The PhoneBoox book exchange

In my local village there sits a lonely classic old red Phonebox. With the age of mobile phones in full swing, you can imagine it is seldom used - except maybe as a game for groups of kids to come and smash the windows in one a month. Perfectly located at the end of a quiet(ish) high street with the bonus of two benches next to it, the local newsagents opposite and a park just down the road, it actually makes for a good place for all ages to hang out... and they do often.

With the recent threat of library closures in the UK, what better way to restore these icons of England's past with a rejuvenating revamp? With nothing planned on a Saturday, the idea came at about 10am. Past experience told me that projects like these can be forgotten in a flash if action isn't immediately taken so, with lessons learned I set to work. By 11am, I had location and interior photos along with some basic measurements. 12pm came, and I had set-up a workbench in the garden with makeshift shelves already cut. 1pm; the shelves had been painted and while waiting for them to dry I had the idea of making some book-ends out of the left-over ply. 2pm saw me scrounging around for books that were ultimately waiting for a new home or headed for the charity shop.

Back at the Phonebox - kids watching closely - I got on with its installation and finished off by writing a message to encourage good use; and put a poster up on the local notice board.

I guess the point is you don't have to 'be' anything to make things happen. I'm not a designer, I'm not a bookworm and I'm not a carpenter. I just had an idea, and without really caring whether it would be 'a success' - more just wanting to see what would happen - I got on with it.

Its been a hit with friends bringing comments like "the Banksy of the carpentry world!" and offers of fresh books are still rolling in. That is exactly what I like so much about it; Socially Beneficial Creative Vandalism. Manifestation to deployment in one lazy Saturday afternoon.

Introducing 'The PhoneBoox'

(The PhoneBoox book exchange is located in Horsley, Surrey, UK and is open to all...)