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Top left clockwise: Keith groover, Jordan Simons, Bret Crow, Harry Hansen

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I decided to look around on spotify and found this beauty

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i keep seeing this cut off but the preceding “yessiree” is vital to it imo

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ABBA - Gimme Gimme Gimme

8-bit version (square waves)

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I’ve watched this video so many times I swear I’ve memorized it.

“DON’T GET ME STARTED ON THE FUCKING NAVY-“

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people who don't wear glasses are so weird like you just wake up and your eyes are pussy fresh??

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Sometimes I draw comics where the characters are just nice to each other.

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#DoctorDonnathon Part 2 - A Tangential Talk On Expectations

    Today is Thursday 2nd November. Tales from the TARDIS debuted yesterday, alongside nearly all of classic Who on iPlayer for the first time, and the latest SFX magazine has really got my excitement bubbling. Not that I haven't been actively counting down to November 23rd all year - I don't have a lot going on clearly. Or maybe Doctor Who just means that much to people. Either way, excitement is going from a consistent simmer towards boiling point. Part of my enthusiasm is driving me to believe there may be more to expect at this #DoctorDonnathon, maybe a recorded message from RTD or a preview of the Blu Ray exclusive conversation between DT and RTD, but I feel I'm getting ahead of myself. This screening will be of Series Four (plus The Runaway Bride), and that is more than enough. 

    I tend to get ahead of myself often. Always anticipating something truly extraordinary out of the ordinary. I went to see the Pixar Orchestra nearly 10 years ago at the Eden Project here in Cornwall, and there was talk of dinosaurs featuring - I interpreted this as possibility of a preview of the music from the then-upcoming The Good Dinosaur, only to be humbled at the visuals of Rex from Toy Story being shown on screen. Likewise with the release of hashtags alongside the public filming of these upcoming specials, I (alongside a few enthusiastic fans) wrongly suspected that on the heels of DT & CT's announcement to expect two hearts and a bowtie to be shared, only for the equally humbling yet intriguing reveals of NPH and YF as players in the episodes. This instinct to hope for the best is not a bad thing, but I'm learning it can lessen the impact of genuine surprises and maybe should be averted. I had a very recent example of this last week.

    One of my other non-Whovian interests is Dungeons and Dragons - I run a Star Wars-themed game and play in a fantasy game regularly (my notes for this campaign just crossed 100,000 words last night!) Part and parcel with this interest is following the adventures of the nerdy voice actors of Critical Role, whose live-streamed ongoing campaigns have lead to the creation of two Amazon animated shows to name but a few of their incredible accomplishments. I was lucky enough to secure tickets for me and my D&D party to see them live in London last week, and the show was amazing. I went in with a great sense of mystery, with no knowledge of the show's content other than knowing the characters and the rough situational context, and was blown away by the story that unravelled before us. But that was not the event that shattered my expectations of the trip - I was walking through London with my friends the day after the show, still reeling from the revelations as we went shopping for jelly beans and trinkets. We'd humoured the idea that we may bump into one of the cast members in the city, being naive little Cornish folk who see everywhere through the lens of Cornish village life where you can't go a minute without being stopped by someone who knows you or your family. So consider our shock when we bumped directly into DM extraordinaire and the incredible player Matthew Mercer and Marisha Ray. I thank my lucky stars that not only did my poor navigational skills accidentally put us in the right place at the right time, but also that my best mate was a lot more present and composed that I was. Thankfully the two were humble, generous, kind and simply as wonderful a people as you could hope for, and took the time to talk to us and even offer to have a photo with us. We apologised for inconveniencing them before letting them go (and before we crumpled into a messy pile of sweat and disbelief). 

    This was exactly a week ago as of this writing, and I still genuinely don't believe that it happened. And this is the point of this ramble - I went in with the mildest expectation, humouring the possibility but only in jest, and when the fates aligned and decided to bless me and my friends with a cartoonish accidental bumping into our heroes, the fact it was so unreal and unexpected made it so much more worth it. With that in mind, I need to go into this knowing what to expect. I have seen every episode I'm about to watch on Saturday many, many times. I've thought about this Series so much, holding it as a benchmark for other series' to aspirationally meet and exceed. By expecting more, I feel I will tarnish this experience - and why would I want that when I know how much of a joy it will be to watch with my fellow fans?

    Long story short - I am excited for this month of Who mania, ready to revisit this incredible series in this viewing, and ready to begin this journey as soon as- HOLD ON TOMORROW IS THE 3RD?! OH GOD I NEED TO GET PACKING!!!

Cornish TARDIS #DoctorDonnathon

(Picture from last week bumping into Matthew Mercer and Marisha Ray - thank you so much for your kindness, taking the time to speak with us and have a photo! And apologies for my inability to speak or react beyond shaking hands and being completely incoherent.)

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#DoctorDonnathon Part 1 - Call To Adventure

    On Friday 13th October 2023 I had a surprising email in my inbox. I'd entered the BBC's free competitions and ticket lotteries before, including a failed attempt at their Doctor Who Concert in September (as well as a wonderful evening at the Eden Project celebrating Cornish wildlife with Sue Perkins' Radio Four show Nature Table). So opening this invitation to the Series Four #DoctorDonnathon in London was a delight. At the time I had little idea what this actually meant, only that as a devoted Whovian (yes I like the term) I needed to go. As a Cornish Whovian, however, this meant this decision had a few caveats. How would I get there? Where would I stay? Would there be ample cream tea breaks?!

    These questions hung over me, and as my personal calendar started to fill with other events and work, I felt more and more pressured over this opportunity. Sure, I have watched Series Four many times before, and at the end of November would be able to do so from home with the newest remastering available, but when was the last time I ever watched Doctor Who with an audience? One of my most treasured Whovian memories was watching City Of Death for the first time at the BFI for the Blu Ray release of Season Seventeen, and it was an INCREDIBLE experience. Seeing that wonderful adventure with fresh eyes with a welcoming crowd of enthusiasts made for an unforgettable experience (let alone the presence and insight of actor Julian Glover), but Series Four? What new lens could this endurance challenge of a screening grant me for the cost of travel and accommodation? At first I wondered if this viewing may be of the new remasterings, so I sent an email to the #DoctorDonnathon team, but understandably this technical question went unanswered. Even if it was, would seeing that on the big screen a few weeks before my copy arrived justify the 600 mile-round trip?

    I sat and thought about where I was when this series first aired. Stand out memories from this time of airing include the agony of the two week break between Unicorn And The Wasp and Silence In The Library due to Eurovision, being blown away by Midnight with my cousin at my Grans, the weeklong speculation on TARDIS Wiki between The Stolen Earth and Journey's End, and sitting alone at a friend's birthday party watching Donna's memory be wiped. I also thought about the COVID-19 watchalongs, with the following of Russell T. Davies' tweets about The Stolen Earth/Journey's End being a particular highlight. Would the #DoctorDonnathon improve upon these memories and further enrich my appreciation for this stellar series?

    With those thoughts in mind, I decided that the trip simply wasn't worth it. I love Doctor Who, and this month is going to be FILLED with excitement, anticipation and surprises - I didn't need any more. As I was writing my email to the team to decline the invitation, however, I thought back on my City Of Death viewing. Was it really the experience of seeing a new episode that made that day special? We are lucky enough to be living at a time when RTD has all but guaranteed new Doctor Who annually for the next few years, and every time I watch a new episode it is always an event regardless of the final outcome. But that viewing was special for another reason - the fans. I have friends who watch Doctor Who down here - friends I can talk to about the show for a good two minutes at a time. My best mate and my cousin can both hold fort for a while, and I love them both dearly aside for their passion for nerdiness, but I worry I bore them to a degree. But Doctor Who FANS are exceptional. I remember standing in line at Forbidden Planet in April 2018 to meet RTD and Steven Moffat and having so many great discussions with fellow Whovians (yes I'm sticking with it). I remember meeting Dominic G. Martin outside the BFI and taking a selfie with him after commending him on his cosplay and new producing role on the Peladon set with Big Finish. I remember sending a message of thanks to Fio Trethewey during the first virtual Quiz of Rassilon for their awesome artistic contributions to the fandom (including their brilliant badges which I have several of), and since then have had the joy of following their transition journey online (congratulations on the recent surgery if you ever see this!)

    Simply put - Doctor Who fans are awesome. Worth any journey. And if it takes having to sit through one of the best runs of Doctor Who episodes in a row to have to spend time with them, then I guess I'll have to do just that.

    See you on November 4th!

Cornish TARDIS #DoctorDonnathon

(Picture from the City Of Death screening at the BFI in 2018 - thanks Dominic!)

@doctorwho