In 2016
the idea of a Doctor Who Appreciation Society sounds out of time. With social
media, blogs, websites and other online resources as well as easy access to all
existing old episodes there is really no need for a formal organisation to link
Who fans with each other across the country. However forty years ago things
were very different. It was fanzines
that were able to link people but they were published irregularly and due to
the costs of production came and went. There had been Doctor Who fan clubs in the past and there was still nominally an
official DWFC then but these clubs acted as providers only. They stood or fell
on the enthusiasm of one or two activists. They would send newsletters and
photos out but that was all. The mid Seventies was the perfect time for
something like the DWAS to ferment as the show was becoming more sophisticated
just as a tranche of its biggest fans grew up. Whereas they might have been
expected to abandon something like Doctor Who after leaving school the quality
and popularity of the 1970s series meant many did not. At University level a
more active, social approach was prevalent on a number of campuses’ Doctor Who societies. This model was
distinct from a fan club which was more passive and loyal.
