Mar 28, 2024, 08:45 am

News:

New, New TardisBuilders!


Crich photos

Started by chriskingbees, Jun 26, 2009, 01:40 pm

Previous topic - Next topic

dr hue

Aug 18, 2019, 07:48 pm #120 Last Edit: Aug 18, 2019, 08:06 pm by dr hue
Found a photo I took in 1985.

Didn't know about Crich Box until I watched the original transmission of the Derbyshire episode of Treasure Hunt with Anneka Rice ( and Kenneth Kendall the news reader whose voice was used in the voice synthesizer of the BBC Micro )  which was transmitted on the 14th March 1985 on Channel 4 (UK)

OMG I thought, there's a Police Box at that museum!

I had a video recorder then but didn't tape the show and it wasn't repeated - was that really a Box?

I hadn't noticed the 7:45 one only the 10:21 shot.

- I dashed up there a few days later.

I've just found this single print, haven't found the negs yet.

crich_001-2k-s-jpg.jpg



And have found the episode on line:

Series 3 episode 12: 1985 - Skyrunner: Anneka Rice; Host: Kenneth Kendall; Adjudicator: Wincey Willis



7 mins 45 seconds:
crich-pb-7-45-jpg.jpg

10 mins 21 seconds in:
crich-th-10_21-jpg.jpg

Clue 1    Where Stephenson made tracks, your quarry - via a moving reminder of old Paisley - is waiting in suspense at the bridge.

Leads to    National Tramway Museum, Crich - Annie catches the clue from an open-top Paisley tram as it passes under a bridge

I also have somewhere the brochure of the museum I got at the time that has a photo in it of the box - just need to find it.

BTW all the boxes I saw in the 60's and 70's were this colour except Barnet-By-Pass and both Heathrow Airport ones.

peted

Aug 18, 2019, 08:52 pm #121 Last Edit: Aug 18, 2019, 08:55 pm by peted
Let me tell you *my* Crich story and it's why I'm here. I'm Derbyshire born and bred - I grew up and went to school literally a stone's throw from CTM. Hardly a day went by where I wasn't driven past it as a child. One Sunday tea time in the summer of 1982, I went swimming with a friend to a local leisure centre. His Dad came to collect us and drive us home. I was 11. The quickest route back to my parents' home from the pool we'd been to was past CTM. As we drove up that ridiculously steep hill that the museum sits at the top of, I idly glanced out of the car window at the museum gates - which I'd driven past many times before and up until that time had never had any special significance to me. This time however, I saw something that literally made me gasp out loud. The TARDIS. It was just sitting there. Just inside the gates. I eagerly told my friend - I just saw the TARDIS. He didn't believe me. And by then, we'd driven past it. My heart was in my mouth. I was already the biggest Doctor Who fan alive and now the TARDIS was on my doorstep. HOW? WHAT?
I told my Dad when I got home. He didn't believe me. I begged him to take me there. He said not tonight,I've got work in the morning. You'll have to wait til next weekend.
IT WAS THE SLOWEST WEEK OF MY LIFE.
I kept thinking 'what if it's gone? No one will believe me! What if I've missed it?' At that point, I thought it was the TARDIS. Maybe Doctor Who had been filming there. My understanding of police boxes at that point was that they were ALL long gone. The closest thing I'd seen to a police box was in my village there was a police sub-station, which was basically a house belonging to a police officer, that had just a police phone bolted to the outside. It was a cast iron box much like the top section of the police pillars, with a telephone in and the famous wording on it's hatch that we all know and love. I wanted that little tiny cabinet so badly.
Anyway, the weekend arrived and my Dad agreed to drive me to the museum. It was afterall, 5 minutes from where I lived. I think he thought we were on a hiding to nothing, as we say in the midlands. It was a Sunday afternoon and I remember vividly that summer was all but over and I was about to start High School in a week or so.
So we drove up that steep hill and when you get to the top, the museum is on your left.
OMG THERE IT WAS. I WAS SO EXCITED.
There was a car park next to the museum. We pulled into it. It's right next to the box. I got out of the car and looked down on the TARDIS. I couldn't believe it.
I ran round the front and stared through the iron gates, looking at her. I had taken a camera. A Kodak 110. I took a photo through the gates. The museum was closed, it was after 5.
I was very excited and was very vocal of the fact. After a few minutes,  a man dressed as on old time Tram Conductor came out of one of the buildings and came down to the gates.
'We're closed now lad, sorry!' he said. 'I'm just here to see the TARDIS!' I said.
'Oh, the Police Box? You a Doctor Who fan then? It's new. Would you like a look at it?'
'Yes please!' I said.
He undid the gate and said 'OK, you've got 5 minutes!'
I ran in. I could feel my Dad rolling his eyes at me as he sauntered in behind me.
The man, a volunteer, told me all about it, how they'd been offered the box, the last one of it's type, that it had  originally been on the streets of Fulham and it had been installed there just over a week ago. I was dumbstruck. The last real TARDIS, here on my doorstep. Here for good!!
I'm so grateful to that bloke. I posed with the box and my Dad took the picture below - cutting off the roof. I took a couple more pics myself and then my camera ran out of film. For some reason, this is the only print I can still lay hands on to this day, but I'm so glad I have it.
Without this magical encounter, I would never have become obsessed with Police Boxes, never have started my Police Box website in 1999, never have met Ward Westwater and never have found all those other glorious boxes that we did our best to acquire and preserve.
IMG_9430.jpgIMG_9430.jpg

kert gantry

Aug 18, 2019, 09:19 pm #122 Last Edit: Aug 18, 2019, 09:20 pm by kert gantry
Quote from: dr hue on Aug 18, 2019, 07:48 pm


Kenneth Kendall the news reader whose voice was used in the voice synthesizer of the BBC Micro






....and who starred in The War Machines.  :D



.

russellsuthern

Aug 18, 2019, 10:28 pm #123 Last Edit: Aug 18, 2019, 10:32 pm by russellsuthern
Lovely story & a great picture.
John Travolta eat your heart out... ;D


Best regards,


Russell

Volpone

It actually had a good paintjob, back in the day.  Of course they fixed it a couple years ago, but I always think of the Crich with that horrible light blue...that my box is painted.  :-\
"My dear Litefoot, I've got a lantern and a pair of waders, and possibly the most fearsome piece of hand artillery in all England. What could possibly go wrong?"
-The Doctor.

dr hue

Aug 21, 2019, 03:40 pm #125 Last Edit: Aug 21, 2019, 03:42 pm by dr hue
Wonderful story peted.

I got a similar buzz the other day when I visited the Metropolitan Police Academy in Hendon
and spotted the MK 5 through the trees that I hadn't seen since  1993.

http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=1997.msg120738#msg120738

As I said in the Police Boxes in the media section,

I wonder what interest there would be in Police Boxes now if the Tardis Chameleon Circuit had not chosen a Police Box on its visit to Earth ?

Kingpin

Oct 11, 2019, 08:02 pm #126 Last Edit: Oct 11, 2019, 08:07 pm by Kingpin
I'm afraid to report (via David Johnson on flickr) that the old girl at Crich is in a pretty poor state these days (David's photos were taken on the 27th of August this year):

48635634731_a8cd69aa6b_k.jpg
48635642081_3acfa86d12_b.jpg
48635285693_13880202ec_b.jpg
48635285743_7587f1ab84_b.jpg
48635287918_d83edfd080_k.jpg
48635784357_14499c20b8_k.jpg
48635784422_9d5779404b_k.jpg
48635784747_67a23bf288_b.jpg
48635646051_e0ca7b309f_k.jpg
48635649766_7fabc6863b_b.jpg
48635649696_cc0a70f040_b.jpg

The Police Post there is also in dire need of some TLC:

48635285958_467bb94900_k.jpg
48635642311_abe7f1ffc9_k.jpg

lorisarvendu

That box has been there for 30 years now, and I'm not sure how much work has been done to it other than paint jobs, but it's interesting to think that we're seeing a window into the past. We're seeing the wear and tear on a typical Metropolitan Police that has been on the street for 30 years. But we don't have to go back in time to do so (though wouldn't you just love that?)

If the average time a London Met Box was on site was between 40 and 50 years ('20s to the '60s), they would have experienced the same sort of damage from the elements as can be seen here. It's fair to say that back then regular door replacement would have been a part of every original concrete Met Police Box's life.

the_doctor

Here's hoping it can be restored. Again.

Volpone

Quote from: lorisarvendu on Oct 11, 2019, 09:05 pm...If the average time a London Met Box was on site was between 40 and 50 years ('20s to the '60s), they would have experienced the same sort of damage from the elements as can be seen here. It's fair to say that back then regular door replacement would have been a part of every original concrete Met Police Box's life.

You beat me to it.  I was going to say that they just did a major renovation on it not that long ago and it is already looking like this.  Kind of makes you understand why they tore them down once radios came out.  Can you imagine trying to maintain the dozens (hundreds) across the city?  
"My dear Litefoot, I've got a lantern and a pair of waders, and possibly the most fearsome piece of hand artillery in all England. What could possibly go wrong?"
-The Doctor.

lorisarvendu

This must have happened hundreds of times, maybe 5 or more for yer average Box. Which would include Crich itself, and the North Blackwall Box. So its quite possible that those two only have these weird "backwards-looking" doors from their last door swap, and maybe they had ordinary doors most of the time. Which means it was acceptable to put a slightly different type of door in back then, so it should be ok to put a "proper looking" door in now. Unless they just want to keep it as it was when they got it.

Darren451

Good news on the Crich Police Box, but they need more funding:

Police Box to be restored at Crich Tramway Village
http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/news/?p=45501

26 June 2022

Anyone who has ever visited the Crich Tramway Village has probably noticed the historic Metropolitan Police Box at Town End - usually when a child points and shouts "it's the Tardis"! - and now the 1930s box is set to be restored thanks to support from Arts Council England.

The Grade II listed police box arrived at the museum in 1983 and was donated to Crich by the Metropolitan Police and transported from London. After having been in Derbyshire for almost 40 years the time has now come for a full restoration to take place, as despite repairs having been completed in the past its concrete body has been deteriorating and requires specialist repairs.

Kate Watts, Crich Tramway Village Curator, said: "Whilst Crich Tramway Village is obviously known for its trams, we also have a significant collection of street furniture items, which are also historically important. We're glad to be giving the police box the attention it needs to preserve it for years to come. We believe this is the last remaining example of the iconic MK2 design, so it's vital that we preserve it. If anyone knows of any others, we'd love to hear from them!"

Although there is funding from Arts Council England, the Museum needs to find a further £4000 and is welcoming any contributions towards this. Any donations can be made at https://www.tramway.co.uk/contact/make-a-donation/

dr hue

Page from my 1985 Crich Tramway Museum Guide:

crich-1985-catalogue955-jr.jpg


fivefingeredstyre

Quote from: Darren451 on Jun 29, 2022, 07:06 amGood news on the Crich Police Box, but they need more funding:

Police Box to be restored at Crich Tramway Village
http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/news/?p=45501

26 June 2022

Anyone who has ever visited the Crich Tramway Village has probably noticed the historic Metropolitan Police Box at Town End - usually when a child points and shouts "it's the Tardis"! - and now the 1930s box is set to be restored thanks to support from Arts Council England.

The Grade II listed police box arrived at the museum in 1983 and was donated to Crich by the Metropolitan Police and transported from London. After having been in Derbyshire for almost 40 years the time has now come for a full restoration to take place, as despite repairs having been completed in the past its concrete body has been deteriorating and requires specialist repairs.

Kate Watts, Crich Tramway Village Curator, said: "Whilst Crich Tramway Village is obviously known for its trams, we also have a significant collection of street furniture items, which are also historically important. We're glad to be giving the police box the attention it needs to preserve it for years to come. We believe this is the last remaining example of the iconic MK2 design, so it's vital that we preserve it. If anyone knows of any others, we'd love to hear from them!"

Although there is funding from Arts Council England, the Museum needs to find a further £4000 and is welcoming any contributions towards this. Any donations can be made at https://www.tramway.co.uk/contact/make-a-donation/
God, it only seems like yesterday it was last restored, and the time before that seems like last week!

The more you put things together the more they keep falling apart I suppose...

I feel their pain, I'm mid restoration on my box at the moment. Its incredible how much maintenance these things need - You can see why the Police dropped them as soon as they could...


dr hue