Old Hurst is a tiny village in Huntingdonshire with a huge community spirit.

Member of Old Hurst Parish Council, Carolyn Bussetil explained that there is an Old Book Exchange in the village, which was previously one of the old red telephone boxes.

Carolyn said: “The red telephone box, I think the parish council bought it for a pound, quite a few years ago.

The Hunts Post: Old Book exchange in Old Hurst.Old Book exchange in Old Hurst. (Image: Carolyn Bussetil)

“They took out the actual phone and they came up with the book exchange idea, which has been running very successfully for a few years now.

“We had it refurbished, strip painted inside and out and then Nick Thomas and his friend Michael McKay had some shelves made and fitted."

Carolyn also explained that she is a chairperson of the village hall committee and even though they don’t have a village hall at the moment, they will be holding a fundraising event to raise the money to buy a piece of land to build a new one.

Carolyn also explained that lots of things happened in the community during the pandemic and people pulled together.

Carolyn said: “We belong to the Old Hurst church as well, so there is a couple in the village who are named on the church list, and then people can contact them to get prescriptions and that sort of thing.

The Hunts Post: VE Day in Old Hurst 2020.VE Day in Old Hurst 2020. (Image: Carolyn Bussetil)

“A lot of us have been doing shopping for older people in the village, so we have got our own little groups of people and we just say to them, go to them if you need anything."

The Hunts Post: VE Day in Old Hurst 2020VE Day in Old Hurst 2020 (Image: Carolyn Bussetil)

"Our village also does a regular litter pick and last year on VE Day, people celebrated in the village by dressing up the front of their houses."

The Hunts Post: In 2019 Johnson's of Old Hurst opened a new reptile house and Andy Johnson, owner of Johnson's of Old Hurst, cut the ribbon to officially open it. Helped by conservationist and friend Ken Sims, who holds an honorary fellowship from the Zoological Society of London.In 2019 Johnson's of Old Hurst opened a new reptile house and Andy Johnson, owner of Johnson's of Old Hurst, cut the ribbon to officially open it. Helped by conservationist and friend Ken Sims, who holds an honorary fellowship from the Zoological Society of London. (Image: Archant)

In 2019 Johnson’s of Old Hurst opened a new reptile house and Andy Johnson, owner of Johnson's of Old Hurst, cut the ribbon to officially open it.

Helped by conservationist and friend Ken Sims, who holds an honorary fellowship from the Zoological Society of London.

The reptile house is home to Mr Johnson's collection of 15 crocodiles and alligators, which includes the critically endangered Siamese crocodile.