The TARDIS-type police box specially made for Bournemouth is to be opened on Tuesday 8th April, Dorset Police has announced.

The steel box is to be installed at the western end of Boscombe precinct in Christchurch Road, with the official opening ceremony taking place at 11.30am in front of local dignitaries plus businessmen and women as well as the community.

Sgt Chris Amey, Boscombe Partnership and Regeneration officer, said: The opening will be followed by a family fun day between midday and 4pm, to be held at the precinct marquee and led by Creative Kids, with free activities and entertainment organised, including a bouncy castle, face painting, music and games.

It has not been announced who will perform the opening honours.

The design - by James Roberts of Christchurch-based architect and design practice Anders Roberts Cheer - has been based on the iconic 1929 version created for the Metropolitan Police by Gilbert Mackenzie Trench. The box has been built by AMK Industries, also of Christchurch, and been funded by local firms and organisations via donations or services, either free or at a significantly reduced cost. The sponsors are to be recognised with an engraved paving stone at the foot of the police box.

The new box will be regularly staffed during the day by police officers and police community support officers, who will offer help, advice and support to members of the public. A phone will be attached to the police box for people to use to contact the police at other times.

Dorset Police says that as well as serving an important policing purpose it is hoped that the police box will become an iconic landmark, creating tourism opportunities.

Inspector Chris Weeks, who is responsible for the Bournemouth East neighbourhood, said: Sgt Amey added: Two pictures showing work nearing completion were tweeted by Dorset Police two days ago with the hashtag #BoscombePoliceBox, and they can be seen below. Click here and here for the tweets.


UPDATE - 30th MARCH: A picture tweeted by Dorset Police on 28th March shows the police box on the move ahead of its grand opening.


UPDATE - 1st APRIL: And here's a picture tweeted by Dorset Police yesterday, showing the box with what looks to be a fresh coat of paint.

Pictures of the TARDIS-style police box bound for Bournemouth have been tweeted by the Dorset force as the construction moves closer to its spring installation.

As previously reported, the TARDIS-style box is being put up to combat crime and anti-social behaviour as well as act as a tourist attraction for the south coast resort, and a picture tweeted at the time showed its basic frame.

Now, though, pictures have been released showing its unmistakeable "TARDIS" look, which comes from the iconic 1929 design created by Gilbert Mackenzie Trench for the Metropolitan Police.

The first image, tweeted on 14th March, shows the steel box ready for galvanising, while the second one, tweeted on 17th March, shows it being moved on a fork-lift truck for the next stage of its build.

Once finished, the police box will be installed at the western end of the precinct in Christchurch Road, Boscombe, where it will be manned throughout the day. It will also have a phone attached to it via which the public will be able to contact the police at other times.

Weighing more than two tonnes, it is three metres high by 1.8 metres wide. It has been paid for by local businesses and organisations and is being built by AMK Industries of Christchurch, Dorset, having been designed by James Roberts at the Christchurch-based architect and design practice of Anders Roberts Cheer.

A TARDIS-style police box aimed at cutting crime and anti-social behaviour in Bournemouth as well as acting as a tourist attraction is nearing completion.

As previously reported, police in Boscombe wanted to reintroduce police boxes, and a councillor has been calling for their return for a number of years. Now it is soon to become a reality, with Dorset Police saying a box will be up and running at the western end of the precinct in Christchurch Road this spring.

The police box will be regularly staffed during the day, offering help, advice and support. In addition, it will have a yellow phone attached to it via which the public can contact police at other times.

Based on the classic look that was created for the Metropolitan Police by Gilbert Mackenzie Trench in 1929, the steel box has been designed by James Roberts at Christchurch-based architect and design practice Anders Roberts Cheer. It will weigh more than two tonnes and be three metres high by 1.8 metres wide. The box is being built by AMK Industries, also of Christchurch, and has been paid for by local businesses and organisations.

Inspector Chris Weeks, whose policing responsibilities include the Bournemouth East neighbourhood, said: Boscombe Regeneration Partnership officer Sgt Chris Amey added: Jane Kelly, the cabinet member for partnerships and regeneration at Bournemouth Borough Council, said: Once a widespread sight in Britain, police boxes started being phased out in the 1960s with the rise of personal radios within the police force. Currently, the only other operational "Mackenzie Trench" police box in the UK is at Earl's Court in London, having been installed there in 1996.

The progress of the Boscombe police box can be checked by following Dorset Police on Twitter - hashtag #boscombepolicebox - and by visiting Dorset Police's Facebook page.

Karen Gillan has posted online one of the first pictures of herself and Matt Smith in costume as Amy Pond and the Doctor - taken at their initial camera test.

The actress shared the image via Twitter on Tuesday, saying: "1st pic of Matt and I [sic] in character was released 4 yrs ago today [sic], but, I have the real one..from the 1st camera test".

Having already appeared in the show as a soothsayer in The Fires of Pompeii in April 2008, Gillan made her debut as Amy two years later in The Eleventh Hour on 3rd April 2010.

On 17th February 2010, the BBC released a montage shot featuring the duo to promote the start of Series 5, as reported by Doctor Who News, with the world having been given its first look at Gillan and Smith in costume seven months earlier, when an official image was released as filming began on the series - also reported by Doctor Who News.

It is currently unknown when exactly the test photo - shown below - was taken.

The Fifth Estate:

The film The Fifth Estate is due out on Blu-ray and DVD next Monday (17th February); the story follows the events surrounding WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, as played by Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch, and also features new Doctor Peter Capaldi as Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger. Grapevine have kindly sent us some photos of Capaldi in his role:



We have two copies of the film on DVD to give away, courtesy of Grapevine; to be in with a chance to win please answer the following question:
Send your answers to comp-fifthestate@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Was Wikileaks an Omnishambles?", along with your name, address and where you read about the competition. Only one entry per postal address will be accepted. The competition is open to readers in the United Kingdom only, and the closing date is 28th February 2014.

Not Another Happy Ending:

Former TARDIS traveller Karen Gillan's first film, Not Another Happy Ending, is out this week, and Organic have kindly provided us with a few video clips of the actress in action:


Recently in an interview with MSN, she revealed the romantic comedies that she watched to prep for her role:


We have two film posters signed by Karen Gillan to give away, courtesy of Organic; to be in with a chance to win please answer the following question:
Send your answers to comp-nahe@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Blink and you'll miss her", along with your name, address and where you read about the competition. Only one entry per postal address will be accepted. The competition is open to readers in the United Kingdom only, and the closing date is 28th February 2014.

Ever since it was established in 1996, the police box at Earl's Court has been an attraction for visitors to London - not to mention Doctor Who fans, able to have their photo taken next to the "TARDIS". But little have they known how close they really were ... click on the double chevron when directions are shown on the map below for all to be revealed ...

The annual Maize Maze from YorkMazes Ltd has been unveiled this weekend, with sixth Doctor Colin Baker on hand to open the special Doctor Who-themed maze, which this year celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the series. The maze, shaped in the form of a Dalek and featuring the likenesses of William Hartnell and Matt Smith is over 1,000 feet long, and contains some 6 miles of pathways.

Baker, who had just encountered the Daleks in the field upon his 'arrival', wrly observed:

There will also be a special sci-fi day at the site on the 27th July - see the website for more details.


A report and video of the opening with Colin can be found on the BBC News website.

Jenna-Louise Coleman was one of the people honoured to speak to the Queen during a visit by the Monarch to the BBC's new Broadcasting House, which she officially opened today. After passing by the resident Dalek, the Queen was then introduced to the actress - next to the TARDIS!

Coleman later spoke to BBC News about her experience:
And did she ask who the next Doctor might be?
The full interview with BBC News can be watched in the United Kingdom via their website.

This week's edition of children's comic The Beano includes a reprint of the 1981 summer special seen at the beginning of The Rings of Akhaten.

Publisher DC Thomson said it had been swamped with requests for the 32-year-old 32-page special after it was used by the Doctor to hide behind while he spied on Clara's parents-to-be.

In addition, the cover of the new issue - published today - shows Beano character Dennis The Menace catapulting a Dalek over a fence as his canine sidekick Gnasher exclaims "Gnexterminate!" Meanwhile, a caricature of Matt Smith as the Doctor views the mischief from the masthead.

Editor-in-chief Mike Stirling said:

Campaigners are renewing their efforts to save film studios that have close links to Doctor Who.

Bray Studios, near Maidenhead in Berkshire, are probably most famous for the Hammer horror films that were made there, including some starring Peter Cushing, but they have also hosted TV work as well as band rehearsals.

Doctor Who used the facilities for six stories between 1972 and 1979 - namely, Frontier In Space, The Invisible Enemy, Underworld, The Invasion of Time, The Power of Kroll, and City of Death - and the studios were also used by Gerry Anderson for his shows.

The now-dilapidated site, owned by showbusiness agent Neville Hendricks, is set to be turned into seven executive homes but the Save Bray Studios campaign, headed by Robert Simpson, aims to halt the bulldozers in their tracks.

Mr Simpson told Doctor Who News: An online petition has been launched, which can be signed here.