Barking signing - 1st August 2015

Today was the latest Barking signing event organised by Tenth Planet Events.

Barking Signing - 1st August 2015

The way things work is you buy an autograph for £10 a piece, and if you buy four you get a fifth free.
This was perfect, as out of the ten guests, I needed exactly five for my book!

NATHAN MCMULLEN played the Wolf in the Doctor Who television story Last Christmas.


First of all I got Nathan McMullen who alongside Dan Starky, played the elves in the recent Christmas special. Dan was also there, but I already had his signature from when we shared a wait at the departure gate of LAX airport following Gallifrey One earlier this year.

I got Nathan to sign the same page, just under Dan’s enormous autograph.

JOHN D. COLLINS played Talor in the Doctor Who story Arc of Infinity. He is better known as RAF Flight Lieutenant Fairfax, one of the two British airmen being kept in hiding by the French Resistance in the Second World War sitcom 'Allo 'Allo!.


I then got John D Collins, who was an absolute gentleman to talk to.

CLAIRE HUCKLE played Crystal in the audio story Doctor Who - The Ultimate Adventure.


Clare Huckle was an audio companion on the Big Finish adaptation of The Ultimate Adventure.

I got her to sign the same page as Lisa Bannerman, and she remarks how one of her first jobs was playing in panto with Lisa many years ago.

In a different room were four iconic script editors from the series: Donald Tosh, Terance Dicks, Eric Saward and Andrew Cartmell. Collectively they oversaw approximately 17 years of Doctor Who!!

ANDREW CARTMEL was the script editor for the classic series of Doctor Who during its last three seasons.

ERIC SAWARD worked as a writer and later script editor for Doctor Who during the 1980s.
Saward had a particular fondness for the Cybermen and wrote stories that connected the Doctor to important events in Earth's history.

TERRANCE DICKS, script edited the Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee eras of Doctor Who and wrote many episodes, novels and novelisations.

DONALD TOSH was script editor for a number of Doctor Who stories.


I was very interested in meeting Donald, as I had previously meet him back in 1992 when I made a documentary about The Prisoner, the enigmatic series from the 1960s starring and part written by Patrick McGoohan.

He had written a story outline that failed to develop into a script, so was part of the legend and mystery that clouded the series.
Luckily Donald remembered me and we had a brief chat about when we had met previously. I gave him a DVD of the complete documentary, which I hope he enjoys.

I already had Andrew Cartmell and Terance Dicks in my book from their last appearance at Gallifrey One, so it as just Eric Saward I needed from this stella collection of script editing greats.



Also in the line up were Carolyn Seymour and Doreen Mantell, neither of whom appeared in Doctor Who, but are famous in their own rights.

As usual with these events, once everyone had their autographs the guests were gathered together for an informal interview panel. The intended host was unavailable, so it feel to Malcolm, the photographer to pose the questions and keep things moving.

There were a lot of interesting chat, but the stand out for me was a discussion between Terrance and Eric about the writing of The Five Doctors. Terance, who had been a past script editor, was called while a convention in the US by Eric, who was the then incumbent script editor.

He said, “Hello Terance, it’s Eric here”. “But I don’t know anyone called Eric!” Replied Terrance! Once the confusion was cleared up Eric asked Terrance to write the anniversary special. He was very flattered, but this quickly turned to anger when he found out Robert Holmes had been asked too, but things weren't going well. This was unfair on Robert, as well as being awkward for Terrance who greatly respected Robert’s work.

Terrance cracked on with writing the episode and got a call from Eric to see how it was going. Hearing he had completed the first draft, Eric said “Oh dear”, which wasn't what Terrance was expecting. “Tom’s pulled out - so you need to write around him!” From this they concocted the use of the Shada clips and Tom being trapped in a time vortex.
Terrance very much liked the inserts used, and bemoaned that the best bit of the episode was a scene he DIDN’T write!

Barking signing - 4th July 2015

It‘s only been a week since the last Tenth Planet event, and already I’m off to Barking library again to meet up with almost a dozen Doctor Who celebrities.

Barking Signing - 4th July 2015

It was great to speak to some of these guys, as the queues were often not too long so you could have the opportunity for a bit of an extended chat.

The event is also very reasonably priced. Each autograph (regardless of notoriety) is £10. But if you buy four, you get a fifth for free - which at £8 a hit makes them the cheapest I’ve seen anywhere.

The stand-out attendee for me (and I think a lot of people) was Frank Windsor, who’s first of two Doctor Who appearances was alongside Peter Davison.

FRANK WINDSOR His most famous role was as Detective Sergeant John Watt in Z-Cars from 1962-65, and thereafter its spin-offs Softly, Softly and Softly, Softly: Taskforce from 1966-76. From 1987-89 he starred in the comedy drama Flying Lady written by Brian Finch.

But to Doctor Who fans he is best known as Ranulf Fitzwilliam in The King's Demons and Inspector Mackenzie in Ghost Light.


The queue for him was quite long, but I discovered it was because he was happy to spend a bit of time with each person as he met them.

He was old (a respectful 87 years old) and frail, but sharp as a button and happily posed for a photos as he signed my book.

It was an honour to shake his hand.

Of the rest of the guests today, here are the ones I got in my book:

CHRISTOPHER BENJAMIN appeared in several Doctor Who stories: as Sir Keith Gold in Inferno, Henry Gordon Jago in The Talons of Weng-Chiang, and Colonel Hugh in The Unicorn and the Wasp. He also voiced Tardelli in the Big Finish Doctor Who audio story Grand Theft Cosmos.

I had previously met Christopher when I interviewed him for a documentary about his work on The Prisoner tv series, starring alongside Patrick McGoohan. He remembered me, so it was nice to see him again.


TREVOR BAXTER played Professor George Litefoot in the Doctor Who story The Talons of Weng-Chiang. He returned to the role in the audio story The Mahogany Murderers and the Jago and Litefoot audio series.

MARCUS GILBERT played Ancelyn in serial Battlefield.


When I was about to get his autograph I remembered I had got Angela Bruce at Gallifrey One this year, so quickly found the right page for him to sign alongside her.

While he was signing he asked where I had met her and I explained about Gallifrey One and how 3,500 fan attend.

This caught the interest in the guest next to him, Barbara Kinghorn, who asked how she could get invited along!


BARBARA KINGHORN played Timmin in the Doctor Who television story The Caves of Androzani.

Next I spoke to Ronald Pickup, who was a well known name on BBC drama in the 1960s and 70s.


I can recall him getting a Radio Times cover to himself.

RONALD PICKUP played a physician in the Doctor Who story The Reign of Terror. He also provided the voice of Kestorian in the Big Finish Doctor Who Adventure Time Works, and of Elder Bones in Spaceport Fear.

ROY SPENCER  appeared in two Doctor Who television stories of the 1960s. He played Manyak in The Ark and Frank Harris in Fury from the Deep.









TIM PREECE played Codal in the Doctor Who serial Planet of the Daleks.

GEORGE LAYTON is best known for three television roles – Junior Dr Paul Collier in the comedy series Doctor in the House and its various follow-ups; Bombardier 'Solly' Solomons in the first two series of It Ain't Half Hot Mum; and as Des the mechanic in earlier episodes of Minder.

In 1969 he played a small role in The Space Pirates.

George was more than happy to sign my book!


SHIRIN TAYLOR played a camper in The Stones of Blood and a customer in Dragonfire.


I had a nice chat with Tony Osoba. I asked him about the costume he wore for Destiny Of the Daleks, a creation by legendary designer June Hudson.


He remembered it distinctly, as great care had to be taken not to get the costume dirty, especially while working on a messy sand pit for filming!


TONY OSOBA played Lan in Destiny of the Daleks, Kracauer in Dragonfire and Duke in Kill the Moon.

There were only two guests attending who were already in my book. There were:

DERRICK SHERWIN who was script editor of Doctor Who from The Web of Fear to The Mind Robber. He was then producer from The War Games to Spearhead from Space, overseeing the transition from Patrick Troughton’s Second Doctor to Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor; the production’s conversion from monochrome to colour; and the re-tooling of the series to a one of Earth-bound, present-day adventures. Sherwin is also an actor, with a several roles on television in the 1950s and 1960s. He made a cameo appearance in Spearhead from Space as a UNIT commissionaire.

REMI GOODING played Rupert Pink in the Doctor Who television story Listen.

Heads up! 'FREE' Panama hats!

For those Fifth Doctor fans in the UK, there is a special offer intros weekend’s (Saturday 4th July 2015) Daily Mail that may be of interest.

The paper are offering a, in their own words, a stylish Panama Hat for free (with multiple purchases of the newspaper - ah, there is always a catch) worth £19.99.

It does caveat the offer that the hat is Panama style, so not a genuine Panama-made hat.

But if you are after a cheap, but decent quality hat, it may be worth checking it out.

If you order one of these hats I’d love to hear how they look and if it was worth getting. Message me!

Original 5th Doctor items on eBay - May 2015

This is a rather nice item that’s for sale on eBay at the moment. Bit better than anything in the Bonhams Entertainment Memorabilia sale this summer.

Earthshock Earth Troopers Helmet

£1,200

Doctor Who Earthshock (1982) Original Production Earth Troopers Helmet

An original Earth Troopers helmet worn on screen in Earthshock (1982) starring Peter Davison as the Doctor.

The helmet is made from fibreglass. This helmet is still in it's original condition, hasn't been repainted like other helmets that where used in another Doctor Who story. This Trooper helmet still has the original lights in the sides, also has the cradle inside that goes around the actor's head. The helmet is still in a lovely screen used condition !

I only know of a few of these's helmet out there, a very rare Doctor Who prop.

Comes with display stand.



This item comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

Symphonic Spectacular “in doubt” - thanks Captain Jack!

Like a lot of Doctor Who fans, I’m booked to see the first performance of the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular this weekend at the SSE Wembley Arena.

I booked my tickets way back in July, so it’s been a long time coming but suddenly it’s barely a day away.

So imagine my shock to see the front page of today’s Sun newspaper.

I relates a story that the live semi finals of Britain’s Got Talent are in doubt due to the discovery of an unexploded Second World War bomb beneath a nearby car park!


Before needing to read beyond the headline I happened to know that they shoot at a studios in Wembley, not far from the Stadium and Arena - so if Britain’s Got Talent is affected, then you can guarantee its gonna have an effect on the concert at the Wembley Arena too!


If you look on their aerial map, the Wembley Arena is the squarish building halfway between the BOMB FOUND HERE and the WEMBLEY STADIUM, slightly to the left.

Some further online research turned up the venue’s Twitter feed, which wasn’t too optimistic of my chances of seeing the concert this weekend.

We shall see.....

For some reason I now can’t get a picture of Captain Jack Harkness out of my mind!

Question Mark braces - BACK IN STOCK!

GRAB THEM WHILE YOU CAN!!

After the last batch sold out in only a few weeks, I’ve received a heavy box this week containing my latest supply of Fifth and Sixth Doctor braces.

They look as fantastic as ever, and if you want to get yourself a set, get in touch!

The braces are made from non-elastic cotton wadding, with cast metal clips on the ends with leather button-on connectors.

This is exactly how the original braces were.



The question marks are, just like the real thing, embroidered on with some of them upside down and mirrored.

The braces come in one size, and are adjustable to fit.

If you want to get you hands on a set of these fantastic braces, they are priced at GB£75 each.

UK shipping: £5
Global shipping: £15

Email me at tennantcoat@me.com 
and I can send you full details.