
The Justice Ministry said it has already received 921 applications from across Chile and 136 hearings had already been scheduled.
Justice Minister Hernnn Larrain said the procedure was “simple and free of charge”. To apply for a name and sex change the applicant must request an appointment for a special hearing.
Applicants need two witnesses at the hearing and will be issued with new identity documents within 45 days. (IANS)
Mi6 floor plans lost by building contractor
London: Floor plans of the UK’s Mi6 or the Secret Intelligence Service’s central London headquarters were lost by building contractors during a refurbishment, the media reported.
The BBC said that the missing plans were not classified or intelligence documents, but the pages did hold sensitive details on the layout, including entry and exit points.
Most, but not all, of the documents were recovered inside the building after it was noticed they were missing, it added.
Balfour Beatty, the company working on the refurbishment at the headquarters in Vauxhall, is reportedly no longer working on the project.
The documents, which went missing a few weeks ago, were produced and owned by Balfour Beatty and designed to be used for the refurbishment.
The contractor kept the plans on the site at Vauxhall Cross in a secure location. The UK Foreign Office said it did not comment on intelligence matters, while Balfour Beatty refused to because of sensitivities.
Balfour Beatty mainly carries out work in the UK, US and Hong Kong and has 26,000 employees worldwide, according to the company’s website.
The BBC reported earlier this month that Balfour Beatty’s order book for 2019 was expected to be more than 14 billion pounds – “significantly higher” than 2018’s 12.6 billion pounds book. (IANS)