Old city telephone box becomes a book exchange

The Parklands Book Exchange, in Parklands, Chichester, is said to be already proving popular after starting around two weeks ago - though the people behind the community venture appear to be unknown.

Staff at Stephens Pharmacy, next to it in the parade of shops, said they saw three women and their children setting it up earlier this month but were unsure exactly who they were.

They added that customers had already spoken of enjoying swapping their old books for ones they hadn’t yet read which they had found stacked inside.

‘I think it’s a brilliant idea,’ said Victoria Tucker, who lives nearby.

‘I’m forever telling my kids how great reading is, and sharing books is part of the fun.

‘We do it a lot at work and they do it in Bosham and at Homebase.’

A telephone box in Bosham has been used as a book exchange for several years and there is also something similar in Oving.

There is no evidence of exactly who set up the Parklands Book Exchange inside the telephone box, only a note which reads: ‘This is a lovely, wacky, original idea, well done!’