The Box on the Street

"It reminds me of home."

Writer: Beth Axford

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2026

Printed in: DWM 635

Featuring: Rose, Barbara 

Synopsis

In the middle of her summer holiday shopping, Barbara Wright spots a very familiar and impossible blue box on the street. But the woman inside is not who she was expecting...

Verdict

The Box on the Street was a wonderful short story! I really missed the Brief Encounters feature in the last issue of Doctor Who Magazine, but considering we got a bumper interview with Anneke Wills it's no surprise and that was a tasty conversation to say the least! I must admit I had forgotten about this feature so when I flick through the DWM after it arrives in the post for a look at what's ahead this month, I was delighted to see this return! It's such a simple idea and it just absolutely works. I'm all for ever expanding content and the brief encounter theme is really special. How else would we get a story with Rose and Barbara meeting? The latter holds a special place in my heart alongside Ian as the first true companions because I think Susan is something of an exception given she's the Doctor's granddaughter. It always feels lovely whenever Barbara is around, especially if it is after the events of The Chase! Just reading how she put her hands on the TARDIS brought a huge smile to my face and I also like the little note about nobody else on the London street noticing the blue police box, but given she used to call it home there's no surprise that she wasn't in the same boat. I like how she just knew that it was the TARDIS as that feels right. It's lovely to know that she has grandchildren now and the line at the end where she would tell her husband Ian about her encounter was terrific. It's a shame we never got his reaction! It's also a shame that the Doctor was literally inside the TARDIS and never popped his head out to say hello. I like to think that Barbara mentioning she would see him again someday was a reference to Hunters of the Burning Stone where she would encounter the Eleventh Doctor, but sadly the Tenth was just out of reach. From Rose's perspective, the setting chronologically being just before they enter the scene in Love and Monsters was fun and Barbara being the one to provide the blue buckets is a nice touch. Considering who the author is, I get the feeling Beth Axford had the idea for this one when she was defending the indefensible in an article recently in DWM explaining why the aforementioned episode isn't all that bad. It really is though! I'm not a fan. But given that's arguably the first Doctor-lite episode, it's nice to fill the gaps here and know that from the Doctor's perspective it's business as usual. Worlds to save, people to help. He was still the same Doctor and Rose explaining that to Barbara was wonderful. For her, it was basically enough to know that he was still out there doing all he could. This time around it was the Hoix and knowing that Barbara had a very small part to play in that is delightful. I don't really plan on watching Love and Monsters again, but I'm sure I will end up doing so and maybe I'll have a slightly different perspective or appreciation for it. Overall though, exactly what this little series of short stories should be. The Doctor just being out of reach for Barbara on the other side of the door is all that brings this down slightly for me. A lovely read! 

Rating: 9/10