A phone box in Debenham gives villagers the chance to ‘dial up the past’. 

Residents of Debenham can now visit the red phone box outside Palfrey and Hall butchery, and listen to the 1953 coronation memories of local people in their own words. 

This is an ambitious project which was undertaken by local sound artist, Mike Challis.  

“It uses the idea of a phone box to ‘dial up the past,’” explained Mr Challis. 

"It is exciting to think that visitors can find out more about the village and its people by listening to their voices telling their tales. It is a wonderful archive detailing recent and not so recent history. 

“There are memories from the village street, at the primary school. Then there are people from further afield who now live here now.” 

There are 12 recollections of the coronation altogether. There are also the recollections of village ‘characters’ collected for Mr Challis’s ‘Half My Life Ago’ project from 2010. 

People from all walks of life were interviewed for this project, from older people down to children at Sir Robert Hitcham CEVA Primary School. 

“I have recorded eight-year-olds talking about things that happened when they were four, which of course for them was a long time ago. 

“There are quite a few people who have sadly died in the last 12 years, but they have left a wonderful legacy.” 

Among the coronation memories is a recording from a man who was just seven when Elizabeth II was crowned Queen.  

“He kept trying to watch the coronation on the television, but his mother told him to go outside and play,” said Mr Challis. 

“She told him, you might see another one of these, but I won’t!”