Phone boxes like you have never seen before

How do you follow cows, elephants and eggs?  With phone boxes of course!

'My Friends and  Me' by Steven Gregory

London has just been given a new sport, find the brightly decorated phone box.  

BT have launched the ArtBox project to mark the 25^th anniversary of Childline and a selection of the boxes will be auctioned by Sotheby’s at the National Portrait Gallery on July 18.

'Ted's Ding a Bling' by Ted Baker

In Covent Garden on Monday, people were intrigued by
the boxes when they first appeared

Childline is a charity which was inspired by Esther Rantzen in 1986 to help give a voice to vulnerable children.  Since then millions of children with concerns ranging from bullying to sexual abuse, have had safe place to turn to and receive confidential advice and support.

Esther Rantzen on Box Lounger by Benjamin Shine. Photo: Daily Mail

The iconic red phone boxes, known by experts as the K6, were designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935.  They have now been replaced by a more modern design, but still have a place in the hearts of the British public who eagerly have bought the old boxes and you will find them in the strangest of places.

This year BT has asked some of our very best creative minds to design a replica to be displayed on the streets of London.

Over 80 boxes range from Nowhere to Hide by David White, to Peekaboo by Cosmo Sarson, Londontotem by Rian Hughes and Big Ben by Mandii Pope.

Sir Peter Blake has chosen to cover his artwork with 400,000 Swarovski crystals and named it "a celebration of Britishness in 2012". This one has been appropriately placed in the 'bling' surroundings of New Bond Street.

The project follows the popular Faberge eggs which appeared over London last year and the adorable family of elephants the year before, which started a contest between Londoners to see how many they could find.  This was all in aid of the Elephant Family, who work to highlight the plight of the Asian elephant

Setting up on a wet May morning by County Hall

Can I come home with you?  I'm wet and lost!

Yes, that is a Nun sprinting along the Southbank!

We were taking part in a charity 'Nun Run' in aid of Barnados,
organised by the production company of the show 'Sister Act'

In 2002 London was treated to Cow Parade, 150 brightly painted cows which managed to raise over £300,000 at auction for Childline.

Full details at www.btartbox.com