A RED phone box book and plant swap concept is a welcome addition to the community - and has had donations received from as far as Scotland.

In a joint collaboration between David Pass and his partner Annie, who run the Refill Station in Hexham, and Pixie Jewels, who runs Plant Swap Hexham, they bought the red phone box on Hencotes from Allendale Forge Studios last Summer for £1.

Allendale Forge Studios helped to pay for the phone box's refurbishment.

And as of last week, the phone box now has had shelves installed and is now operating. David said: “We’ve held off just because of Covid-19, so we’ve only just started with everything relaxing to actually start letting people use it.”

Pixie said the response to the concept has been huge, and they have received many book donations, including from people from Scotland.

A variety of books are on the offer.

“People just love the idea,” she said.

Plants are also going to be soon added to the booth.

Book swap concepts like this are often built on trust.

Pixie said: “It’s not really exactly easy to lock because it’s a metal frame so, and also we don’t really want to have to be committed to locking it and unlocking it every day.

“And also, it kind of prohibits people out in the evening as well, just passing by.”

Pixie explained that they decided to focus it as a book and plant swap: “There’s loads of good Facebook groups for swapping stuff so we didn’t want it to become a dumping ground of just everything.”

Another book swap concept will soon be coming to Acomb, and will be placed outside their village hall.