Last week, Doctor Who celebrated its 60th anniversary!
This programme was always been a part of my life. It is one of my first memories actually. I have forgotten most of my early childhood. Even as a young child under 10, I had very dim recollections of anything before 5. Is this normal or was this just me?
Doctor Who episodes are one of the things I remember though. Vividly, I remember the episode, Mindwarp, in which Peri gets killed (or actually doesn't). I remember watching Doctor Who before that but remember no details except for Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant themselves. I remember many, though not all of Sylvester McCoy's episodes.
One particular serial, The Curse of Fenric, set in WW2 in a town on the coast, cast itself onto my memory simply from the fact that it absolutely terrified me and I was terrified and, I think, scarred me a little. These two girls get dragged under the water by a creature and when they emerge out of the water, they are vampiric with white faces, dark eyes and massive talons. My rational mind knew they weren't real but still, part of me felt their presence any time I was in the dark. Our tiny bathroom was a thin room which looked out directly onto my Mum's bedroom door. In the evenings, when I went to the bathroom, I had to sit in the bathroom with the door open, directly looking onto that doorway to ensure that the two girls wouldn't emerge out of it to get me. This lasted a couple of years. At night, I would sleep with teddies around my head and at the sides beside me. The terror slowly faded but was never forgotten.
Doctor Who went off screen for a few years. I watched, and enjoyed some repeats of classic episodes I had never seen before, liking Jon Pertwee's era and Peter Davison's too.
In 1996, a TV movie was made of Doctor Who, casting Paul McGann as the Doctor. As a 15 year old, I was struck by this handsome hero and really started to gain an interest in Doctor Who. For Christmas, my sister bought me the best present- a cheap video shop had opened in our town and was selling Doctor Who videos in it. She bought me the TARDIS tin with 'A trial of a Timelord' in it. Oh, how excited I was by this present! I ended up buying more videos with my hard-earned cash from my job at the chip-shop. I'd spend my weekends watching these.
I began buying Doctor Who magazine, wrote a really cringy letter declaring my love for Paul McGann which was published!!! It kept the excitement alive with no no episodes of the horizon.
The next Christmas, my sister topped that present with a whole set of Vintage Target novelisations of classic stories she'd found in a vintage bookshop!
I visited a small Scifi fair in a nearby town, went to the Who shop in East Ham with my friend Ruth, also a Doctor Who fan! Utter amazement at a whole shop stuffed full of memorabilia! I longed for the TARDIS video cabinet!
I joined the DWAS- Doctor Who Appreciation society for a year.
In 1998, I plucked up the courage to book a ticket for the UK's largest Who convention in Coventry called Panopticon! I booked a coach to Coventry and went by myself, aged 17. I met various characters including Sophie Aldred, Sylvester McCoy, Nicholas Courtney, Colin Baker, Peter Davison, several Dalek operators, Elisabeth Sladen and gained autographs for them. I seem to remember spending most of the day in queues on the staircase! Sophie Aldred admired my turquoise nail varnish. I wore my friend Sarah's cricket jumper in honour of Peter Davison. I saw two of the employees from the Who shop I'd met at that first Sci-fi fair, Ollie and Jason- it was nice to see a familiar face!
That year, a new Doctor Who shop opened in Barking, not so far from where I lived, and they had lots of signings and things for sale! It was a great, great shop and I was so sad when it eventually closed! I remember having my photo taken with K9, AKA, John Leeson! They had these wonderful drawings made of the stars which you could buy to get signed!
I got busy with University so Doctor Who took a back seat for a few years.
When the new series began in 2004, it was an exciting time! Wonderfully, my little sister became interested in the show and we went to the Doctor Who exhibition in London as part of her birthday present! She recently sent me a picture of the two of us arm in arm with a Cyberman which I'd forgotten about!
It was around about October 2012 that I wore my first dress up (or cosplay in the modern vernacular) as a Doctor Who character- I made a Dalek dress as part of CBC's Robot party. I was ridiculously happy with it!
A month later, inspired by my blog friend Melanie, who had dressed up inspired by the classic Doctors, I put together my first outfit inspired by William Hartnell.
A week later, I dressed inspired by Tom Baker.
In January, I dressed inspired by John Pertwee!
My next post about Doctor Who didn't come until 2014, though it may have been mentioned! I wasn't watching it as I hadn't got a TV so missed most of Matt Smith's tenure!!
I shared my thoughts on Peter Capaldi, the new Doctor in 2014
October 2014, I wrote my first post on Clara Oswald who I dressed up as with items from my wardrobe! Then I wore my second Clara inspired outfit!
I then got to know Maricel who introduced me to TARDIS Tuesday! She was so fun and tried to wear TARDIS blue on a Tuesday or an outfit inspired by a Character.I attempted to join in regularly! This was my first post mentioning TARDIS Tuesday and my second post!
As with many bloggers, she eventually stopped posting which was sad.
But by then, I had discovered that one could find other Who fans on Instagram!!
TARDIS Tuesday has become a regular on this blog - an expensive habit! But it's been a fun hobby to have. I've enjoyed making friends with lots of fans on Instagram!
I've enjoyed watching Doctor Who all these years and I thought the 60th anniversary special was a great episode in many ways. A little contrived in places but it was lovely to see David Tennant and Catherine Tate reunited!
Happy anniversary Doctor Who! You have bought me much joy!
xx
Same with this pink blouse and vest-top!
Here's the line up of costumes.
Martha wore this in the Family of Blood!
