The Emporium is looking rather splendid this week. There are ribbons draped across the shelves, a few curious decorations hanging where they probably shouldn’t, and somewhere in the distance a familiar melody is drifting through the shop.

As ever, one conversation leads quite unexpectedly to another, and before long the boxes are eager to reveal their latest treasures.

The Travel Trunk is the first to spring open, carrying us back to a rather unusual commission. There was a time when Rymill & Son could provide almost everything one might require for a Doctor Who-themed wedding. Daleks, props, memorabilia...the lot. But amid the happy memories comes one occasion that still causes Mike to wince. It was the only time he ever broke one of his own golden rules, and the consequences made for a wedding day that proved rather more stressful than anyone had intended. Fortunately, all these years later, it’s just about safe to laugh about it.

Next comes another new arrival among the Emporium’s growing collection of curiosities.

The Music Box opens with the unmistakable sound of the summer of 1985 and Slipback, the six-part Doctor Who adventure created especially for BBC Radio 4. From there, the conversation follows the programme’s rich audio history through The Pescatons, the much-loved LP edition of Genesis of the Daleks, and the surprisingly early appearance of Doctor Who on vinyl. Long before podcasts, streaming services or downloadable adventures, these records allowed fans to close their eyes and travel in the TARDIS with nothing more than a turntable, a stylus and a little imagination.

By the time the lid closes once again, the Emporium has reminded us that Doctor Who has never belonged to television alone. It has always found new ways to tell stories, whether through loudspeakers, record players, theatres or the imaginations of those listening at home.

Sometimes all it takes is the crackle of a needle finding the groove… and suddenly you’re travelling in time once again.

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