Telephone Box Museum
643. Eliana Bailey
Eliana Bailey is the creator of one of the world’s smallest museums which displays artefacts and local history from her home town of Warley.
Eliana, who is also chair of Warley Community Association, has brought the community together to curate the newly opened museum which will change its exhibition every few months. It has attracted hundreds of visitors and caught the imagination of the media at home and abroad. The current exhibition explores Christmas in Warley.
In a personal letter to Eliana, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“Through Warley Community Association, you are uniting your community behind innovative local good causes. The phone box museum in particular is a tremendous way of showcasing Warley’s history.”
Eliana said:
“What do you do with a redundant telephone box? If you’re the Warley Community Association, you turn it into a working museum of local history. To receive this award is both thrilling and very humbling.
“I accept it on behalf of all our community members, who like me, constantly strive to maintain and improve all areas of our beautiful village of Warley.”