Untitled (DWM 169 short story)

An untitled Brief Encounter short story was published in Doctor Who Magazine 169.

Summary
On an overcast mid-winter evening at the turn of the millennium, a man is feeling bitter as he locks up the soon-to-be-closed observatory at Greenwich where he worked as a research scientist since the 1960s. Walking home, he is befriended by a strange little man who confides in him that the King will have it open again soon and reflects on the passing of time. They chat further as the little man walks him back to the village, both taking shelter under his umbrella. The little man, who seems somehow familiar, explains that while his friend Ace was shopping for a pair of Doc Martens he had decided to call on an old friend who happened to be out at the time.

Before they go their separate ways, the little man is asked if they've met before. With a smile, he says, "Perhaps — when you were a teacher", and walks off, leaving the man to go home to his wife. A short while later, seated by an open fire, his wife Barbara hands over a present that was left for him earlier in the day by a strange man. Inside is a Coal Hill School tie — a reminder of his first teaching job and the strange events that had first brought the two of them together.

Characters

 * Ian Chesterton
 * Seventh Doctor
 * Barbara Wright

Worldbuilding

 * Ace is accompanying the Doctor on his current travels. She is purchasing a pair of Doc Martens in London, the best place to buy them.
 * At some point, the British monarch will be male.
 * Barbara and Ian live in Greenwich.

Continuity

 * The First Doctor had destroyed Ian's original Coal Hill School tie in an acid pool on Vortis. (TV: )