A time trip to the doctor
- Publication: London Evening Standard
- Date: 1978-08-11
- Author: Charles Catchpole
- Page: 3
- Language: English
- Notes: Photo left to right: Keith Barnfather, J. Jeremy Bentham, Susan Moore, Jan Vincent-Rudzki, Stuart Glazebrook, Gordon Langdon (sp?), Stephen Payne
ALL over Britain, Daleks are being dusted down, as amateur Time Lords prepare for the second great Dr Who Convention at the weekend.
The first gathering last year was held in a church hall in Battersea. Some 200 fans of the time - travelling Doctor turned up to watch films, swap memorabilia, and argue about whether Tom Baker is better than Patrick Troughton.
This year's convention is altogether grander. The venue is Imperial College, Kensington, and 500 Dr Who freaks are expected—including some from Australia and the States.
They will be able to meet the current Doctor, Tom Baker, one of his predecessors, Jon Pertwee, as well as the widow of the revered original Doctor, William Hartnell, and various actors who have appeared in the series over the years.
And, of course, there will be Daleks, including an official BBC model from the first series, 15 years ago.
Highlight of the two-day gathering will be a showing of the very first Dr Who episode, An Unearthly Child.
The convention is being organised by the Dr Who Appreciation Society, which started two years ago, and now boasts more than 700 members.
Convention organiser Keith Barnfather was just five years old when the silver-haired Doctor flew into his life in the Tardis.
Like many people in their teens and early 20s, he grew up with the Saturday evening ritual of a Dr Who episode as one of the highlights of the week.
"Dr Who was part of my life — it still is — rather in the way that the Saturday morning pictures was for the older generation," he said.
"The beauty of Dr Who is that it appeals to everyone, and that it can go on forever. It can never get stale, because the producers can just change the Doctor, and each new Doctor brings a fresh approach."
The BBC tend to agree. They are currently reshowing a four-part adventure called The Sun Makers, which gives older, male viewers a last chance to enjoy the performance or the Doctor's Amazonian companion Leela (Louise Jameson).
Then, next month, Tom Baker returns for a new series with a new assistant. played by Mary Tamm.
Caption: GATHERING of the Time Lords — Keith Barnfather (left) with other devoted Dr Who fans.
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: Catchpole, Charles (1978-08-11). A time trip to the doctor. London Evening Standard p. 3.
- MLA 7th ed.: Catchpole, Charles. "A time trip to the doctor." London Evening Standard [add city] 1978-08-11, 3. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Catchpole, Charles. "A time trip to the doctor." London Evening Standard, edition, sec., 1978-08-11
- Turabian: Catchpole, Charles. "A time trip to the doctor." London Evening Standard, 1978-08-11, section, 3 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=A time trip to the doctor | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/A_time_trip_to_the_doctor | work=London Evening Standard | pages=3 | date=1978-08-11 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=14 May 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=A time trip to the doctor | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/A_time_trip_to_the_doctor | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=14 May 2025}}</ref>
