Bournemouth Kids Demand TARDISes

[Rob McCow]

EVER fancied yourself as an intergalactic adventurer, crossing the space-time continuum in a race to save humanity and protect the world from alien invasion?
Whether it's to set right a wrong, come face to face with your favourite historical figure, or simply to see what the future has in store, it seems few youngsters in Bournemouth would turn down the chance to take a trip in a time machine.

Local schoolchildren voted Doctor Who's Tardis the best gadget of all time - beating the mobile phone, iPod and even James Bond's jetpack in a nationwide poll.
When asked to name their all-time favourite gadget, nearly half of all youngsters aged seven to 14 voted for the 40-year-old time machine.

The survey was carried out by supermarket chain Tesco to support the launch of the 16th Tesco Computers for Schools scheme. Children across the UK were quizzed on both their favourite gadgets and their ideal invention.
The Tardis might have topped the gadget charts both in Bournemouth and nationally but it appears our local youth are slightly more sci-fi savvy than the rest of the country. Everyday technology, such as mobile phones and iPods, featured further down their cool list than in the national top 10, whereas imaginary inventions such as 007's Jet Pack took third place in the Bournemouth rankings compared to seventh position nationally.

When asked what technology they'd like to see developed in the future, disappointingly few children said they'd like something to stop climate change for ever. Just over one in 10 youngsters in Bournemouth, slightly higher than the national average, are concerned about global warming issues, with machines to make them invisible or do their homework ranking higher in their wish list.

In Cardiff, Glasgow and Edinburgh one in five children wanted a machine to stop climate change for ever, twice as many as in Bournemouth. In London this figure was much lower, just one in 20, and in Cambridge only one in 25.
Contraptions to do all their homework or transport them through time were top of the list, requested by a quarter of all those questioned.

Debra Stones, Tesco head of corporate responsibility, said: "We need to set examples if we're to educate children about climate change. As part of our new greener Computer for Schools scheme, more and more schools are switching to "ecoquiet" PCs that use up to 65% less energy than a standard desktop."
Alex Pettyfer, star of the film Stormbreaker and supporter of the scheme, said: "When I was at school I'd have loved to time travel to the present day and take advantage of the technology schools are now using - I'm pretty sure my exam results would have been much better!"

To encourage the youth of today to think about the impact of technology, Tesco recently launched the GadgIT Awards to challenge school children to look into the future and conjure up technological creations. From self-cleaning hamster cages and watches that tell you when a bus is coming to headbands that can read Mum's mind and X-ray sunglasses for hide and seek, the GadgIT Awards will showcase the best of childrens' creativity.
Entries are now closed, but local winners will be announced at the beginning of April and the competition will culminate with one national champion selected in May. Who knows? We may have the next Archimedes or Sir Isaac Newton right here on our doorstep.

Bournemouth's Top 10 Gadgets

1. Doctor Who's Tardis

2. Laptop

3. James Bond's Jet Pack

4. Mobile Phone

5. Wonkavision (from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

6. IPod

7. Life Pausing Remote (from the film Switch)

8. Portable memory eraser (from Men in Black)

9. Psychic Paper (Dr Who)

10. Batman's utility belt

Bournemouth's Technology Wishlist

1. Travel through time

2. Do all my homework

3. Make me invisible

4. Stop climate change

5. Make me famous

6. Help me keep in touch with my friends

7. Help me pass my exams

That's all reasonable, but James Bond's Jetpack? What is this, 1973?!? The jetpack wasn't a patch on the submersible Lotus anyway.

It's nice to see a Laptop, something that kids may actually one day own, at number 2

[Si Hunt]

When did James Bond's jetpack ever feature? I don't even remember it! Wouldn't his underwater car have been a better choice?

Nice to see the psychic paper beating the sonic screwdriver hands down!

Si.

[Stephen Morgan]

When did James Bond's jetpack ever feature? I don't even remember it!

I think it was during the opening sequence in From Russia With Love, 1965.

[Si Hunt]

Practically all the time then.

Si.

[SiHart]

It was Thunderball, actually. Which might just explain why no-one really remembers it!

That's cool. I'd like a TARDIS too please, if there's one going.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

It's just the ultimate gadget. As if having the whole of time and space to explore isn't enough, it even comes stocked with its own totty in the shape of the Doctors many attractive young friends.

Si.

[Stephen Morgan]

It was Thunderball, actually. Which might just explain why no-one really remembers it!

That's cool. I'd like a TARDIS too please, if there's one going.

Si xx

Yes it was wasn't it. And yes, I'd like A TARDIS too.

[Dirk Gently]

It's just the ultimate gadget. As if having the whole of time and space to explore isn't enough, it even comes stocked with its own totty in the shape of the Doctors many attractive young friends.

Si.

Yes it is isn't it. I want one. Can I have a built in Peri please?

[Dave Tudor]

Can I have a built in Peri please?

No, you can have roundels like the rest of us, and be grateful!

[Pip Madeley]

I have five TARDISes in my collection now.

[Dirk Gently]

Your collection is going up by the second!

[Andrew Curnow]

As well as my classic tin Tom, we've got two TARDISes from the Battles in Time set, which means the two look exactly the same. Both bruv and I enjoyed annoying Zel by pointing out the Logopolisesque nature of putting the two side by side.

Hours of endless fun here at Curnow Towers...

[Rob McCow]

I hoped you explained about Block Transfer Computation, Andrew.

[Larry]

yet another top spot for Doctor Who..

[WhiteCrow]

James Bonds jetpacks.

I have just realised something depressing. I used to love Tomorrows World in the 80s, and it offered this daring vision of how we'd live in the future. But where is it, surely we should be living in the future now?

Good job Raymond Baxter is dead - cos I want to be able to commute to work on a giant rocket pack, beating congestion charges just like he promised. And where is my robot servant to help around the house?