The red Telephone Box outside the Library, at the St Peter’s end of the High Street is Marlborough’s only Telephone Box still in operation. All others have been disconnected over recent years, and given ‘alternative’ uses such as becoming ‘flower boxes’ – as has the former box on the corner of Chopping Knife Lane and London Rd become. The Town Council want the Box by the Library to remain operational, and this ‘wish’ is supported by Wiltshire Council.
Why? Partly because it is the only way anyone – without a mobile phone, or when the mobile signal is down or unusable – is able to have communication to anywhere. But the main reason is because of the adjacent defibrillator unit on the wall of the Library. If that needed to be used and someone wanting to use it didn’t have a mobile, or access to one they would need to call ‘999’ for an ambulance. And this Telephone Box would be the only opportunity, so in such circumstances it could be a life-saver.
If it to remain it will need some ‘maintenance’. As Cllr Mervyn Hall pointed out, it is in ‘poor’ condition with the bottom of the door falling apart. And it needs a coat of paint.
If however BT decide that it has to go, then the Town Council will ‘adopt’ the Telephone Box, which we understand means take ownership of it.
But hopefully it will remain as an active Telephone box. BT’s reasoning for it’s closure was lack of use, so to counter that trhere needs to be more calls made form the box so if we all want to keep this working, let’s go down to the Library and make some phone calls…..
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