'I've got an old fashioned telephone box in my garden…

'I've got an old fashioned telephone box in my garden complete with handset '

You do see them dotted about - the old red telephone boxes with their paned windows and bright colour scheme.

Often, these historic features are there because a town or village could not bear to be parted with their old-style phone box, at a time when BT was replacing them all with modern, yellow, silver and glass objects. Now, even these less attractive boxes are vanishing from our streets in a world where almost everyone has a phone in their pocket, that also does far more than one in a box would ever do, even if you did have enough change to use it.

But, even though we still have a smattering of the red phone boxes up and down Wales and the rest of the UK, look inside and you're unlikely to find anything capable of making a phone call. Rather, you might find library books, eggs for sale from the local farm, or simply nothing. You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.

That's not the case with one you will find in Gorseinon, Swansea. This one is not at the side of a road where it's always been, but in the garden of Roy Cleary, aged 76.

Roy Cleary's telephone box is on display in his front garden (John Myers)

Roy Cleary, 76, with his beloved telephone box (John Myers)

For the past thirty-five years, Roy has been collecting pre-1970s original parts for his telephone box, including an 'A' and 'B' button box which he bought at an antique fair in the Brangwyn Hall for £84. The original 'A' and 'B' phones were first introduced in 1925 but most were replaced by the 1970s.

Roy said that when he first purchased the telephone box all those years ago, it was in a 'ridiculous state' and seventy-two glass panes needed replacing, but his nostalgic item is now marvelled at by passers-by in Gorseinon with many interested locals asking to look inside it. He said he was gifted many of the telephone box parts by former Post Office workers. You can read more stories about Gorseinon here.

Roy has restored this telephone box with original parts (John Myers)

The 'A' and 'B' button box which Roy bought at an antique fair in the Brangwyn Hall for £84 (John Myers)

Roy 'on the phone' in his restored telephone box (John Myers)

Although some people might not understand his fascination with an old telephone box, it is the history behind this vintage item that is so important to Roy.

"I look at it differently to other people", he said, adding "I mean, that telephone box dates back to around 1936. It's gone through the war before there were mobiles or house phones. So I imagine the good news, the bad news and the people waiting to get in there. I can remember queuing outside telephone boxes when I was young. I can't imagine what's happened in that box over the years- it's got a lot of history."