FURORE OVER PHONICS’ PHONE BOX
A RED telephone box made famous in an early Stereophonics photo shoot has been removed by British Telecom, angering locals.
The iconic kiosk on Fforchaman Road in the band’s native village of Cwmaman was removed on Monday last week and driven away on the back of a lorry.
But despite being among one half of the 20 red “heritage” phone boxes in Rhondda Cynon Taff identified and proposed for removal by BT earlier this year, those who live nearby claim that no prior warning was given about it being on a consultation list.
They argue that had such a note been placed on it, the community would have had the chance to adopt and keep the box in position for just £1, a scheme which has seen red phone boxes in other parts of the UK turned into mini-libraries, miniature art museums, cake shops and information centres.
The Cwmaman box is where Kelly Jones, Richard Jones and Stuart Cable posed for celebrated
NME photographer Martyn Goodacre in 1997 and is something Stereophonics fans claim is part of the area’s cultural heritage.
Goodacre also photographed the likes of Nirvana and the Rolling Stones.
And they now fear that the piece of rock memorabilia, which was formerly outside The Shepherds Arms pub, will now be left to rust.
“Either that or end up in the crusher,” says Dorian Holmes, organiser of the popular Cwmaman Music Festival, which plays out across a number of venues in the village each year.
The 32-year-old said the first anyone heard about the kiosk’s intended removal was on Monday last week, when a friend was out walking her dog and happened to spot a crane hydraulically lifting it from the spot where it had stood for decades.
“There’s no way there was a notice on the box, no way – had there been we could have done something to prevent this happening,” said Dorian. “We had this year’s festival here in September and lots of people were taking photos of themselves in and around it.
“Now you’d think that at least maybe one of them would have gone, ‘Hang on, what’s this piece of paper saying?’.”
He also said that the village still sees a steady number of ’Phonics fans turning up to seek out the kiosk.
“We had a Stereophonics tribute band play here a while back and you’d be amazed at how many people came from all over to see the gig and have their photo taken at the phone box – it’s a shame.”
It’s a sentiment shared by Vikki Howells AM. The Welsh Labour Assembly Member for Cynon Valley wrote on Twitter: “This (phone box) is an important cultural landmark.
“I’ll do all I can to try and get it restored to its rightful location.”
In an email to the festival organisers, a spokesman for BT said notices had been placed inside the phone box on June 15, 2019, in both English and Welsh, adding that they could also provide photographic proof.
He said a list of payphones earmarked for removal had also been posted on the Rhondda Cynon Taf Council website for a period of 90 days over the summer, during which time no objections had been received. BT has been asked to comment.