One of British Telecom’s (BT) old phone boxes (actual age unknown) in Udimore Road, Rye, has a new lease of life. However, it has not been taken over by Doctor Who and is not becoming the new Tardis (Time And Relative Dimension In Space) – although the 1960s police public call box which Doctor Who uses is often erratic and unreliable. Instead it is becoming a lifesaver – as Doctor Who often is – writes Charles Harkness. The box, given to the town by BT and recently repainted by the Town Steward, is to house a public access defibrillator as suggested by Rother Responders. The Responders are a first response team of volunteers, trained to respond to 999 calls together with the South East Coast Ambulance Service, covering Rye and surrounding villages. Their fundraising efforts have seen public defibrillators installed at a number of places to assist with treating heart attacks. Photo by Dan Lake.
