In 2009 a disused red phone box in a Somerset village was given a new lease of life and converted into a successful mini library.
ince then, over 5,800 red kiosks have been recycled in England; sold off and transformed into everything from book exchanges to tiny art galleries.
Red phone boxes aren’t just a throwback to simpler times when they were an essential form of communication for communities. They’re also a part of history and a significant cultural icon.
So, it’s a welcome move by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council to launch a new environmental project which would see the iconic boxes sold off for £1 and adopted for other uses including life-saving defibrillators or mini libraries.
The project is part of BT’s “Adopt a Kiosk” scheme and is a first for the council, aimed at converting at least six red kiosks across the district. But with around 160 of the traditional red kiosks still in existence in Northern Ireland, there’s a good chance other councils might follow suit.
Now that wouldn’t be out of order!