13th December 2024
Push button ‘A’ or ‘B’ are options in telephone box’s future
MORVAL resident Tim Whiteley and an organisation known as Looe Shedders have both expressed an interest in improving the look of the redundant telephone kiosk at Shortacross, Widegates.
No longer used as a telephone access point, the box is actually owned by Morval Parish Council but what to do with it remains an enigma.
During the Covid lockdown years it was deployed as a book and game-swap facility but its future is more difficult to assess.
Sadly, redundant red telephone boxes these days are two a-penny, so any re-sale value is probably low.
Parish councillors have noted that, in adverse weather conditions, the kiosk has been used as an impromptu bus shelter on the Torpoint to Looe/Liskeard route but they are at a lost to know what to do with it, long-term.
The immediate concern is that the facility is looking tatty and rather tired on the approach to Morval Parish, and that’s why the council appealed to members of the public for suggestions – and also contacted Looe Shedders (https://www.looeshedders.co.uk), a voluntary organisation of enthusiastic local folk who repair and restore items.
Keen and talented renovator Tim Whiteley, who lives at the top of Gellies Hill, Morval, is also understood to be interested in replacing the door of the kiosk (it was blown off in one of last winter’s violent storms) and the Shedders have said that they will consider giving it a coat of paint to spruce it up.
However, the Shedders, who are currently working on a ‘Playground Tractor’ for Trenode Church of England Primary school in Widegates, would be unlikely to do anything before next spring for several reasons.
Said Chris Roy, chairman of the Shedders (a non-profit Charitable Incorporated Organisation): “We will need some decent weather (to help you) as winter conditions tend to leave a lot of condensation on metalwork.
“Plus, we are also tied up trying to sort out the fall-out from the break-in to our storage units the other day (an incident which resulted in the theft of many essential power tools).
“But you are on our ‘to do’ list and I will get back to you when we have some availability, probably in the spring 2025.”
It was on November 30 that thieves broke into the Shedders’ base at St Martin’s Parish Church car park and stole a considerable amount of power tools.
“This means that we will struggle to complete our community projects, for which we now have quite a long waiting list,” said Mr Roy.
Looe Shedders is a local charity, formed with the aim of combatting loneliness and exclusion, while working for the benefit of our community.
It describes itself as ‘a force for good in the local community, sharing skills and helping others’… but, because of the theft, others have clearly done the helping on this occasion (happily, the Police are investigating).
“We meet on a regular basis to share experience and skills, and we co-operate on various community projects to benefit local schools and community groups,” said Mr Roy. “We also run a Repair Café, where local people can get items repaired free of charge.”
And he added: “We estimate that replacing (the stolen) tools and upgrading security at our site will cost around £2,000”.
In the meantime anyone who has suggestions of what the telephone kiosk could be used for is asked to contact Morval Parish Council clerk Laura Storey at: clerk@morvalparishcouncil.org.uk
IN his monthly report to Morval Parish Council, Police Community Support Officer Dave Billing said that two crimes (within Morval parish) were reported to the Police in November, one of criminal damage and one of theft. Both continue to be investigated.