From chimney pot to Daleks; Dr. Who designer said to have been inspired by school roof line

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• Publication: Edmonton Journal
• Date: 2013-03-04
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• 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!' "

Illustrations/Photos:

Dan Kitwood, Getty Images Files / 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 .
• 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. 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, 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= | date=2013-03-04 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=11 June 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=11 June 2025}}</ref>