Gallus Glasgow T: the Tardis

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Hands up the Doctor Who fans! Ok, so you know about the Tardis then – an old, blue Police Box which is bigger inside than out. At one time there used to be over 300 in Glasgow, allowing officers to keep in touch with their stations and access first-aid boxes. At least one of the handful remaining is now in use as a coffee shop, though, sadly, when I looked inside the interior was just as tiny as the outside.

London Road
Botanic Gardens
Buchanan Street
Cathedral Square
University of Strathclyde

However, Glasgow does have a Doctor Who connection. Look at the box in the bottom right picture which, I’m sure you’ll have noticed, isn’t real. It’s part of a University of Strathclyde mural (see the previous post on Street Art for more) and is there because the University Archives hold the papers of Verity Lambert, founding producer of Doctor Who in 1963. I’m old enough to remember watching the first episode. I was six and we’d only recently got a television so I didn’t have much to compare it with, but I was entranced.

U tomorrow, in which we take shelter from the rain.

A to Z Challenge 2015, Scotland, UK , ,

55 Comments »

  2. I was terrified by Dr Who as a child; but watched it anyway (usually from behind the settee). In those days NZ only had one channel and I guess we would have watched anything however good, bad, or scary. Some kindly relative in Scotland sent my brother and I toy Daleks, which was precisely what made Dr Who so frightening. Don’t know what happened to them, but I’d love to have one now. Thanks for spurring my trip down memory lane 🙂

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  3. Very interesting use as a coffee shop. Wonder how they manage that. On second thought it probable works well enough. Just like the truck they use here in NYC for a hot dog stands maybe. Interesting.

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  5. Yay, the Tardis! I was a Tom Baker fan back in the day. I’ve watched some of the newer ones, but not recently. I thought Christopher Eccleston did a great job, and was sad to see him only do it for one season.

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  7. I always thought policemen looked very mysterious when they disappeared into one of those boxes. I remember the first DrWho too and hiding behind the settee when the darkeks appeared.

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  9. My family was living overseas when Dr. Who first hit the screen, but my sisters used to watch it late at night when we were finally back in Canada. Unfortunately, I’m a morning person, and every single time I tried to watch with them, I’d drift off within the first fifteen minutes. It was so frustrating!

    When the newer series came along–in prime time–I was finally able to watch. Love the show. My goal is to catch up on all the old ones on Netflix.

    And my other goal is to build a Tardis. That will probably take a wee bit longer.

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  12. Totally Fangirling right now, had my photo taken next to the one in Scarborough last summer might have to come to Glasgow just to get one next to this one 😀

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  13. T-t-TaRdIs!!!! I wonder how many people have actually walked into those things in hopes of finding the Doctor in there. Seriously,some people take things a little too far. btw, I’m sharing this on FB with my kids–they LOVE Dr. Who!

    Elizabeth Mueller
    AtoZ 2015
    My Little Pony

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  14. *raises hand* We’re all big fans in this household. My favourite used to be Tom Baker, until David Tennant came along. Another great post 🙂

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  16. They’re lovely. I’d love to operate a coffee inside that 🙂
    I’ve never watched Doctor Who, but a lot of people on the challenge (a lot of people in general, actually) talk a lot about it. I have to give in and watch at least a few episodes.
    I know there are episodes set in dieselpunk era (1920s-1950s), any educated suggestion? 🙂

    @JazzFeathers
    The Old Shelter – Roaring TWenties

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  17. I saw these boxes on another site I visited and had no idea what they were used for so thanks for letting us know! I think that is a smart idea for back in the day. I am not a Dr. Who fan but I do remember watching it with Tom Baker and those Daleks

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  19. I have both hands in the air. I’m such a fan, and the quirkier the episode the better. I’d be tempted to check inside those blue boxes every time I encountered one.

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    • I’m not sure about St Enoch’s – the one in the picture being used to sell coffee is in Great Western Road at the Botanics. It’s not open all the time – that was during a festival a few months ago and it has shut up shop again now.

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  22. I was quite excited to find one on my last visit. Sadly, no one else in my family was interested, though they kindly put up with me and watched the first episode. My cousin taught Peter Capaldi which is my two degrees of separation to the Doctor!

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  23. I have never watched Dr. Who, but the idea of a Tardis has always made me curious. Wonderful mural! And it’d be cool to see one in person.

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