Glasgow has the last remaining 'TARDIS' style Police boxes in the UK. In 1994 the Police declared them to be a redundant remnant of a defunct communication system.We along with the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust felt that they were more than this and took the last remaining Police Boxes into custody. Both Trusts are now in the process of rehabilitating them back into society. Four now stand on the Streets of Glasgow including two of ours outside Glasgow Cathedral and on Wilson Street in the Merchant City. Two of ours are also in museums and three are awaiting rehabilitation and release back into society

The Restoration of the Boxes

The Police boxes, having suffered from neglect and vandalism were in a sorry state when we took them on. The restoration work involved structural work - such as repairs to the ringbeam which holds them together, patching of the concrete and cosmetic work such as painting and replacing the broken windows. In our restoration work we have strived to be as close as possible to the original and have used original documentary evidence as well as replication from samples. An important point to note is that proper restoration is very expensive and the Trust would be grateful for any financial contributions to help us realise these aims. In our strive for authenticity we have painted most of the boxes red not blue (the colour normally associated with Police Boxes). This is because Glasgow, up until the late 1960s, had red boxes as distinct from the blue boxes in London that Dr Who's TARDIS was based on. We have, however, compromised with one of our boxes (which is yet to be located back on the streets of Glasgow) having had the help of volunteers in painting it blue. This is a highly controversial matter amongst oficianados of the Police Boxes!





The On-Street Boxes

Glasgow has been graced over recent years with the rematerialisation of the boxes on its streets. We now have a fully restored box close to the city's Cathedral and another in the city's Wilson Street. They are presently acting as rather idiosyncratic landmarks and tourist attractions. We do hope that in coming years they can find a new, more active, role such as a mini 'Madam Tussauads' with a waxwork of a Police man using the box and a mini 'tourist information booth'. Other suggestions that we have been given are as a Confessional for busy Catholic executives!


The Off-Street Boxes

The Trust has also lent two of boxes to museums. Graham Foy of the Trust is currently restoring for Glasgow's Transport Museum one of the boxes to its former glory whilst Avoncroft Museum near Birmingham has got a box based on the Metropolitan Police design, although the box was originally from the Maryhill area of Glasgow.


The Future

Along with the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust we are looking to put the remaining boxes back on the streets of Glasgow where they belong. We are currently working with the City's Planning Department to identify new locations such as on the city's Trongate - shown right. So if you're in Glasgow over the coming years we hope that you will see more and more of them.





Other Police Telecommunications Equipment

Avoncroft Museum of historical buildings also have on display other types of Police telecommunications including pictured here on your left a type PA3 Police Signal Post and on your right a wooden Police Box.