On Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:13:12 +0100, "simon" wrote:


"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
Of course, the original reason that a Police Box was chosen as his
"disguise" in the original 1960's episode was that it could land almost
anywhere in London and not look out of place...

Roland Perry

Wasnt it supposed to adapt its outward appearence depending on where it
landed. However that bit had failed so it was stuck as a police box.

ISTR that was featured WRT the Master's Tardis which did function
properly in that department.

In message
"simon" wrote:


"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
Of course, the original reason that a Police Box was chosen as his
"disguise" in the original 1960's episode was that it could land almost
anywhere in London and not look out of place...

Roland Perry

Wasnt it supposed to adapt its outward appearence depending on where it
landed. However that bit had failed so it was stuck as a police box.


The chameleon circuits had failed and the Master had the only available
spares...

--
Graeme Wall

This address not read, substitute trains for rail
Transport Miscellany at www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail

In uk.railway Charles Ellson twisted the electrons to say:
ISTR that was featured WRT the Master's Tardis which did function
properly in that department.

nods As did the Rani's TARDIS. IIRC, in one of the Colin Baker
stories the Doctor had a go at fixing the Chameleon Circuit - which
resulted in his TARDIS changing appearance each time it landed, but not
to something that fitted in with the environment any better than a police
box?
--
These opinions might not even be mine ...
Let alone connected with my employer ...

On Jun 16, 7:38*am, Roland Perry wrote:

In message , at 22:22:37 on Mon,
15 Jun 2009, rail remarked:

The first police phone boxes were in Glasgow in 1891, then Sunderland in
1923, Newcastle in 1925 and London 1928

They were phased out after the introduction of personal radios in the 1970s
though one is still in use in Newtown Linford.

And not forgetting another one that Dr Who uses

Of course, the original reason that a Police Box was chosen as his
"disguise" in the original 1960's episode was that it could land almost
anywhere in London and not look out of place...

And getting back to the original theme of "reporting in", the police
boxes were 2-way, with the flashing blue light indicating that an
officer should call the police station and see what was wanted.

I presume this is the origin of the flashing blue light on police
vehicles?

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...

I presume this is the origin of the flashing blue light on police
vehicles?

I thought Jim Davidson started that.

Ian

In message , at 23:13:12 on
Thu, 18 Jun 2009, simon remarked:
Of course, the original reason that a Police Box was chosen as his
"disguise" in the original 1960's episode was that it could land
almost anywhere in London and not look out of place...

Wasnt it supposed to adapt its outward appearence depending on where it
landed. However that bit had failed so it was stuck as a police box.

That's right. It got stuck that way in the first series.
--
Roland Perry

In message
, at
01:52:29 on Fri, 19 Jun 2009, Mizter T remarked:
And getting back to the original theme of "reporting in", the police
boxes were 2-way, with the flashing blue light indicating that an
officer should call the police station and see what was wanted.

I presume this is the origin of the flashing blue light on police
vehicles?

Blue is used in many ways as a "police colour". But originally,
emergency vehicles didn't have flashing lights, just a bell. The early
flashing lights used a rotating reflector, a bit like a tiny lighthouse,
to produce the effect.
--
Roland Perry

On Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:06:14 +0000 (UTC), Alistair Gunn put finger to
keyboard and typed:

In uk.railway Charles Ellson twisted the electrons to say:
ISTR that was featured WRT the Master's Tardis which did function
properly in that department.

nods As did the Rani's TARDIS. IIRC, in one of the Colin Baker
stories the Doctor had a go at fixing the Chameleon Circuit - which
resulted in his TARDIS changing appearance each time it landed, but not
to something that fitted in with the environment any better than a police
box?

Indeed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TARDIS#Exterior

Mark
--
Blog: http://mark.goodge.co.uk
Stuff: http://www.good-stuff.co.uk

On Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:02:38 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message
, at
01:52:29 on Fri, 19 Jun 2009, Mizter T remarked:
And getting back to the original theme of "reporting in", the police
boxes were 2-way, with the flashing blue light indicating that an
officer should call the police station and see what was wanted.

I presume this is the origin of the flashing blue light on police
vehicles?

Blue is used in many ways as a "police colour". But originally,
emergency vehicles didn't have flashing lights, just a bell. The early
flashing lights used a rotating reflector, a bit like a tiny lighthouse,
to produce the effect.

There might have been variations but AFAIR the flashing light on a
police box was white, using a standard light bulb within a glass
similar to those in navigation lights so that there was a generally
horizontal spread.