Why Star Trek matters to me

With Star Trek’s 50^th anniversary here, it feels like a good time to reflect on just why this sci-fi franchise means so much to me for six important reasons.

1.       Mego action figures: My first sci-fi toys – A good couple of years before Palitoy released their 3 ¾” Star Wars figures in the UK I was given a 8” Mr Spock figure by my parents. I loved it. A Klingon, Captain Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and The Keeper (Balok the puppet from The Corbomite Maneuver) followed in due course, but how I loved the removable phaser and communicator. Even when McCoy’s leg broke at the knee and I had to Sellotape it solid, nothing diminished my love for these toys, which were also compatible with the Mego Planet of the Apes figures, thus allowing a crossover of the franchises some 40 years before IDW’s comic book.

2.       1971 Star Trek annual: My first sci-fi book – In hindsight, the World Distributors Star Trek annuals we’re pretty poor. They seemed light years away from the show that I was watching on TV, but they were in full colour, unlike what I was watching on our small black and white set. And I could read the stories whenever I wanted. I didn’t have to wait for the next episode to be shown on – this was Star Trek on tap. The 1971 one was acquired for me second-hand from a jumble sale but it was a great alternative to my other comics and kid literature.    

3.       Tony Todd interview: My first professionally published interview – Having read starburst as a child I finally felt that I’d made it when my first interview was published in the magazine. Interviewing the Candyman actor at the 1997 Starfleet Ball in Bournemouth, the experience was exhilarating, Todd was an affable guest and there was a real thrill seeing the article in print with my name next to it. 19 years later and the thrill of interviewing a guest is still with me.

4.       Leonard Nimoy interview: Meeting my hero – Of all the people I have ever interviewed, Leonard Nimoy is the one where I was most star struck.  Even as I was asking the questions, inside me I could feel the inner fanboy screaming ‘Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Ultimately he was just, of course, an old man with a hearing aid, answering questions he’s heard umpteen times before. But he was gracious enough to treat me as if he’d never heard them before. They say you should never meet your heroes as they are bound to disappoint. Nonsense. You just need to choose the right heroes. When he died in February last year I shed some big tears. I felt like I’d been robbed of a part of my childhood.   

5.       Patrick Stewart: My first official licensed interview – While meeting the good Captain Picard was not my first Star Trek interview, it was the first to appear in the official, Paramount-licenced Star Trek Magazine. What a buzz in seeing this as the lead cover story and knowing that this was being sold around the world. Mr Stewart (not yet a Sir) was at the Starfleet Ball in Bournemouth and I caught him in a break between photo and autograph sessions. He asked for a drink – it wasn’t tea. Earl Grey. Hot. Reality kicked in.   

6.       Star Trek Experience: My new wife’s first Klingon encounter – A mere two days after our wedding in Vegas, Justine and I visited the Star Trek Experience in the Las Vegas Hilton. We squealed as Borg implants dug into our back during Borg Invasion 4D, we gasped as we materialised onto the bridge of the Enterprise in The Klingon Encounter, we ate tea in Quark’s Bar, marvelling at the menu which included s alas called Sulu Toss.  Sadly, its shut down 2.5 years later in September 2008, just before the new films revitalised the franchise. As you’d expect, we also did the behind-the-scenes tour, and Justine’s first printed document with her new surname was a certificate proclaiming that she’d survived the encounter.

And that’s just the tip of the warp nacelle. I’ve also watched over 700 episodes, 13 movies, read countless articles, books and comics, interviewed 50 actors within the Trek-verse (including George Takei, Brent Spiner, Kate Mulgrew), collected Weetabix cards, attended exhibitions, conferences, conventions and concerts, and gone as Spock in fancy dress (not cosplay, that didn’t exist as a phrase back then). I’ve also written a 20,000 word history of the first 40 years of star Trek. As you can see, Stark Trek and me - we’ve got history.

Happy 50^th birthday. LLAP!

Six important Broadchurch locations NOT found in Dorset: The Clevedon trail

It would be reasonable to think that all location shooting for Broadchurch takes place in or around West Bay in Dorset, home of those imposing cliffs that feature in the show’s marketing. But you’d be wrong in that belief, as a lot of the filming actually takes place on the northern coast of Somerset in Clevedon, some 70 miles north of its Dorset cousin.

Clevedon is a Victorian seaside town overlooking the Severn Estuary, sitting 13 miles down from Bristol and 10 up miles from Weston-Super-Mare, just off the M5. Many people visit for the famous Grade 1 listed pier (featured in movie Never Let me Go and One direction’s video ‘You and I’) but our eyes are on the Broadchurch trail and six key locations NOT found in Dorset.

1. Broadchurch parish church and cemetery - Starting at Marine Lake it’s a quick walk along the coastal path (Poet’s walk) to St Andrew’s Church, a 12^th century structure with sprawling graveyard that looks out to the estuary. Many scenes form both seasons one and two of the show were filmed here, notably Danny Latimer’s funeral and subsequent exhumation. Depending on the day you visit you may be able to go inside, but it was locked on the Saturday afternoon we called by.

2. The Latimer house – Bear south from the churchyard, cross the small Land Yeo river and you’re on Marshall’s Field recreation ground where you’ll soon spot the Latimers’ house on the perimeter. Many scenes have been filmed looking out of the kitchen window and across the green to the steep bank. The Latimers’ house is privately owned, so do respect their privacy.

3. Amusement arcade – Loop back to Salthouse Fields play park and skateboard park behind Marine Lake carry on north up towards the pier. You’ll find a tiny amusement arcade on your right which is where the Latimer’s had a game of air hockey in their brief moment of fun. I was going to take a photo but the controller/overseer looked a bit formidable...

4. Jack Marshall’s newsagents – Possibly the greatest difference there has ever been between the exterior and interior of a newsagents – 70 miles! With exteriors in west Bay and interiors in Clevedon, there’s some time rift going on here! Continue north form the amusements, past the bandstand and turn right directly opposite the pier (though it is itself worth a stroll). At 16 Alexandra Road you’ll find Alexandra News – you can’t miss it as they have stills with cast members in the window.

5. Broadchurch Echo office – Turn left onto Bellevue Road and follow it round until it becomes Hill Road. Here’s the Broadchurch high street where the families walked in the re-enactment of Danny’s disappearance. The newspaper offices are actually The Food Market @ Seeley’s, an indoor market which sadly was derelict when we visited.

6. The Traders Hotel – Directly opposite the newspaper’s office is The Trader’s hotel where David Tennant’s Hardy and stayed in Season 1 and the defence team stayed in series 2. It's actually a former Lloyds bank. Interiors were filmed up the coast, along Wellington Terrace to Walton Park Hotel.

So there you have it, a whistle stop tour of Clevedon’s many Broadchurch locations. Come for the Broadchurch locations but stay for the atmosphere and spend some time in the boutiques, coffee shops and art shops.  

Doctor Who: On location in Cardiff for Season 9

For a Doctor Who fan, getting the chance to watch some location filming up close and personal is surely there on the bucket list? You get to see a scene or two played out in front of you, your favourite characters are in full costume and you might be able to grab a selfie and autograph or two. But by its very nature, you can’t plan for it, and that’s what makes the experience so sweet.

Crashing a location shoot relies on being in the right place at the right time. Having booked tickets for the Cardiff leg of the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular some four months previously, it was always a hope that the visit would tie-in with some filming, but what were the chances of finding out in good time, and what if they were in a private location or the studio those days?   

I’d already been alerted that filming had taken place on Friday 22^nd May at Canal Park, sitting somewhere between Cardiff Bay and the city centre. This felt like awful timing – why couldn’t I have been there that day? But then the word on the street was that filming at the location would continue on the Bank Holiday Monday (the same day as the concert) and minutes away from my hotel.

And so, at midday on 25^th May I joined a crowd of around 30-40 fans, locals and tourists in watching a series of takes focusing on the TARDIS as The Doctor (Peter Capaldi), Clara (Jenna Coleman) and Osgood (Ingrid Oliver) said their farewells. I won’t spoil any more of the story points which have already started circulating, and the BBC had already revealed in advance that Osgood was returning for this story.

The playground location has previously appeared on the show in Army of Ghosts and where Rose spotted the ‘Bad Wolf’ graffiti in The Parting of the Ways. This time round a mysterious alien ‘paw print’ had been added to the park signage. Friday’s filming had centred on a Zygon attack in the season 9 two-parter by Peter Harness, today it was all about fond farewells. What really strikes you about watching filming is just how long everything takes, just how many people are involved, and how the lighting crew are constantly compensating for the changing light – filling in, blocking and adding light sources where required as clouds break or the sun shines.

As has previously been said many times before, Peter Capaldi loves his fans. In the 2.5 hours I was present he came over and saw fans at the barrier on four occasions, signing autographs and posing for photos. He took time to talk to everyone, asking where they’d come from and generally being as nice as you’d want him to be. Jenna Coleman and Ingrid Oliver also visited the fans and were equally polite, though understandably it was Peter who was doing the lion’s share of the work. I’d met him twice before, but seeing him kitted in his Doctor gear made it extra special.

I can’t wait to see how the scenes appear in the final episode once edited, graded and placed in the right part of the running time. Unfortunately the actors were working until 11pm that night so wouldn’t get the chance to watch the Symphonic Spectacular, and they also had to work on a Bank Holiday! A big thank you to the cast and crew for indulging this fan boy, making it feel special to be a fan and being able to witness a part of this 50+ year old phenomena.  

Ólafur Arnalds - The Bridport homecoming gig

On 23rd February, Icelandic composer, multi-instrumentalist and music composer Ólafur Arnalds descended on the small Dorset coastal resort of Bridport. The previous night he'd filled the main hall at London's Barbican and yet he specifically requested the 500-capacity 1920s cinema/arts venue be included on his latest tour, which also takes in Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. The reason? This was his homecoming gig, and yet this wasn't his actual home. But if anyone can claim to have given a town a theme, a soundtrack for its scenery, it's Arnalds. 

By scoring two series of ITV's popular crime drama Broadchurch, the composer has indelibly etched his mix of weeping string quartet, dissonant trombone, wayward horns and keyboard/piano on this stretch of Jurassic coast. Walk along the quay or up the steep incline of the cliffs up from West Bay and it's Ólafur's beautiful compositions that you'll hear, and that's why hundreds of locals and fans dragged themselves out on a cold and wet Monday night. Of course, the added attraction was the way that the gig had transformed itself from being just a date on the tour to being a local première of Broadchurch's season finale. 

Coincidence or just serendipity? Whatever the reason, the opportunity was taken to show the last episode on the big screen, with the added glamour of series star Jodie Whittaker introducing it. 

Series creator and writer Chris Chibnall was also to hand, taking the opportunity to get a live audience reaction to the cheeky twists and turns he'd added to the episode - ITV News was also on hand to capture the audience's shock/awe/screeches.

But the screening, celebrity intro and media interest were just the icing on the cake. The main event was Ólafur's wonderful music and he didn't disappoint with a set of nearly 90-minutes, carefully leaving time for the stage to be struck in time for the 9 o'clock screening. 

Primarily drawn from his Broadchurch scores and album For Now I am Winter, the latter includes collaborations with vocalist Arnór Dan, who also appeared on stage to perform tracks from that album, as well as So Close and So Far, the end credits songs on Broadchurch. Both Olafur and Arnór made light of the fact that only a few seconds of the tracks are heard on screen before the continuity announcer cuts in. So here was the chance to indulge in both songs in full without the interruptions.

Arnalds also played a track from the finale we were about to watch, and while it was possible to pick it out during the episode, it was competing with the on-screen drama. What we got here wasn't quite Broadchurch unplugged but Broadchurch uninterrupted - pure music without all the acting, sound effects and scenery. 

The last regular piece before the encore was Beth's Theme (or Jodie's Theme, as Olafur renamed it for that night in honour of his guest). Its simple melody, underscored by the melancholy strings, is the very heart of the show's soundtrack. Grief, loss and the stirrings of hope all come through. It's the score's highlight and goosebumps mingled with sobs as the sheer power of it enveloped the enchanted audience.

Hopefully not a one-off - Olafur said he'd like to return - this was a unique event. The composer has conjured sonic alchemy - he has turned some rock into music gold. Few towns can boast their own soundtrack, Bridport and West Bay have never had it so good.

Meeting the Doctors

Here's the continuing story of my encounters with The Doctor: With a bumper update for August 2018

William Hartnell - Sadly, I never met him or saw him before he died. I met his wife, Heather, at Longleat 1983 where she signed a Richard Hurndall postcard!

Patrick Troughton - My one occasion to see Patrick was on 4 April 1983 at the legendary Longleat Doctor Who 20th Anniversary convention. Luckily we had tickets, so weren't turned away at the gates as so many fans were. After hours of queuing outside the Orangery, I met Pat (and Sarah Sutton) and he signed a publicity photograph from The Five Doctors. Sadly, this postcard has been long lost.

(Update: August 7th 2018 - Special Edition of Doctor who Magazine has a photo of Trina and I with Patrick at the above event! This photo was taken 35 years previously and i never knew it existed. I never knew that I was in a photo with him. What an amazing discovery!

Jon Pertwee - I also saw Jon Pertwee at the Longleat event on 4 April 1983. Jon was being interviewed by Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart on a safari boat, docked on the river. I ran down to the water's edge, called his name and the photo was taken when he turned round.  

Tom Baker -  I first met Tom in August 1997 at a Longleat Doctor Who event for a news piece I wrote for TV Zone magazine, just a taster for a lengthy interview with him about his autobiography that September - Who on Earth is Tom Baker? I saw him again at a convention in Barking in 2009 where Andy and I posed for a photo, and again at the Time Quest 2 convention in March 2010.  

Peter Davison - I've met Peter on many occasions. First was a signing event at the Stamp Centre in central London, followed by autographs at The Doctors convention in Time Quest 2 and Projects MotorMouth 1 and 2 in 2013. I also saw him live on stage at the Doctor Who Prom 2013 and the Excel 50th Anniversary conference. He was also be host at the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular and I saw him at the launch of his autobiography in October 2016.

Colin Baker - I first met Colin on Bournemouth Pier after a performance of farce Run for your Wife in 1995. I then interviewed him for TV Zone at a Doctor Who Longleat event in August 1998. Further autos were picked up at Fleet Air Museum, Time Quest 2 and PMM1, though sadly he was too late to be in the group photo for the latter. I also saw him as Inspector Morse in the touring stage play in September 2010 and at the Excel November 2013. I finally got his photo at convention in Salisbury in July 2017!

Sylvester McCoy - I first met Sylv at the RSC Stratford following his performance as a Fool in King Lear in September 2007. I then saw him as Mushnik in The Little Shop of Horrors musical in Brighton October 2009. He was at Time Quest 2 and PMM1 conventions, as well as Fleet Air Museum. I also him on stage at the Excel, November 2013.

Paul McGann - I met Paul at the bar in Shakespeare's Globe August 2009 following his performance in Helen. He was also at The Doctors and PMM1. 

John Hurt - I met John Hurt at Brighton Film and Comic Con in November 2015. I had tickets to see him in  Kenneth Branagh's production of The Entertainer in summer 2016 but he had to pull out due to illness and sadly passed away soon after. 

Christopher Ecclestone - I met Chris at the Donmar Warehouse stage door following his performance with Gillian Anderson in A Doll's House June 2009. I also watched him on stage at National Theatre in June 2012 for Antigone (which also starred Jodie Whittaker in the lead role), but he didn't come out to sign that time. Finally got his photo at a fund-raising event in April 2016 in Newbury and at the RSC Stratford in July 2018.

David Tennant - First saw David on stage at the RSC Stratford after Hamlet in October 2008, where I grabbed an autograph among the throng of admiring fans at the stage door. The same month and at the same venue venue I saw him in Love's Labours Lost? I also also saw him on stage with Catherine Tate in Much Ado About Nothing. It was PMM1 in Jan 2013 when I finally got a decent autograph from him and a group photo with the other Doctors present. I also saw him at Stratford RSC again as Richard II in October 2013 and in Don Juan in Soho in April 2017.

Matt Smith - I first saw Matt in person at a BAFTA event for the premiere of The Pandorica Opens June 2010 though I didn't get his autograph until the official BBC convention in Cardiff May 2012. I got a photo with him at the 50th Celebration on 22 November 2013. Elsewhere I saw him on stage at the July 2011 and 2013 Doctor Who Proms, the lead in American Psycho the Musical at the Almeida in December 2013 and Unreachable at the Royal Court in July 2016.

Peter Capaldi - I joined the scrambling masses at the barriers of the Deep Breath premiere in Cardiff and was lucky to get an autograph from him (and Sam Anderson) in August 2014. There's also a photo of the back of my head next to him - though that hardly counts. So it was great on November 30th 2015 to get a decent photo and less scribbly autograph. In May 2015 I watched Peter filming The Zygon Inversion in Cardiff. In November 2015 I was lucky enough to interview Peter at the BBC and have a photo with him at the Doctor Who Festival at the Excel.

 

 

Jodie Whittaker - And now Doctor 13. I was lucky enough to meet Jodie in March 2015 at a Broadchurch event in Bridport. Dorset, where she signed my BluRay sleeve. She's also the first Doctor I've seen in a play (and with a former Doctor - Eccleston) prior to being cast. On 11th August Jodie presented a special Behind the Screen: Films of My Life event at Somerset House. At the end she agreed to pose for selfies for all 60 people. What a star!   

This is why I won’t be using Halfords Christchurch for my bike repairs ever again

Halfords are really convenient. They're open 7 days a week, and til 8pm most days. My local bike shop is only open six days a week but shuts before I get home. I’d rather support a local business, but unfortunately Halfords wins here.

That’s until I actually use them. I currently am waiting for a phone call to say that my bike is repaired. They've had it for two weeks. It's a simple case of replacing a set of gears wheels (not the technical term  - I leave them to do work that out).

Here's the story so far:

• Tuesday28 October – 6pm I take in bike because chain keeps slipping. Am told that earliest they can look at it is Friday 31st. They’ll call me when they’ve looked at it.
• Friday 31 October – No call all day
• Saturday 1 November – I call, but phone rings and rings. No answer. I decide to call in in person. The technician isn’t in today so no-one has any idea what he has diagnosed. He’ll call me tomorrow.
• Sunday 2 November – No call all day
• Monday 3 November – Call shop again. I still haven't had a call. Speak to technician. Oh yes, you need some new parts to be fitted. I’ve ordered them. Should be in by the end of the week.
• Friday 7 November – Call in again. Technician isn’t in today so I don’t know what’s going on. He’ll call you tomorrow
• Saturday 8 November – No call all day (But then you probably guessed that didn't you)
• Monday 10 November – Got through to technician. STILL waiting for parts. We’ll call you when it’s done.
• Thursday 13 November – No call, no idea what’s happening

So Halfords have had my bike for two weeks now for a fairly simple repair. It's a bike that they themselves sold to me two years ago and the parts as such shouldn’t be hard to get.

I ride my bike to work every day (20-mile round trip). Luckily I’ve been able to borrow another bike but why should I have to?

I will instead go to my local bike repair shop. They might only be open for shorter hours but at least they return my calls and tell me what’s going on. They aren’t more interested in making up lots of kids' bikes for Christmas or selling me 3 for 2 inner tubes.

This isn't even the first time this has happened. I've had occasions where my chain broke on the way home but I couldn’t leave the bike there over night because their stock room was full. One time I got so fed up being ignored that I stood at the desk and RANG their switchboard so that the phone next to me would ring. They then stopped chatting among themselves to see what I wanted.

Here endeth my rant. They don't care about me. When I eventually get my bike they will try to sell me some Gold star service plan, which I will politely decline. I will explain why and say goodbye.

Doctor Who Season 8: End-of-term report

And so, just three months after Peter Capaldi met his adoring public for the first time as Doctor Who at the Deep Breath premiere in Cardiff, we've had the opportunity to enjoy his entire first season. None of this split-season nonsense - a full batch of 12 episodes to give him a run-in, and what a season it has been. Spoilers  follow.

Here's my review of the episodes in transmission order:

Deep Breath (8) - An accomplished introduction of Capaldi, and by the end we were in no doubt (if ever there was any) that we're in safe hands. The scenes of Clara in the clockwork robot's lair are very tense, as is the meeting between Clara/The Doctor in the restaurant. Great direction by Ben Wheatley, and by using THAT cameo and surrounding The Doctor with the Paternoster Gang this helped the transition. It looked and felt very different to what we were used to.  
 
Into the Dalek (7) - Fab Dalek spaceship action and some great battles. The inside of the Dalek itself didn't quite feel right, as evidenced by various bits of cheap tubing. Sam Anderson makes a great intro as Danny Pink (we'll be seeing more of him!)

Robot of Sherwood (5) - I love Mark Gatiss as a writer, but this one just seemed a bit inconsequential. The bickering between The Doctor and Robin soon grew very tiring, and even if Clara looked great in her flowing robe, this just didn't work for me. It could have been any Doctor playing this one and the resolution with the golden arrow just felt lazy. 

Listen (9) - Now this is more like it. Moffat doing big, creepy ideas. Addressing the monster under the bed, some timey-wimey science and a flashback to The Doctor's childhood, What's not to love?  

Time Heist (6) - Ocean's 11 in space, or sci-fi Hustle, the premise is sound and familiar, and this rates as one of those solid episodes that just sits there, filling the season's quota. Keeley Hawes is notably OTT, but The Teller is a fun monster with the ability to turn your brain to soup. The ending is just a variation on the previous season's Hide and was anyone really surprised at the identity of the mastermind behind it all?    

The Caretaker (6) - Less The Lodger/Closing Time and more like his Sarah-Jane Adventures, Gareth Roberts' Grange Hill with a robot is actually more fun that it initially promises thanks to some clever dialogue and a great performance from Ellis George as rebel school kid Courtney. Danny really comes into his own here, which helps divert you form the pretty rubbish big bad - the Skovox Blitzer

Kill the Moon (7) - Taking the show completely into the realm of fantasy (the Moon is an egg?) this boasts such huge conceits that it wins points for its cheek. Great monster, nice cool supporting performance from Hermione Norris, an allegory for abortion and The Doctor showing his ruthlessness. Wow!
 
Mummy on the Orient Express (8) - No-one expected this to be good, so what a treat that it not only ticked all the right boxes but also proved to be a rollicking adventure with a cool high concept idea (the clock ticks down on-screen as the monster sees you) harking back to old Who. And a great new writer in the form of Jamie Mathieson.

Flatline (8) - Proving that he's no one-trick pony, Mathieson's other script this season again confounds initial fears that it's going to be a ho-hum Earth-set filler. Instead we great some neat ideas about a 3D menace, some amazing CGI effects, comedy gold around the shrinking TARDIS and a cool hero moment at the end. Spooky and fun.

In the Forest of the Night (5) - Frank Cottrell Boyce's fairy tale about a magic forest just didn't work for me. Not enough jeopardy, some very dodgy animal CGI, a reset switch and a general lack of pace - this was the season's lop point for me. And what was it with the missing sister appearing from behind the bush at the end? WTF
  
Dark Water (9) - Loved this. Great pace, a fantastic reveal, a labyrinthine plot, some huge shocks and a wonderful performance from Michelle Gomez as Missy. This is what cliffhangers were invented for - a story that fully deserves its long running time.

Death in Heaven (8) - Inevitably, this cannot match the power of the first-part, mainly because the big surprises and twists have been revealed. Great set-piece on the plane and in the graveyard, though not happy about the Brigadier Cyberman. Just seemed a bit macabre. The final departure is very well done, with the double-lies of Clara and the Doctor meaning that they are both in a bad place. Really not looking forward to the Santa meets Alien Christmas special.

Average season score – 7.2

I loved Capaldi. He’s just wonderful as The Doctor. He hasn’t set a foot wrong all year. Jenna Coleman has also been given the chance to shine as Clara – right from Deep breath and up to her departure. Has this been at the expense of developing The Doctor? Maybe, but it also meant she could become more than The Impossible Girl. Kudos also to Sam Anderson as Danny Pink, the man with demons who paid the ultimate price. 

In all, a solid season with plenty of evidence that even at 51 this programme is still willing and able to take risks.