Adapted from an email 

God's Golden Phone

An American photographer on holiday was inside a parish church in London taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read '£1,000 per call'.

The man being intrigued asked the priest what the telephone was for. The priest replied "it's a direct line to heaven and that for £1,000 you can talk to God".

The man thanked the priest and went on his way.

Next stop was Watford where he went into another parish church and saw another golden telephone with the same sign under it.

He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he'd seen in London and so asked a nearby Nun.  "Yes",  she told him, "it's a direct line to heaven and that for £1,000 you can talk to God".

He then travelled to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Wigan and in every church he saw the same golden telephone with the same '£1,000 per call' sign under it.

Eventually he arrived in Widnes . In the first parish church he entered, there was the same golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read '50 pence per call.'

The American was surprised so he asked the priest about the sign. 'Father, I've travelled all over Britain and I've seen this same golden telephone in many churches. I'm told that it is a direct line to heaven, but in them all the price was £1,000 per call. Why is it so cheap here?'

The priest smiled and answered, 'You are in Widnes now my friend ... it's a local call.'