Scotland’s smallest book exchange in an old red phone box

Jan 15 2010 Perthshire Advertiser Friday

WHAT will arguably be Scotland's smallest book exchange is set to open at Kinnesswood – in the village's red phone box!

The Main Street kiosk in Kinross-shire had been earmarked for possible removal due to under-use, but a successful Portmoak Community Council application to BT's Adopt a Kiosk scheme means the phone box has been given a new lease of life.

Kinnesswood Garage proprietor, David Buchan, whose partner, Ishbel Wallace, laid the initial adoption groundwork, said the plan was now to display books for community borrowing in the defunct phone box.

“The old phone box is part of the village's heritage, it's been there since I was a wee laddie, and we really wanted to keep it there,” Mr Buchan said.

“The book exchange idea was hatched more recently but we're hoping it will be a successful venture.”

While escalating mobile phone use has been rendering public payphones obsolete since the late 1990s, that does not necessarily mean the iconic red K6 or Jubilee kiosks, first introduced in 1936, are unloved.

Under BT's Adopt a Kiosk scheme, expanded across Scotland in August last year, there are presently more than 600 red kiosks available for adoption in Scotland, including 62 in Perth and Kinross. An application to adopt a phone box in Abernyte is currently pending.

If an application – submitted via community groups or local authorities – is approved following municipal consultation, BT then charges a nominal £1 to remove the telephone apparatus and surrenders kiosk ownership to the local community.

While some boxes are simply retained as focal points, others have found a new purpose. Examples include a mini art gallery, fruit and veg swap shop, tourist information centre and even the UK's smallest library.

BT Scotland spokeswoman, Anna Steven, said payphone use had halved during the past two years with more than 58 per cent of payphones unprofitable and about 10 per cent used only once a month.

Since BT started “thinning out” redundant phone boxes in 2003, the total number of street payphones in Scotland has dropped from more than 10,000 to 5480.

“It costs us on average £800 a year to maintain a kiosk and considerably more in regional areas,” she said.

“While we have no plans to remove any more kiosks in Scotland at the moment, that could happen in the future but would obviously involve public consultation.”

Portmoak Community Council member, Charles Weedon, said the council members had agreed that retaining Kinnesswood’s vintage phone box was a worthy project.

“It's our only phone box and of course no-one was really using it anymore but we decided we wanted to keep it there on Main Street as it's an iconic part of our village landscape,” he said.

“And now instead of people taking their used books to charity shops, they can deposit them at the phone box.”

The following phone boxes, at various locations around Perth and Kinross, are available for adoption under BT’s Adopt a Kiosk scheme. For more details, including a kiosk checker and application forms, visit the BT Payphones website at www.payphones.bt.com

l Moness Cres, Aberfeldy.

l Nethermill Cottages, Aberargie.

l Isla View, New Alyth.

l Main Road, Aberuthven.

l Feus, Auchterarder.

l Clathy Village.

l Kinkell Bridge, Auchterarder.

l Calvine, Pitlochry.

l Bridge of Tilt, Pitlochry.

l Saucher.

l Mercat Green, Kinrossie.

l Main Road, Guildtown.

l Cleish Hills, Kinross.

l Blairinroar, Comrie.

l Barrack Road, Comrie.

l Monument Road, Comrie.

l Bendochy, Blairgowrie.

l Weem, Aberfeldy.

l Keltneyburn, Aberfeldy.

l Inver, Dunkeld.

l Willowbank, Birnam, Dunkeld.

l Butterstone, Dunkeld.

l Forteviot.

l Aberdalgie.

l Fowlis Wester.

l Buchanty, Glenalmond.

l Madderty.

l Carnbo

l Powmill Gift Shop, Rumbling Bridge.

l Greenbank Road, Glenfarg.

l Lawers, Aberfeldy.

l Baledgarno, Inchture.

l Rait.

l Kinnaird, Inchture.

l Milton, Ardtalnaig.

l The Square, Kenmore.

l Acharn, Aberfeldy.

l Killiecrankie.

l Fincastle.

l Longforgan.

l Glenalmond College, Glenalmond.

l Main Street, Almondbank.

l Harrietfield.

l The Gushat, Strathtay.

l Balnaguard.

l Blacklunans.

l Ballintuim.

l Bridge Of Cally.

l Main Sreett, Enochdhu.

l Glenshee.

l Muirton, Auchterarder.

l East Haugh, Donavourd.

l Dall, Rannoch.

l Kinlochrannoch, Dunalastair.

l Bridge Of Gaur, Rannoch.

l Forneth.

l Essendy Road, Blairgowrie.

l Clunie.

l Meikleour.

l The Green, Spittalfield.

l Murthly.

l Airntully Farm, Stanley.