From chimney pot to Daleks; Dr. Who designer said to have been inspired by school roof line
- Publication: Edmonton Journal
- Date: 2013-03-04
- Author:
- Page: C4
- Language: English
The mutant Daleks who have chilled fans of sci-fi favourite Doctor Who since they first cried "exterminate!" on television screens in the early 1960s may have been inspired by a humble chimney pot.
The designer of the extraterrestrial cyborgs, Raymond Cusick, was intrigued by the squat chimney stack atop the High School for Girls in Gloucester, western England, during a visit in the early 1960s, a news report says.
It was common knowledge at the school that Cusick, who died Feb. 24 aged 84, designed his trundling robots with the 104-year-old school in mind, the local Citizen newspaper reported.
A school spokesman said Doctor Who crews staying in the area in the 1960s noticed the chimney pot, which bears an uncanny resemblance to a Dalek, and a legend was born.
City councillor Seb Field said he heard the story from residents when he was "knocking on doors" in his ward a couple of years ago.
It was originally thought Cusick had based his baddies on a pepper pot, but later plans to have an actor operate the monsters from inside fits the theory of the chimney.
"It could bring a new perspective to the Daleks' cry of 'Exterminate!' said the U.K.
Sun. "Now the secret's out, maybe it should change to ... 'Ventilate!' "
Caption: A Dalek from the TV series Doctor Who is shown at a London auction house. Daleks designer Raymond Cusick died Feb. 24.
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- APA 6th ed.: (2013-03-04). From chimney pot to Daleks; Dr. Who designer said to have been inspired by school roof line. Edmonton Journal p. C4.
- MLA 7th ed.: "From chimney pot to Daleks; Dr. Who designer said to have been inspired by school roof line." Edmonton Journal [add city] 2013-03-04, C4. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: "From chimney pot to Daleks; Dr. Who designer said to have been inspired by school roof line." Edmonton Journal, edition, sec., 2013-03-04
- Turabian: "From chimney pot to Daleks; Dr. Who designer said to have been inspired by school roof line." Edmonton Journal, 2013-03-04, section, C4 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=From chimney pot to Daleks; Dr. Who designer said to have been inspired by school roof line | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/From_chimney_pot_to_Daleks;_Dr._Who_designer_said_to_have_been_inspired_by_school_roof_line | work=Edmonton Journal | pages=C4 | date=2013-03-04 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=10 May 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=From chimney pot to Daleks; Dr. Who designer said to have been inspired by school roof line | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/From_chimney_pot_to_Daleks;_Dr._Who_designer_said_to_have_been_inspired_by_school_roof_line | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=10 May 2025}}</ref>
