History Telephone Box

Tideswell Living History Group launched the Tideswell History Telephone on Friday 11th April 2014. This was the first time an unused iconic red telephone kiosk still in its original location had been turned into a permanent oral history audio heritage centre. Residents and visitors are able to dial-the-past to listen to Tideswell folk talking about village history using a specially adapted and free pay phone. The kiosk also features a gallery of archive photographs about the village. The rear of the kiosk features a specially written poem about using the phone to communicate in the days before mobiles and Twitter. The poem, called ‘An Ode T’ T’owd Phone Box’, was written by Dave Greenan and was the winner of a poetry competition in 2013.

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The oral history recordings and photographs have been collected by members of the living history group over the last two years as part of the Tideswell Tales project, a community-led history project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Peak District National Park Authority paid for the cost of refurbishing and cleaning the box through the Sustainable Development Fund.

Judy Cooke, Vice Chair of Tideswell Living History Group said “Funding has helped us to preserve the distinctive telephone kiosk in its original position in Fountain Square after the Parish Council bought it from BT for £1. In the days before mobile phones and before most people had landlines, this was one of the lifelines for residents to communicate in emergencies or get in touch with friends and family. The box is in a central location and has been part of Tideswell life for generations, with many stories to tell. It has been transformed to tell many more. We hope it will help residents rediscover their past and visitors to learn about the people’s history of Tideswell.” All calls are free and you can’t dial 999 for emergency services! Oral history and photographic displays will be changed regularly