h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The London Bobbies are moving again.

Since 1967 the Metropolitan Police have occupied a site called New Scotland Yard - a large glass office near St James's Park tube station. It's best known for its rotating triangular sign. Whenever there's a news story involving the police, the reporters like to film with this as a backdrop.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=new+scotland+yard&es_sm=91&tbm=isch

Before that, they've occupied other sites in the Whitehall area of London, including one in Great Scotland Yard. This led to the Met being known by the name 'Scotland Yard. There are no other links to Scotland.

Soon they'll be moving to the Curtis Green Building on Victoria Embankment - a short walk along the River Thames from Big Ben, almost directly opposite the London Eye observation wheel. It's a stone-fronted neo-classical building like many others in the vicinity which house various Government offices.

http://www.architecture.com/Files/RIBAProfessionalServices/CompetitionsOffice/CurtisGreenbrief.pdf

The police are moving as part of a cost-cutting measure which has seen many smaller police stations across the country being closed and local policing consolidated. Here's a news report from a couple of years ago when the programme of cuts was announced, moaning about the use of mobile police stations in supermarket car parks:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2167690/Police-station-closure-shock-One-shut-public-budget-cuts.html

Will it be called New New New New New Scotland Yard ?

[Amy P]

Did the TV reporters use archive footing of the revolving sign, or send out camera crews to take a new shot each time?

The Irish TV news shows fresh footage of the main Dublin courthouse (The Four Courts) and/or the government buildings almost every night, and it becomes more and more artistic each time. I am tempted to collect all the clips from the past twenty years and splice them into a singe feature film. It would go on for hours.

Spooky, I just did a journal about my great grandfather who was a PC in the Met 1890's style. It featured a guest appearance by George Dixon. I am saddened he didn't get a mention in your journal, how soon we forget. Or maybe you are under seventy?

Probably more to do with how much cash the new Scotland Yard building brings in than cost cutting, front line policing sadly won't see a penny!

Hey! I'm under 70 and I remember Dixon of Dock Green very well. It was on Saturday evenings. I'm trying to remember if it was on the same evenings as Doctor Who.

Somewhere I saw a link to a site which shows the programme schedules right back into the 50s. I think it was peripheral to the BBC but I can't find it anywhere now.

One they move to their ninth place, we can talk about the whole nine Yards.