Take Five at the OMD Phonebox

Anyone who listened to music in the 1980s’ will have heard of the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The name was often shortened to OMD. Their hit single, Enola Gay, lead to them becoming famous throughout Europe with its anti war lyrics. Although OMD found success in the 1980s, the group was first formed in the late 1970s. The founding group members lived in and around Meols, a town on The Wirral, Merseyside. During the early years, the band would use a nearby public telephone to arrange their concert bookings.

The second single released by OMD is called Red Frame, White Light. The song is about the red public telephone box which they used in their early years. The telephone’s number, 632 3003, forms an integral part of the lyrics.

The telephone box was removed by BT early in 2017 as part of cost cutting and rationalisation. The use of public telephone boxes has declined dramatically over recent years thanks to the growth of mobile phones.

After the telephone box had been removed, a group of local OMD fans realised the importance of it. A campaign was launched. The telephone box was reinstated later in 2017, much to the fans delight. BT even donated a supply of the iconic red paint for the telephone box to be cleaned up.

Of course, the actual telephone line was not reconnected, but that is probably understandable.

The Wirral is home to a surprising range and number of points of interest. Why not stop off for a selfie at the OMD Phonebox sometime!