Ringing the changes: phone box becomes mini-library
Gnosall was set to lose its last traditional red phone box on the High Street when the Best Kept Village team purchased the box from BT for just £1! The box was lovingly restored in its heritage poppy-red colour, shelves were installed and a lock put on the door.
Today, the small but perfectly-formed BKV Book Swap Shop is doing a brisk trade. Villagers were bringing in thrillers, romances and best seller paper backs, leaving them on the shelves and choosing another book to take home. Young readers were hunting through the growing children's box of books.
The Swap Shop is open every day from dawn until dusk. There is a regular check on it to see if some titles are not moving. These will be shipped on to a charity shop to keep our Swap Shop collection fresh.
David Clarke, from the BKV Team, said ' We had lots of suggestions for our phone box, including a flower display, a toilet, a newspaper stand and even a single barrel pub, however, the BKV Book Swap Shop won the vote!'