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Thurne: Tourist information office opens in telephone box

Martin Giles/BBC John Packman outside a red phonebox in ThurneMartin Giles/BBC
John Packman said The Broads Authority was used to doing "quirky" things

A decommissioned phone box has been transformed into a tiny visitor information centre after it was purchased for £1.

The Broads Authority bought the disused kiosk in Thurne, Norfolk, as no alternative use could be found for it.

Chief executive John Packman said: "It's in such a marvellous location, this is the epitome of what The Broads is all about."

The booth features a "wind-up" audio player - where birdsong can be heard - which visitors can use to identify species found in the area.

Mike Liggins/BBC A visitor information centre in a red phonebox on the Norfolk BroadsMike Liggins/BBC
"Broads Information” is written on the glass panels of the decommissioned phone box in Thurne

Mr Packman added: "This struck me as a really wonderful idea.

"Having something here for our visitors so they can understand a bit more about what the Broads National Park has to offer and a bit more about the wildlife, which is one of the special qualities of The Broads.

"It seemed too good an opportunity to miss.

"I think it's the sort of thing that kids will just love, it's the visitors of the future, it's the local children, those are the people we really want to enjoy it."

Mike Liggins/BBC A red phone box in Thurne, NorfolkMike Liggins/BBC
The phone box has been restored and stands in Thurne village, a beauty spot in The Broads near Acle

The phone box, thought to be more than 50 years old, was restored using the correct period colours. All 72 panes of glass were replaced.

It was offered to the Broads Authority after British Telecom (BT) said it could no longer identify an alternative use for it.

It was restored with money from Experience from the European Regional Development Fund, through Norfolk County Council.

Mike Liggins/BBC John Pond David Sturdy and John Wallace, standing outside a red phonebox in Thurne, NorfolkMike Liggins/BBC
Visitors to The Broads enjoyed trying out the attraction

The authority said: "Iconic red K6 telephone boxes have been adapted for many different community uses including defibrillators, libraries, and mini-shops.

"It is believed that Thurne information centre with its audio player is the first of its kind, possibly claiming the title of the smallest National Park information centre in the world."

Mike Liggins/BBC The insides of a red phone box in Thurne, NorfolkMike Liggins/BBC
The visitor information centre featuring a sustainably powered ‘wind-up’ audio player, where visitors can listen to birdsong

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