The telecommunications systems in Britain are efficient and inexpensive. Most landline phones and public phone booths are operated by British Telecom (BT) Public Telephones.
You will find a BT phone booth, these famaous red telephone boxes on many streets in central London, and in every train
station, and in all cities and towns of Britain. I called once from Cambridge Telephone Box, it was incredible experience. Some of them are the old-style red ones, others are much more modern in appearance, but whichever type, they generally have the same technology inside. Some have multimedia terminals allowing Internet and email access. You can pay with coins, or by a bank card.
Payphones accept 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, and £2 coins; some also accept euro coins (50c, €1, and €2).
In an emergency, dial 999 or 112. All emergency calls are free.
How did they start and why red?
The first standard public telephone box was introduced by the United Kingdom Post Office. First boxes appeared in 1920s. The red telephone boxes that we see today were designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. These telephone boxes are called in Britain kiosk and their modifications - kiosk 1 or K1. Gilbert Scots K3 variant became very successful. The first booths were with continuous glass. Solid glass was replaced by a design with 18 partitions for one panel, thus repairing the damaged glass became easy and fast.
There was a problem with a color solution, Scott wanted the booths to be silver, but the Main Post Office insisted on a bright red color. And he insisted on it's own. The colour red was chosen to make them easy to spot.
On every telephone booth there is a crown. Until 1953 it was "Tudor Crown". After Coronation a young queen Elizabeth II ordered to change "TudorCrown" into "St. Edward Crown".
Stylish and original London style red telephone booths will attract tourist views for more than a decade. They are a kind of London symbol and even symbol of Britain!
Wish you to visit London and make a call from red phone booth.
P.S. My red telephone box is made of wool.
Wool is symbolic for Britain, wool is one of wealth source for this country and queen has a woolen pillow on her throne as a reminder of this source of State wealth.