In the midst of planning a trip to the UK last year, I suddenly realized I had a whole day with nothing scheduled—24 hours not filled with travel, visiting, or shopping. The same day, the official Doctor Who Facebook page posted an announcement about the Doctor Who Experience opening in Cardiff.Clearly, this was A Sign!
Now, thanks to Sherlock I knew Cardiff was only a few hours’ train ride from London. I quickly contacted a friend who lives near London and we arranged to go together.
The Tardis
There is absolutely no way to describe the feeling you get the first time you walk through the doors of the TARDIS. Bigger on the inside, smaller on the outside, is there a kitchen…
The Doctor: It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it? Tiny box, huge room inside; what’s that about? Let me explain…
Rory: It’s another dimension.
The Doctor: It’s basically another dimen- what?
Rory: After what happened with Prisoner Zero, I’ve been reading up on all the latest scientific theories. FTL travel, parallel universes.
The Doctor: I like the bit when someone says “It’s bigger on the inside!” I always look forward to that.
So that might explain why my friends conspired on a Christmas present: personalized business cards, with a hand-drawn TARDIS on the back.
Back of my business card
They had fun with the front of the card too, as you can see:
Front of my business card
And that’s me in a nutshell: Author, (supposed) genius, and Whovian. I probably won’t hand the cards out in a professional capacity, but they’re fun to have.
Speaking of fun to have, have you ordered your set of Doctor Who stamps from the Royal Mail yet? I’m ordering the presentation set this time—I just got the sheet of Austen stamps last month, and wish I’d spent the extra dollars on the pretty set.
Now for the Top Five Whovian Questions:
1) Favorite Doctor? Eleven, though I’ve yet to meet a Doctor I didn’t like. (Have met One, Nine, Ten, and Eleven.)
2) Favorite episode? “The Doctor’s Wife,” because Neil Gaiman is a genius. Also on the list of constantly-rewatched: “Vincent and the Doctor,” “The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances,” “Christmas Invasion,” and “Partners in Crime.”
3) Favorite monster? Daleks! Absolutely love the Daleks. “Asylum of the Daleks” is another episode I’ve seen multiple times.
4) Who monsters: scary or awesome? Um, scarily awesome? Of course they’re terrifying onscreen, but that’s what makes them so incredible.
5) Who would win a staring match between the Silence and a Weeping Angel? The Angel. Eventually, the Silence would blink, and since the Angel would still be looking at it, they would remember it was there and be able to attack and send it back in time. Hmmm, maybe that’s how the Silence first came to infiltrate Earth in the past!
Now it’s my turn—how would you answer those five questions? Tell me what kind of Whovian you are in the comments.
Author, Genius and Whovian
- Nancy
Nancy Kelley is a Britophile, blogger, and author of Jane Austen sequels. She has two cats instead of a metal dog, but she does believe that if you’re ever passed out from regeneration sickness (or any other ailment, such as work) tea is all you need–it’s just the thing for healing the synapses. You can find Nancy on Twitter @Nancy_Kelley, at nancykelleywrites.com and on Indiejane.org.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
I enjoy reading your story and i LOVE Doctor Who and last year got three of my friends from high school hook on Doctor Who, every Saturday night we have Doctor Who party and love BBC America. just wish they have more British comedy shows on.
I’ve been slowly converting all my friends and my brother into Whovians. In fact, I’ve got a story about that for a later blog post… Recently I realized I basically only watch imported British TV. I do not regret this.
Great post! I’m so jealous that you’ve been to the Doctor Who Experience. Can I hide out in your suitcase on your next trip to England? :)
Here’s my answers:
1) Favorite Doctor? Ten
2) Favorite episode? How do I possibly choose? Not possible.
3) Favorite monster? Weeping Angels
4) Who monsters: Most are just awesome, but the Weeping Angels are downright scary (hence my answer to #3)
5) Who would win a staring match between the Silence and a Weeping Angel? I like your answer and agree 100%.
You would LOVE the Doctor Who Experience! And I’m always willing to let friends sneak along with me on my travels. ;)
The Weeping Angels probably are the scariest monster, baring the possibility of a monster I haven’t met from Classic Who being worse. The fact that there is literally no defense against them is terrifying. (Though I do wonder what would happen if someone took a sledgehammer to one.)
*barring the possibility
Why is “supposed” in parentheses? There is no supposed, you ARE a genius in so many areas: Writing, running the NaNo region, trolling me…
Great reading!! I love Doctor Who and got my mother and daughter hooked. My daughter in turn hooked several of her friends on Who too.
1) Favorite Doctor: 9 was always my fav but I have a soft spot for 10 after my daughter, her friend and I waited for 3 nights outside a theater during the London riots in 2011 to get David and Catherine Tate’s autographs. After she got his autograph and had her pic taken with him she realized the pic didn’t turn out and she called out to him to come back and David took the time, even though there were tons of fan girls (surprisingly a lot of us American girls), to come back and have his pic taken with her again and then asked if it came out okay. I was very impressed as he could have just ignored her but didn’t.
2) Favorite episode: The Doctor Dances/Empty Child….Fantastic!! Christmas Invasion, Turn Left……so hard to choose!!
3) Favorite monster: Weeping Angels. The daughter has a “the angels have the phone box” shirt! :)
4) Monsters scary or awesome: My mother hates the Cybermen. She said the banging when they walk is scary. Mine is the Weeping Angels. I think they are all awesome but I could see a young child being scared of some of them.
5) Have to agree with you on the Weeping Angels!!
That’s a great story about your daughter meeting David Tennant. I’m always impressed with stars who demonstrate that kind of graciousness to their fans.
The Cybermen are scary when they walk. I’m eager to see what Neil Gaiman will do with them for the 12th episode of this series. It’s supposed to have the feel of a ghost story.
I have been slowly turning people into Dr. Who fans one person (family) at a time. :) Glad that you have had a chance to meet some of the Doctors in person. My favorite will always be # 10, but I do enjoy the others.
Turning people into Whovians is one of my favorite pastimes, as Liz can attest to. I can be somewhat unrelenting in the, “No really, you’ll love it! Just give me five episodes and I swear you’ll be a fan,” spiel.
We are a homeschool family: Dad who doesn’t get Dr. Who, Mom who is responsible for introducing the kids to Who-ville, 1 uni-student who ensures Dr. Who gets taped on BBCAmerica everyday, and a set of B/G 12 year twins who live, eat, and breathe Dr. Who. We watch it everyday during our school lunch break. How cool is that??? Not every other school student gets to Dr. Who at school!
1)#10 is our favorite, but #11 is growing on us
2) We cannot agree on one favorite episodes because we just love.so.many…Vincent van Gogh, Dickens, Harriet Jones Prime Minister, and Blink with the Weeping Angels, of course!
3) Favorite Monster would be The Weeping Angels – hands down. We lived in Pinner, Middlesex for 3 years. We spent lots of time in our village cemetary where Horatia Nelson (only daughter of Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson is buried). Creepy, I know, but we learned much about how people grieve and honor their dead through the years, the history of GB – by studying the dates (WW1, WW2, etc.), and art and architecture of grave markers, statues, etc. So we reflect on our cemetary trips when The Weeping Angels are on.
4) Who monsters scary or awesome? A bit of both really.
5) A Weeping Angel would so outstare the Silence anyday and twice on Sunday!!
I’d love to watch Doctor Who every day at lunch time! When my roommate and I were catching up, we watched during dinner every evening. That left something of a hole when we finished…
My sister hooked my on Doctor Who. I am a librarian at a public library where I have purchased many DW books (fiction and nonfiction)to try hooking new fans. Going to the Doctor Who Experience in May during our 2nd trip to the UK.
1). fav Doctor? #9, though 10 is a VERY close second.
2). fav episode? It’s too hard, don’t make me choose :-) Though #9 is my fav, my fav companion is Donna. So just about any episode she was in.
3). fav monster? weeping angels
4). Who monsters: scary or awesome? I agree – scarily awsome
5). Who would win a staring match between the Silence and a Weeping Angel? Again, I agree – the Weeping Angels.
I work at a public library that’s just starting to add entertainment DVDs to the collection. You can bet I requested we order Doctor Who!
I got my husband hooked on Doctor Who. Our 5 year olds are growing up with it too.
1) Favorite Doctor? I <3 <3 Nine because he was MY FIRST DOCTOR, if you know what I mean, but I acknowledge TEN as the best I've seen so far. …Also, I'm very fond of Eleven.
2)Favorite episode? Hard to say, but The Doctor's Wife and Blink are definitely on the list.
3) Favorite monster? Daleks. Daleks are cool.
4)Monsters: scary or awesome? Yes.
5)Who would win the staring match? Silence. He just has to stare at the Angel as he walks around behind it. Then the Angel would forget.
Okay, that is an excellent point. The Silence wouldn’t have to turn around, he could just walk around behind the Angel.
Love the business cards…they are fabulous..
Favorite Doctor: The Doctor ( refuse to pick) have liked them all,
Favorite Episode: a very long list…Vincent makes me cry everytime, love the Doctors Wife always makes me smile…..
Favorite monster: Daleks but more recent monster, Weeping Angels and Silence are super creepy too
Stare down: pretty evenly matched but I think the Angels would win in the end..