Tardis indeed!

Robert Crowe of the American Telephone Exchange Name Project referred to this as a Tardis:

Now, this is a Tardis:

These boxes were provided in British cities principally to enable policemen on the street to talk to their station. A blue light on the top flashed when the phone was ringing. The public were allowed to use them as well.
With the coming of personal radios for the police they became unnecessary.

This is a GPO (General Post Office) Kiosk No. 6:

See these (and numerous other sites) for some kiosk history and how you can have one for yourself.

The Tardis is much bigger on the inside than on the outside. It would be difficult to believe that of a telephone kiosk that you can see right through. Hence the choice of the Police Call Box.

Just shows how long ago it is since Dr Who started. I suppose if they were starting the show now they would have to use something like a Portaloo!

Robert Crowe would probably call the tower in the middle of this picture Big Ben. In this he can be perfectly forgiven - 99% of Londoners would say the same.

In fact Parliament itself is uncertain what to call it. On one page of their website it is called the Elizabeth Tower but that links to a page which calls it the Clock Tower but recognises that it is widely referred to as Big Ben. Another page explains the change and adds another alternative name: St. Stephen's Tower.

Big Ben is the name of the largest bell which hangs in the tower.

And the proper name for the whole building is The Palace of Westminster. The term Houses of Parliament refers to two sets of people.

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