BBC Media city

Been on a little trip out to local new media village ,or Media City UK  (Pompous title ?) BBC Media Village Manchester yup the beeb relocated ooop north from down south  Interesting one this basically it is a vast area of old docklands that was regenerated into the uber ooo look at me glass architecture,you know the one all odd angles and weird symmetry wonder how history will judge it i think it is just plain odd looking but then in the not so long ago 70s concrete was in   
http://www.thelowry.com/

shopping center Arndale is bit naff and boring it is all yuppie stuff nothing of any interest war museum is ,ok

BUT is the BBC which is what i want to see

THIS is what i came for

so there is a TARDIS and some daleks
and after doing some digging about i found out some stuff about this box,
my far more knowledgeable expert friend was doubtful to its screen use and some things measurement wise being a little off
so here is what we have found out about this particular box in doing my research
It is NOT screen used it is a promotional box or "Exhibition" Prop as over the years many things have been

When Matt as Doctor touring promoting he came to Manchester in a coach  with Karen
and they duly posed for press and had a Q and A session with the press
they did not bring a box with them Matt had his sonic screwdriver but no box

So being at Media hub in North for BBC (Now going all regional decentralized from London ) the pictures are with TARDIS in Media City and i bet it is this one, has to be i think this like one in TV Center London is something stuck in foyer as promo piece, but has has its uses to appear when needed
 eg been on blue peter (now based in Manchester) and other things like for press pictures

Manchester Matt Karen and TARDIS

So off i go to take a look never seen this box before have been and seen the Dr Who  "up close" exhibition 2007

which had Tardis and a Dalek on a plinth, amongst many other things but it was Tennant Ecclestone Variant that time around
It was housed in the Science and industry Museum and it was a good to see the then series 3 in production and actual screen used parts and how "Un special" things were, off the peg clothes for costumes and quick cheap MDF jobs to props all very quick and basic DIY 

Not very special but still nice to see and get up close to them , which was kind of the point i got to see stuff in stores to like Timelord Collar and other things but it had nothing classic that was still firmly Blackpool then 

we did have are very own TARDIS for the event tho made by the folks at the museum for promo work

 I called it " Stretch" this went on to be in original BBC Oxford road foyer for a couple of years think there was five of these made and was even so obviously wrong still drew a crowd for looking touching and pictures amazing what a pop culture media icon can do

Back at Media City 2012

yup i was here for this !
and had pen paper and schematic of Tardis in hand hey serious business this you know ,i was a man on a mission
BUT before i get into that there was some natives from the planet Skaro on display

originally there were 2 

But alas being on Display and prone to public manhandling then loaned to other departments returned well ..........broken
and in typical Beeb fashion there bust and not been repaired
apparently there originally interactive of sorts
so now there a little broken and now we are down to one on display sans eye

These were animated originally and now show some real signs of wear the one in foyer had bad cracks in the neck rings wobbly neck bin and broken eye the other was well a right off now stashed and hidden away
One interesting thing that did come to light in my research is this controversial tit bit
A claim that one of these was made by This Planet Earth ,i know not enough but i raised a eyebrow ,why? BBC have there own and molds and access to own props,so why use theres ?


So onto the main event a BIG wood blue box first thoughts lighter than i released mine i made was maybe little to light but certainly not as Dark as she appears on the telly or as made by CO
She looked worn step was dirty chipped scuffed bent door handle she had seen use been used as a photo prop 
Now a lot of the "Internet" know alls have stamped on what they say is so and here was a lot of disproving (FYI Dalek seal round hems is NOT a daf seal it is rigid hard cast  lines going round it ,i know i touched it ),the phone panel is one flat white run of mill perspex and black 3D lettering laser cut,added on top different to previous that was metal and printed deliberately scuffed so thats why when lit can see light bleed behind letters 
Next how amateurish a job it was it is just hardboard MDF and i suspect some standard pine router jigsaw and drill job it is disproportionate,but not as much as you think 

heavy wear and tear cracks showing, you can see no brush marks it is obviously spray painted so im thinking the moff wanted the prop looking clean tidy nice and neat for his series compared to the dirty worn out tennat version ,but they have made more of these boxes,
 and not even god knows why

My impression in 2005 was if someone who was good with D.I.Y and decided i want a box TARDIS for my self then looking at telly this is something they would make with no real idea or research, fine fan build
this a professional prop for a series ,it  is simply substandard 
It is big panels and windows ,but not square ones despite what you think ,theres like a inch difference believe it or not ,some measurements similar to Hartnells Box panels, and there is a lot of measurements in the routering and beveling all over it is simply done you can see where panels of wood are nailed in, lot of nail glue used ,and wood grain shows well you can see it looks like carpentry 101 project 
and left with idea of how it was done by a set of carpenters with not one idea on what a TARDIS is, there is zero details some like posts have added made up detail , L added to posts ,post caps attatched to the roof ,no corner beading no 3 steps at wall tops all the details that come with a Police Box aka TARDIS nothing , nice work nicely made but so very wrong 

so i got measurements all over not that i will ever use them ,i do not think but you never know 
and also the cat flap at the back for lead yet there was a hole made for the lead ? go figure i saw the simple top signs just printed on perspex and fresnel  on roof it has the parkay floor inside ala the set 

parkay

 the windows are black perspex simple as, not some magic device that go clear and all white when light is switched on ,sorry there black and the grey ones (Grey cos clear but pebbled frosted so seem grey but actually clear why light shines through when switched on )  are pebbled,look darker when obviously dark within and boxed behind and black hardboard backing the walls doors 

here is proof the black is black see pebbled allowing light to shine

a 10mm window divide so not as thin as people think

overall a really nice thing to see ,weather you like approve or  not it is nice to see one  and staff didnt give me a hard time in fact came to ask what i was doing nicely and in curiosity, careful not to bore as well it is my ting not necessarily anyone elses ,just explained i love the blue box and would like to take some measurements 
 she is BIG

One Day i will see a classic box saw a Bracaki replica at llangolan as a kid but i want to see real thing this means a trip to Cardiff