Old phone box turned into a mini library

Villagers in the picturesque Cheshire village of Great Budworth are the latest to find a novel use for a redundant telephone kiosk – a mini library. The once dilapidated kiosk has been carefully restored to its former glory with parts sourced from a specialist restoration company in Surrey. The plastic windows have been replaced with glass, and the cast iron framework rubbed down and given a fresh coat of red paint.

Once the renovation work was complete the phone box was then lined with shelves and donated books, courtesy of local residents, are waiting for the readers. The project was spearheaded by local Councillor Lesley Hopkinson.

picturesque – festői
novel – új
redundant – felesleges
dilapidated – tönkrement, lepusztult
to restore – restaurálni
former glory – egykori dicsőség
to source from – beszerezni valahonnan
to replace – kicserélni
cast iron – öntöttvas
framework – szerkezet
to donate – adományozni
courtesy of – valakinek a jóvoltából
to spearhead – vezetni pl. csoportot, projektet 

Match the words with their definitions.

1. to restore

2. to spearhead

3. redundant

4. dilapidated

5. to donate

6. picturesque

a) to give something for free

b) nobody needs such an object any longer

c) very beautiful

d) to repair something so it looks like it used to

e) to lead a group

f) in a very bad state

Answers: 1-d 2-e 3-b 4-f 5-a 6-c

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Library staff have waived an £11,500 fine for a book that should have been returned an astonishing 79 years ago. The novel Master of Men was taken out from Leicester County Library in 1934 and never returned.

Keith Dolphin, 64, found the book during a house clearance and was amazed to see the library ticket still inside. The date it had to be returned by – May 28, 1934 – was printed on the ticket but no return stamp next to it. Leicestershire County Council said if they charged the maximum amount per day, the fine would be £11,534. However their current maximum late return fine is £7 – so they have decided to waive the mammoth charge. It is not known who originally took the book out from the library, which has since shut down.

Retired handyman Keith was born 15 years after the book, penned by local author Edward Phillips Oppenheim, was borrowed. He said: “I found the book in an old house that I was clearing out. I was helping a friend who said to me to help myself to anything I wanted. There were a few books and bits, so I took it. The chap who lived in the house is dead now. The book is so old but you can still read it. It has the library ticket in it and the dates it was loaned out. It was due back on May 28, 1934, so I can’t imagine what the fine is!”

A spokesman for Leicestershire County Council said they would not be chasing Keith, from Erdington, West Mids, for payment. He said: “If we charged the maximum amount per day that we could have done, the fine would have been GBP11,534. In reality, it’s a maximum late return fine of £7. We think this may well be the oldest book in our collection and we would be more than happy to have the book back. The novel tells the story of a vicar and his two daughters who move to a quiet country village. They later learn their neighbour holds secrets that will “change everything they thought to be real in their lives”.

Oppenheim was born in Leicester in 1866 and was a successful writer of romantic thrillers. His most renowned work was The Great Impersonation, which was later adapted for the silver screen.

Last year Professor John Foster, from Belfast, was spared a £8,577 fine after discovering a book that was 47 years overdue. A library in Australia had an edition of Charles Darwin’s Insectivorous Plants returned 122 years late in 2011 – but also waived the £23,900 fine.

to waive – elengedni (büntetést)
astonishing – megdöbbentő
house clearance – lomtalanítás
fine – pénzbírság, késedelmi díj
handyman – ezermester
to pen – írni (régies)
author – szerző
to help oneself to – elvinni vmit (fizetés nélkül)
chap – fickó
spokesman – szóvivő
to chase – üldözni
vicar – lelkész
renowned – ismert
to adapt – adaptációt készíteni
silver screen – tévé
overdue – lejárt (pl. számla, könyvtári könyv)

Find the synonyms!

1) astonishing
2) author
3) chap
4) renowned
5) silver screen

a) famous
b) television
c) writer
d) surprising
e) fellow

Answers: 1.d, 2.c, 3.e, 4.a, 5.b

Even in these digital times, taking a book to the beach remains one of the most popular holiday pastimes. Now a German architect has come up with a novel way of getting an extension.

Bulgaria’s Black Sea resort of Albena now boasts having its own beach library – with books ready to be read come rain or shine.

Herman Kompernas, the library’s architect and project manager, explained: “We found a material that is very resistant to sun and water. We also found a stabilisation method very quickly. We chose a sort of palette construction for under the library to make it very stable against the wind.”

The library’s stock of over 2,500 volumes in more than 10 languages is so far proving a hit, especially because all books on the shelves can be borrowed for free.

“I think there is a wide choice of books and authors. Also, the library is getting richer because of our guests who leave their own books when they go home for others to read,” said Yovka Strashilova, Albena’s deputy manager.

The special open-air library is made of material resistant to strong wind and extreme sun, and in rainy weather the books will be protected by vinyl, fastened with a zipper.

to remain– maradni, megmaradni
pastime – időtöltés
architect – építész
novel – szokatlan, újszerű
resort – üdülőhely
to boast – dicsekedni, hencegni
to explain – magyarázni, kifejteni
material  – anyag
resistant to  – valaminek ellenálló
stabilization  – állandósítás, stabilizáció
method – módszer
palette  – paletta
construction – építés, építkezés
stable – stabil, szilárd, tartós
stock – készlet, raktár
volume – kötet
so far – eddig
to prove – bizonyítani, bizonyulni
hit – siker
especially – különösen, különösképpen
to borrow – kölcsönvenni, kölcsönözni
for free – ingyenesen
a wide choice of – széles választék valamiből
author – szerző
deputy manager – igazgatóhelyettes
open-air – szabadtéri
vinyl – vinil, PVC (mű)anyag
to fasten with – megerősíteni, rögzíteni
zipper – cipzár

source: EuroNews