The campaign to save these 'ugly' phone boxes

Sometimes phone boxes are made into something totally different, like this toy exchange that's been created in Cornwall

Phone box fans in the UK are campaigning to save the KX100 - a phone box from the 1980s.

When this phone box was released some people called it ugly and bland, compared to the iconic red phone boxes that came before them.

Next year, the KX100s are being removed as they are no longer used very often.

Campaigners are trying to get some of the remaining steel phone boxes listed - which means they will be considered historically important and special.

What were phone boxes used for?

Phone boxes were used in the days before smartphones to allow members of the public to make calls when away from home

Before people used mobile phones when out and about, you could use a phone box to call someone.

Most towns would have a phone box that people in the area could use to contact each other.

There were also phone boxes that could do specific things like calling the police. You might recognise these police phone boxes from Doctor Who, it's what the TARDIS looks like!

Why do we have different types of phone-boxes?

These are the iconic red phone boxes, that can be seen around London

There were a few different designs of telephone boxes throughout the 19th century, but the first official one was made at the start of the 20th century.

It was called K1 - which stands for kiosk one - and was made from concrete.

It was painted red, partly so it would be easy for people to spot if they needed to make a call.

Over the 20th century, phone boxes changed with different designs. Most of the time, they were bright red.

In the 1980s, the KX100 was introduced, and it was hoped they would stay cleaner than the red ones. They were also wheelchair-accessible.

According to BT, by the end of the 20th century there were over 90,000 BT telephone boxes around the UK.

After mobile phones started being used more often, phone boxes became less popular, but a lot of them were transformed into different things, like this phone box library!

What's special about the KX100?

Campaigners from a group called Twentieth Century Society are passionate about the design of these phone boxes

When these phone boxes were introduced, they weren't very popular.

This is mainly because they didn't look as exciting as the previous phone boxes, which were a bright red colour.

However, when they were introduced, people campaigned to make some of the previous red ones listed.

Listed is a term that means something has historical importance. If something, or somewhere, is listed it means it gets looked after, and it's considered special.

Now, campaigners want the KX100 to be saved.

They want to keep one of each in England, Scotland and Wales.

What do you think of the grey phone boxes? Let us know in the comments below.