K6 Rescue
In 2015 Dronfield Civic Society purchased two K6 telephone boxes from BT for £1 each. Just before a third kiosk near Holmesdale shops was about to be removed, we rescued that one too. The boxes were in an extremely neglected state. Then began the hard work to remove layers of flaking old paint, fit new glazing panels and the finishing touch was to repaint the kiosk including the gold crown. The K6, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, represents a quintessential part of British history, so we felt it was important to preserve the kiosks initially as items of street furniture. The kiosks were kept locked but we installed an information panel about the history of the K6 including such details as where the kiosks were made which could be read from the outside. In other areas of the country we had seen old telephone boxes being given alternative uses such as mini libraries, art galleries, greenhouses, cake boxes and places for defibrillators. We decided to turn ours into Book Exchanges.
