The phonebox was first put up on The Green, in Tostock, in the 1930s, but in an age of mobile phones, it had become virtually redundant – and BT had threatened to remove it.

That prompted a letter-writing campaign as villagers tried to get a preservation order to save the kiosk.

Eventually, it was saved after BT asked the parish council if it wanted to adopt the phonebox for £1 late last year.

Now it has been lovingly restored – for free – by villager Walter Thompson.

"It is part of the street furniture. There are not many of them about," said Walter.

The 56-year-old decorator has only lived in the village 14 months, but said: "I just did it as a way of giving something back to the community.

"Several people have remarked on it. If you go round looking at these phoneboxes, some of them are in a terrible state."

He cleaned up the glass and repainted the box with red paint and the ER sign and crown in gold.

Among those appreciating his work is Jean Wheeler, 79, who has lived in the village since 1966.

Together with Reta Stevens, she ran the village stores and post office for 31 years until 1997, while Miss Wheeler was also clerk on the parish council for 24 years until 2001.

"The phonebox is a focal point in the village – it is on the centre of the village green," she said.

"That little area is known as the communication centre because it has got the telephone box, the post box and the village noticeboard."

She said the village had fought against the phonebox being replaced with an upgraded model in the 1980s.

In the same decade it featured in a Swedish TV programme, after Tostock was chosen to represent a typical English village.

"If it had of gone it would have been awful," said Miss Wheeler.

"Walter really has done a wonderful job. It is preserved for all prosperity – we hope."


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