Monthly Archives: April 2014

Doctor Who, Fun stuff

Sylvester McCoy’s Barnardo’s Appeal – April 2014

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Look who it is! We interrupt this blog with an important News Flash!

Sylvester McCoy has launched Barnardo’s Great Winter Stock Appeal. Sylvester McCoy was the Seventh Doctor ( 1987- 1989). He is my favourite Doctor because he was always wise. My favourite all-time episode is the four part episode The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (1988-1989). I like it because The Doctor is entertaining the Gods of Ragnarok and it is set on the planet Segonax.

Anyway – enough of my favourites, back to my post!

Sylvester is calling on the Great British public to clear out their cupboards and donate pre-loved winter woollies to the children’s charity Barnardo’s. Who is that winking?

 Sylvester said:

I was happy to take the time to get involved in this very important appeal for Barnardo’s. They urgently need donations of pre-loved winter coats, woollies and accessories to help their stores build the stock they need to sell this winter. Now that Spring is finally here, it’s the perfect time to clear out winter items you no longer need!”

I had a good winter clothes clear-out myself for the appeal and if I can encourage people to join me, we can all make a difference to the lives of vulnerable children.”

Barnardo’s is hoping that thousands will be raised via the ‘Great Winter Stock Appeal’ to help support the UK’s most vulnerable children and their families.  I will look through my cupboards to look for any clothes I’ve grown out of to take to my nearest shop so I hope you will join me and The Doctor and give your old clothes to the charity and support children across the UK.

For more info please see look at the Barnardo’s website.

I will have another location next time. See you soon!

Doctor Who, New location

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre – Easter 2014

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Shakespeare's Globe

Good dawning to thee, friend!

Time for another location – Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in Southwark, London beside the Thames. I visited there during Easter 2014. This location features in the episode The Shakespeare Code (2007). The Tenth Doctor and Martha travelled to London in 1599, when the Doctor was proving to Martha that the TARDIS could travel in time.They visited The Globe when it had just opened and met Shakespeare when he was writing Love’s Labours Won. Unfortunately his words were used by the Carrionites to summon the rest of their kind to invade earth.

This isn’t the original theatre as it burnt to the ground in 1613 during a performance of Henry VIII. It was rebuilt but then closed by The Puritans in 1642 along with lots of other theatres. The current theatre is 5 minutes away from the first and was opened in 1997. The man who made it happen was Sam Wanamaker whose daughter is Zoe Wanamaker, who played Lady Cassandra in the Doctor Who episodes The End of the World (2005) and New Earth (2006)!

I visited The Globe whilst the actors were rehearsing Titus Andronicus, not Love’s Labours Won like in the episode. Not many people get to see rehearsals during their tour so I was pretty lucky. Unfortunately I couldn’t take photos inside because the rehearsal should stay secret! I watched the actors practice, one of them being Indira Varma who was in Torchwood.

While I was watching the actors, a pigeon flew into the theatre because there wasn’t a roof! Luckily it wasn’t summoned like the Carrionites and didn’t cause any trouble. After the tour I visited the exhibition and learnt about Shakespeare and The Globe and saw an example of stage fighting.

I also visited some other locations during my trip to London which I will tell you about in the future.

Farewell and God Bye Ye!

 

Doctor Who, TARDIS

A surprise in Boscombe – April 2014

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The Boscombe Police BoxGuess what I found this weekend? A TARDIS disguised as a Police Box or a Police Box disguised as a TARDIS. WHICH WAY ROUND IS IT??!!

I know this isn’t a filming location but I hope you find it interesting to see anyway. The TARDIS materialised in Boscombe in Bournemouth, Dorset earlier this week and is a real Police Box. Police Boxes used to be found all over the country but this new box is only one of two working boxes- the other is in London.

The TARDIS was originally built to blend into its surroundings by using the chameleon circuit, however it got stuck disguised as a Police Box after the First Doctor visited London in 1963.

I had a good look round the Police Box but was sad to see that is most definitely NOT bigger on the inside like my TARDIS.

Have a look at this BBC News report to find out more and remember to check it out if you are in the area.

Today is also the birthday of Peter Davison , the Fifth Doctor! Happy birthday if you’re reading!

See you soon and I will introduce a new location. Byeee!

Doctor Who, New location

Stonehenge – August 2013

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Welcome to Stonehenge!Welcome – so good to see you again. Our next location is so old that archaeologists don’t know when it was built! Stonehenge in Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, the location of the episode The Pandorica Opens (2010).The Eleventh Doctor, Amy, River and Rory feature in this episode.

We travel back in time to August 2013 when I, along with lots of tourists, visited Stonehenge – the site of The Pandorica. You can’t get too close to the stones as there is a fence round them. You can walk all around the circle and get a good view from all angles. There is an audio guide that tells you lots of facts about Stonehenge and its history.

Some people think the stones are a solar calendar,maybe a xylophone, or that Merlin the Magician created the circle. Others think that The Devil put the stones there! We know that The Alliance used it as the hiding place of The Pandorica, a prison built for the most feared thing in the universe – The Doctor! The rocks were used as a transmitter to let everyone know when The Doctor arrived. Luckily there was no sign of The Alliance the day I visited.

Stonehenge is a World Heritage Site so only very special things are allowed to be filmed there. Like the rest of us, the film crew weren’t allowed to touch the stones so some of the scenes were filmed with a lightweight replica set up in Margam Country Park called “Foamhenge”!

Au revoir.

Doctor Who, New location

Shapwick – March 2014 & Tarrant Monkton – April 2014

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Shapwick village centre

Hello again! I’m showing you two locations this time, Shapwick and Tarrant Monkton. These are both villages in Dorset that were used as locations in The Awakening (1984).

The Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough go to visit Tegan’s grandfather in Little Hodcombe just when a reenactment of an English Civil War battle becomes real. This was the first ever episode that The Doctor takes a companion in his TARDIS to visit a family member.

I visited Shapwick on a sunny day and explored the village and churchyard. All was very quiet, luckily there was no sign of the Battle of Little Hodcombe. The church must have been rebuilt since it exploded when the Doctor defeated the Malus!

On now to Tarrant Monkton. I took the TARDIS there just today which has been a very wet and gloomy day. I stood on the bridge over The Ford and saw where Tegan was chased by soldiers. Luckily I could travel by TARDIS as The Ford was filling with water rapidly!

There are other locations for this episode in Dorset and Hampshire that I hope to explore very soon. I hope you come with me.

Ciao for now.