My Time on the DWAS Executive Part Two

 

“My Favourite Waste of Time”

One event I attended in mid 1985 was LogiCon hosted by the Solihull local group the same day as Live Aid. I’m sure they asked Bob to move his event, but it wasn’t happening. We couldn’t compete with Queen, Paul McCartney, Wham and co but I did end up on stage interviewing Graham Williams, Ian Marter and Richard Gregory. This wasn’t planned, in fact Paul Vanezis asked me the evening beforehand even though probably anyone else there was more suited. Back then of course with no prep and no Google, I had to rely on my tragically vast knowledge of Doctor Who related facts and wing it when it came to the rest of their careers.  Anyway, I muddled through and now that embarrassing clips have turned up on two recent Collection films I think I was ok, maybe not projecting enough. For the record I have never done any on stage interviewing before or since but I’m kind of glad I did it. I’ll tell you though, the one person who seemed less comfortable going on stage than me was Graham Williams whose suggestion we have ` a couple of pints` beforehand (this was lunchtime) did indeed help the interview go more smoothly.

What will they do with Doctor Who?

 

As anyone reading this might know, today the BBC announced that this year’s proposed Xmas special had been cancelled and that  both Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf are leaving the franchise. Doctor Who as a property will remain owned by the BBC and the programme making will be put out to competitive tender. Neither of these are too much of surprise, rumours to this effect have been circulating online for a few months. What it means is that the show may not be back for an unknown number of years. Conservative estimates say two years, some suggest more like five or six. As I’m sure the tabloids of old would put it- Who Knows?

My Time on the DWAS Executive Part One

 To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society (aka DWAS) this year, I thought I'd post this amended two part version of an article I wrote back in the early Nineties. Its about the time I spent as part of the DWAS' organising committee... 

“Hold the Door!”

It’s 1985. The location is a plush hotel somewhere in London. I’m standing behind a table holding two large doors shut because if someone doesn’t keep them closed a breeze will chill the two guests currently sat at a table in front of me signing autographs- John Nathan Turner and Colin Baker. Or perhaps there’s a bison lurking on the other side of those doors, I’m not quite sure. I doubt the two stars are even aware of my presence and I’m not really even supposed to be here. However, as the person who is supposed to be here hasn’t turned up, here I am. For me it affords a view of the heart of Doctor Who fandom eagerly queuing for a few moments chat and an autograph. If this sounds like a familiar pastime (the autographs not the door holding) then it’s worth remembering that at conventions nowadays people pay a fee for this sort of thing and doors are so good nobody needs to physically hold them closed. Back in the day you would pay to attend the event but autographs were free. You could even take a picture though there was no social media to publish it on.