THE POLICE BOX THAT TRAVELLED THROUGH TIME

DOCTOR Who’s Tardis (below, with current Doctor Jodie Whittaker) is recognised all over the world – and probably all over the galaxy.

The design was once familiar for a quite different reason – police boxes like these were common on British streets as a shelter for bobbies on the beat, and contained a phone so the public could call the force for assistance. The exterior of the Tardis has been modified over the years. The original version, used by

William hartnell from 1963, included a St John’s Ambulance logo on the righthand door, just like the real police boxes.

The interior, meanwhile, reflects a changing Britain. When the show launched in the ‘white heat of technology’ era of the 1960s, the console was sleek and minimalist. By the Peter Davison years of the early 1980s, the Tardis looked like a budget disco. And when Matt Smith became the youngest Doctor in 2010 the trend was ‘shabby chic’ – old typewriters, swivel chairs and other junk.