Tag Archives: Sylvester McCoy

Day 1, Film & Comic Con Bournemouth, Dorset – August 2015

Tom with Sylvester McCoy
Hello Sylvester McCoy aka MY Doctor, the Seventh Doctor!

Hello and welcome to another post.

Today I am writing what will be a very long post about Film & Comic Con Bournemouth because it is JAM PACKED with Doctor Who actors. This was the very first Film & Comic Con in my home town of Bournemouth and the organisers Showmasters were very kind and gave me a Press Pass so that I could interview all the Doctor Who stars for my Project Indigo readers!

I was very excited and knew that I would ask everybody my three Golden Questions:

  1. What is your favourite Doctor Who episode?

  2. What is your favourite Doctor Who filming location? and

  3. If you could go anywhere in time and space where would you like to go?

As soon as I arrived I went to meet the Seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy, because he is my favourite Classic Doctor and I have been looking forward to this moment for a long time! Sylvester was just as I imagined and he was incredibly cheerful and was pleased to answer my questions.

I asked Sylvester my questions. He said that his favourite episode ever is the first one he saw, a Patrick Troughton episode but his favourite Seventh Doctor episode is possibly The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (1988) – my favourite Classic episode. What a co-incidence!

Sylvester’s favourite filming locations are both right here in Dorset! He enjoyed filming The Curse of Fenric (1989) at Lulworth Cove and The Greatest Show in the Galaxy and Survival (1989) in a sandpit in Dorset (Warmwell Quarry which I visited in October 2014). Later, in a talk that Sylvester gave with Bonnie Langford and Sophie Aldred , he said that he liked filming Survival in the sandpit because there was a heatwave and one of the ladies overheated in her cat costume and stripped off and ran away!

Bonnie Langford, Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred at Film & Comic Con Bournemouth
The Doctor Who talk at Film & Comic Con Bournemouth

If Sylvester could go anywhere in time and space he would like to visit America before the Westerners arrived to see what is was like. He said that as the Doctor he would not want to change anything he would just like to observe.

I felt so happy to meet Sylvester and relieved that I had finally met him as I tried once before but had to leave before I got the chance. He is the Fourth Doctor I have met and I feel like Project Indigo has been given a real boost by meeting him!

Next I met Terry Molloy (Davros), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa) and Sophie Aldred (Ace). I have already asked them my golden questions before when I met them at the Timeless Collector’s Fair and The Bournemouth Invasion so I just had a little chat with each of them and welcomed them to Bournemouth. It was Sarah’s first visit to Bournemouth but Terry used to live in Bournemouth when he was a teenager. I spoke to Sophie about her new audio drama Strangeness in Space which is for anyone aged 8-80 to enjoy! It sounds really fun and I am definitely going to listen to it soon.

Tom and Bonnie Langford
Hello Bonnie Langford aka Mel!

After Sophie I met Bonnie Langford aka Mel Bush, companion to the Sixth and Seventh Doctors. Like everyone else she was very kind and answered my questions. Bonnie can never remember any titles of episodes but her favourites are the ones with Daleks in them.

Her favourite Doctor Who filming location is anywhere indoors! She said it would always rain on location – except for when they filmed Delta and the Bannermen (1987) on Barry Island. It was really sunny then but everyone got sunburnt!

If Bonnie could go anywhere in time and space she would like to visit Hollywood in its heyday and dance with Gene Kelly.

Tom and Matthew Waterhouse
Hello Matthew Waterhouse aka Adric!

Then I went to talk to Matthew Waterhouse who played one of my favourite ever companions Adric , the companion to the Fourth and Fifth Doctor, from Alzarius. I really hope the Doctor will have another alien companion one day as it was always really good when the companions were from another planet. Please make that happen Stephen, if you’re reading!

Although it is many years since he played Adric Matthew still looks like him. Matthew’s favourite episode that he was in was Keeper of Traken (1981), but other than that it was Spearhead from Space (1970) which was an episode he watched when he was 7 and he was very scared by it! His favourite filming location was Tunbridge Wells as the crew stayed in a hotel for a week and had lots of fun.

Matthew liked the idea of pressing a button in the TARDIS and landing anywhere but if had to choose he would love to go to Elizabethan England and see Shakespeare’s plays performed by his original players. That is just like the Tenth Doctor and Martha in The Shakespeare Code!

I was very pleased to meet Matthew, it is always good to meet someone nice but even better when you admire them. My companion bought a copy of Matthew’s autobiography ‘Blue Box Boy’ so we could learn all about his time in the TARDIS!

Tom and Dan Starkey
Hello Dan Starkey – aka Strax!

Next to Matthew was Dan Starkey who plays the Sontaran Strax who is part of the Paternoster Gang. It felt very strange looking at him as his normal self and looking at him as Strax but I recognised him as I have seen him in Wizards vs Aliens and on University Challenge. Luckily he doesn’t have the attitude of Strax because Strax is VERY weird!

Dan’s favourite episode is The Talons of Weng-Chiang (1977), but out of the episodes he is in it is The Snowmen (2012). His favourite filming location was filming The Snowmen at Treberfydd House as he was able to stay at his Mum and Dad’s!

If Dan could go anywhere in time and space he would like to see Stonehenge being built. I wonder if the Pandorica is still there?

Tom and John Leeson
Hello John Leeson – the voice of K-9!

When I met John Leeson who is the voice of K-9 he was a very polite gentleman. He told me, in the voice of K-9, that his favourite episode is The Sun Makers (1977) by Robert Holmes.

John’s favourite filming locations were anywhere not far from home as he doesn’t like driving for miles. If he could go anywhere he would love to go to Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire and have a very nice lunch. He says he has never been there before but would love to go there one day, I hope that his dream comes true.

Tom and K-9
The original K-9!

John was sat with Mat Irvine who was the Visual Effects Supervisor and he had brought along K-9 himself! It was great to meet K-9 and his voice – a double whammy.

Tom and William Russell

Next I went to meet William Russell who played Ian Chesterton one of the first companions who accompanied the First Doctor, William Hartnell, and he was first seen in the very first episode of Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child (1963). There was a long queue to meet William.

William said that his favourite episode is The Aztecs (1964) and he told me all about filming a fight scene for the episode. He didn’t have a favourite Doctor Who filming location as in those days it was mostly filmed in a studio.

William said that if he could go anywhere in time and space he would choose to be right here as he was happy at that moment. Isn’t that lovely? It was a special honour to meet William and I feel so happy to have met him.

Tom and Camille Coduri

After William I met Camille Coduri who played Jackie Tyler – Rose’s mother. Camille was in the very first episode of New Who Rose (2005) and appeared many times until The End of Time (2010). Camille loves lots of episodes – including Blink (2007), Doomsday (2006) and The Christmas Invasion (2005). There were too many favourites to choose from.

Her favourite filming location is the estate where the Tyler’s lived because she said it was always a lot of fun filming there. If Camille could go anywhere in time and space she would like to go the Sixties as they seemed good fun – just like Camille who was a lot of fun herself!

Tom and Rusty Goffe
Hello Rusty Goffe aka Little John!

From Camille I went to see Rusty Goffe – the United Kingdom’s No1 Dwarf! Rusty appeared as Little John in Robot of Sherwood (2014) and that is his favourite episode. He liked filming on location at Forest Fawr and Caerphilly Castle and said that the Merry Men were having so much fun in the forest that they didn’t want to leave!

If Rusty could go anywhere he would go to Samui in Thailand – and he said he would go there right now in a TARDIS if he could as he has been before and loves it there! Rusty was a very nice chap, I hope he gets to go again soon.

Tom and Doctor Squee from Gallifrey Stands Podcast
Hello Doctor Squee!

My final interview of the day was with Katy Manning who played Jo Grant, the Third Doctor’s companion. I met up with Doctor Squee from the Gallifrey Stands Podcast who was waiting to interview Katy too and he let me go first. Thank you Doctor Squee!

Tom and Katy Manning
Hello Katy Manning aka Jo Grant!

Katy had been flooded by fans all day and I was lucky to get some time with her. Katy’s favourite episodes were Terror of the Autons (1971) because that is where she met her Doctor Who family and also The Green Death (1973) – she told me how Jo and Cliff went into the Amazon looking for a magical fungus and that story predicted Quorn! Thank you Jo for discovering Quorn as I am a vegetarian and I eat A LOT of Quorn.

I asked Katy what her favourite location was and she didn’t have one because she was always filming in a cold claypit! Even when she filmed The Sarah Jane Adventures it was freezing. If she could go anywhere in time and space she would go ‘EVERYWHERE because she is greedy and loves adventure!’ Katy was very cheeky and it was great to meet her.

Day One at the Film & Comic Con Bournemouth was very tiring but it was an honour to meet so many stars. Thank you to everyone for a fantastic day and especially to Showmasters for making this happen. Soon I will be able to tell you all about Day 2, I hope you will come back soon.

Goodbye!

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SF Ball 21, Southampton – February 2015

The Three Doctors - and me!

Hello , and welcome to Sci Fi Ball 21 ! This weekend long convention is run by SFB Events and is in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust . The event was full of Star Guests , entertainment, quizzes and talks for the guests. Sylvester McCoy was one of the Star Guests – that is one of the reasons I went because as you all know he is my FAVOURITE Classic Doctor Who!  Today I popped along for just a few hours with a Day Ticket so I didn’t get to join in with everything but I made the most of my time. I have just came back from there , so I want to tell you all about my day !

When I first arrived at the Grand Harbour Hotel in Southampton I played with what looked like the controls to the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek . Imagine if it was under the floor – the hotel might take off! Then I went upstairs to where the REAL action was . I visited the rooms to look at all the memorabilia  and accessories that were for sale or on display . They  were all to do with Sci Fi , comics and Steampunk .

Two Toms!

In one of the rooms I met Tom from the Bournemouth University Whovian Society . He  was there to promote the Bournemouth Invasion , which is a convention taking place on the 21st of February. We talked about Doctor Who , the irony of our names being the same and then we told stories about how we met some of the Doctors . Tom has met Colin Baker , Matt Smith , Paul McGann and Sylvester McCoy just last night ! I hope I catch up soon !

'Allo Andrew Cartmel

Next I went to one of the rooms which had Andrew Cartmel in it . I actually had gone in that room first , but I had hiccups , so I waited for them to cure . When I finally got to approach him I was very excited because when I get older I want to be a writer like him . I asked him my 3  golden questions . First I asked him where he would go if he could go anywhere in time and space . He said that he would like to travel back to 1950s New York and go to a Jazz Bar on 52nd street to see the Miles Davies Quintet perform when John Coltrane was in the band! His favourite episode of Series 8 was Last Christmas (2014) and his favourite filming location was Cloford Quarry  for Time and The Rani  (1987) as it was such good fun .

I bought a copy of his book Script Doctor which is the inside story of Doctor Who from 1986-1989 . My favourite era of Classic Who ! He also signed a set of postcards with some amazing pictures from that time .

Andrew Cartmel's autographs

Next I went to see the Corridor of Monsters and discovered some Cosplayers and a Dalek along the way. The Dalek looked like it was controlled by a Wii Remote and Nunchuk. He told a Cosplayer dressed as the Tenth Doctor that he smelt and could do with some mouthwash. Cheeky little Dalek!

Down the Corridor of Monsters were lots of fantastico mannequins, many of which I saw at the Timeless Collectors Fair but there were ones I hadn’t seen as well. These are all owned by ‘The Master’ himself! Maybe he uses the models of the Doctor for target practice?

I met Mr Sin again!

Afterwards we went outside for a rest and one of my companions was delighted when she saw James Cosmo from Game of Thrones , so she got a picture – so I put it on here !

James Cosmo - Jeor Mormont from Game of Thrones with one of my companions.

Later I returned to see Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred and finally meet MY Classic Doctor. The queue was quite large but I was happy to wait for them.

The beginning of the queue to see Sylvester and Sophie.

BUT there was a delay and Sylvester and Sophie appeared quite late. I had to be somewhere and I waited as long as I could but sadly it was too long a wait and I didn’t get to meet Sylvester after all :(.

He did walk past me though and I did get a (very blurry) picture so I am happy about that! I still get to look forward to meeting him one day so I’m not too disappointed.

Sorry it is so blurry, it is all I have :(
Sorry it is so blurry, it is all I have 😦

I hope you enjoyed reading about my very short visit to the Sci Fi Ball. Everyone looked like they were having a great time so maybe next year I will go back for the whole thing!

Thank you for reading and I hope you come back soon for another adventure!

Bye.

Sylvester McCoy’s Barnardo’s Appeal – April 2014

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!