Phone box in village near Grantham transformed into Nativity scene

A hamlet of 22 homes that took ownership of its phone box six months ago hit upon a novel idea of bringing everyone together this Christmas while creating a spectacle for motorists.

The children of Alverton, near Bottesford, made characters for a nativity scene at the phone box, which has been remodelled into the stable scene.

Joseph, Mary, Jesus, the Three Kings, shepherds and an angel all occupy the phone box while sheep and donkeys are outside in a barn extension.

The phone box has been completed with a straw roof and a star twinkles above from a lamppost.

The Rev Liz Murray, priest-in-charge of East Stoke, Elston, Kilvington with Alverton, Staunton with Flawborough, Shelton, Sibthorpe and Syerston, blessed the phone box this week ready for Christmas.

Artist Tony Player, who has previoously used the phone box as a gallery, said: “It has been a whole village effort, particularly the children who made all the animals and the
characters.

“We have had the telephone box for six months and we lack really any focal point in the village such as a church.

“We wanted to do this really as a means of bringing everyone together, as well as giving passing cars something to see as they go by.”

Villagers hoped to gather on Main Street on Christmas Eve for socially-distanced carol singing.