Blues might not last

Press, 12 October 1988, Page 1

Blues might not last

By

SUZANNE KEEN

Christchurch people who do not like blue-painted telephoneboxes can take comfort in knowing that the boxes might not be blue for ever. Telecom’s Christchurch district manager, Mr Brian Finn, said last evening that blue tele-phone-boxes might be only an “interim thing.” He said the corporation’s public relations had been “a little insensitive” in not telling the public the colour would change. When telephone-boxes had been red for 90 years blue was “rather a change and people have to get used to that change.” After the Wizard repainted red the telephone-box at the corner of Worcester Street and Oxford Terrace, Telecom will

survey the public this week to see what colour is preferred. Mr Finn said Telecom in Christchurch had been investigating pay-phones and had planned to make a survey later. However, because public attention was on the telephoneboxes, the questioning would be done earlier. “We will ask them whether they like blue, green or yellow, the corporate colours, or red boxes. Blue is a very warm colour, but red is like a rag to a bull to some people.” Unfortunately for the Wizard, Telecom does not plan to be charitable over his attempt to bring about a colour change. Legal action will be taken against him, and he will be charged between $l5O and $2OO for the cost of repainting the box blue.

“It was a wee bit of fun to start with, and we would have been quite prepared to enter into the spirit of things if it had stopped at one,” said Mr Finn. “We thought of holding a public debate in Cathedral Square or were even going to offer the Wizard a red telephone box to preach from.” The Wizard repainted the telephone-box at the corner of Worcester and Oxford Terrace twice on Monday, and yesterday he repainted another by Hagley Park. Troops of Aif’s Imperial Army joined the battle by painting red the Victoria Square telephonebox. The Wizard said last evening he offered to repaint free of charge all the 550 telephoneboxes in Christchurch. “I am happy to keep the

inside blue ... they get their blue inside, we get the red outside and the white roof is a bonus for everybody.” He was “shocked and horrified” to hear Telecom planned to bill him up to $2OO for the repainting. The Canterbury Promotion Council has set up a fund to accept donations towards paying the cost of the repainting. “I feel confident we will get the money. There are closet heroes out there who can’t actually go out and paint them themselves.” The Wizard said the paintbrush war was now a matter of “tactical manoeuvres.” He would not say whether he planned to paint any more boxes today. “The big guys are watching me, and I am watching them.”