The Zoopla property web site predicts house prices across the UK will fall by up to 5% this year (written early 2023), partly because of rising interest rates. 

Yet rural property prices have increased almost 21% in the past five years as more and more people seek to escape congested city life.

One of the benefits of country life is the chance to own one of England’s red phone boxes.

British Telecom is selling thousands of them for £1 each, but only in country areas.

The company says the sale is to mark the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the iconic boxes.

But it’s probably because most don’t work. British Telecom admits you can only call from 20,000 of the phone booths, down from more than 100,000 that worked three decades ago.

Many have been vandalised or allowed to fall into disrepair. I photographed this box near Polegate in Sussex which is unusable because brambles and blackberry vines block the door.

It’s likely most sold boxes will be used as libraries, mini museums or art galleries. But they will need to be cleaned because many offer distinctly rural aromas.  Another of the joys of country life.