#Sarah Groenewegen

[doctornolonger]

Unpacking references to “Arcadians”

Referring to themselves as “guardians”, [Arcadians] were often composed of societies which had the greatest bio-socio-psycho-emotional link to the lost Earth, and indeed a leading element of the guardian faction was made up of the final generations of survivors from the home planet. This set was determined to re-establish a new Earth on the nearest available Earth-like world, and might be seen as a ludicrous colonial throwback.

— “Posthumanity”, The Book of the War (2002), ed. Lawrence Miles

‘Where are you going?’ Steven asked.

‘The planet Refusis,’ replied the Commander. ‘The Earth is also dying and now we have left it for the last time. […] Only Refusis has the same conditions that we had on Earth. Atmosphere, water, the right temperate zones. […] We are the Guardians!’

— The Ark (1987), by Paul Erickson

Other groups were content to remake or even build worlds to be their new homes. Threatened by the rest of the [posthuman] hegemony, many of the Arcadian worlds eventually united to form a “benign union” (modelled on older world-systems which had displaced classical Greece and Rome as the acme of polite civilisation in the popular imagination). Faced with planetary atmospheres which bred goodwill and quiet contemplation by their very natures, the Arcadians’ enemies simply gave up. The Arcadian Union was isolationist and eventually the majority of its people simply vanished, either sublimating to a higher state of existence or dying of boredom.

— “Posthumanity” (continued), The Book of the War

Finally, on Traken, Nyssa’s home planet, the Master had captured the Source, the font of power for an entire galactic Union encompassing a million star systems. […] Chris recounted the sketchy details that he could remember: Serenity was the only surviving colony of the Union of Traken, a verdant garden world with advanced biotechnology, whose people lived in peace and relative isolation. They believed that at the time of the cosmic disaster that obliterated the entire rest of their galaxy, something called the Source had protected them, at the cost of its own existence. […] ‘We Adjudicators learn about Serenity as an example of a peaceful and just society.’

— Cold Fusion (1996), Lance Parkin

“Waiter! There’s even more Parkin lore in my book!” Or is there? (Emphasis all mine, of course.) From Big Finish’s Lost Stories adaptation of Johnny Byrne’s 1983 television pitch, which he’d shared with Sarah Groenewegen, a close friend of Kate Orman:

Sixth Doctor: Ahh, the planet Serenity of the Benign Union! […] This part of the galaxy, well, holds bad memories for me.

Peri: Do you want to talk about it?

Doctor: Well, you see that patch of darkness there at the edge of the screen? Now that used to be Mettula Orionsis, home of the Traken Union, one of the most harmonious places in the cosmos. […] That was centuries ago. At this point in history, a new union has risen in its place with, at its heart, the world of Serenity. The only planet of the Traken Union to survive.

— The Guardians of Prophecy (2012), Jonathan Morris

[thedoctorwhocompanion]

Candy Jar Books to Launch New Range of Licensed UNIT Books, Kicking Off with The UNIT Files

.@Candy_Jar to Launch New Range of Licensed #UNIT Books, Kicking Off with The UNIT Files

From early 2023, Candy Jar Books will begin publishing a series of novels covering the adventures of UNIT – featuring Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Benton, and other characters from the Doctor Who story, The Invasion — all authorised by Kate Sherwin and Hannah Haisman. In anticipation of this, Candy Jar is released a short story anthology, The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories,…

[swanlake1998]

wanyue qiao and kiely groenewegen photographed by sarah carpenter

[johnwatsonblog-co-uk]

The Aluminium Crutch

2nd September

This one you'll have read about in the papers. The murder of actor Matthew Michael live on stage. I wasn't actually there as I was on a date (went well, thanks for asking) but Sherlock was and he left a number of messages on my voicemail, telling me what happened. 

A couple of people have asked me what he's really like so I've transcribed them.

"John, I've just been to see Terror By Night at some terrible little theatre on the Strand. The play itself was mediocre but there was a murder! Live on stage! I haven't got time to tell the police what happened so when you've finished having dinner or whatever it is you're doing with... Sarah? I need you to take this message to ████████████. Don't worry, it's all quite simple.

Detective Sidney Paget, played by the actor Matthew Michael, summoned the other characters to the drawing room so he could reveal whodunnit. As I'd worked out from Scene One, Lady Margaret Chaplette, had been killed by her son Albert, played by the actor William Howells. William, playing Albert, then had to, in a fit of rage, hit Sidney, played by Matthew, with his aluminium crutch. The aluminium crutch was meant to be made of rubber so that Matthew wouldn't be injured but during the interval, someone had replaced the rubber aluminium crutch with a real aluminium crutch. William playing Albert struck Matthew playing Sidney across the head with the real aluminium crutch and killed him.

Now, the only person who could have replaced the rubber aluminium crutch with the real aluminium crutch was someone who'd had access to William's dressing room during the interval. William revealed who had been in there during the interval - the director Deborah Challis, Matthew Michael who played Detective Sidney Paget, Sarah Groenewegen who played Sissy Hastings, Jonathan Morris who played Cedric Hastings and Karen Baldwin who played the maid, Jade. As could be seen in his performance, William clearly liked a drink. At one point, during a tennis court scene that I actually thought would never end, he referred to Sarah instead of Sissy, the character she played and there were bruises on Matthew's arms where, as Sidney, he'd been struck by the character Albert Chaplette in earlier performances, but where the actor William had missed the padding stitched into the coat. I hope you're getting all this down? So the killer could have been Deborah Challis, the director or one of those four actors, five including William himself. It had to be someone who could smuggle a real crutch in and replace it without William noticing although, obviously, the bottle of gin he was knocking back would have helped.

Deborah Challis, the director, was wearing tight jeans and a top that was far too pink and far too small so she wouldn't have been able to smuggle in anything larger than a peanut. Which would have been fine if she wanted to kill someone with a nut allergy but she didn't. After some gentle questioning from me, she broke down and admitted that she was in love with William but that he wasn't interested. At last, an explanation for why the old drunk had been cast in the play!

Sarah Groenwegen who played Sissy Hastings was clearly having an affair with William (in real life, I mean, not in the play) so had he broke things off with her? Was she pregnant and he didn't want to know? And if so, was she trying to get revenge by getting William arrested for the murder of Matthew? It seemed... improbable but not impossible.

Jonathan who played Cedric admitted that he didn't like William and that they'd had a fight during the interval. It turned out that Jonathan was in love with Sarah (who played his sister Sissy) and he hadn't liked the way William treated her. But again, why go to the trouble of having him arrested? Why not just kill William himself?

Karen who played the maid Jade admitted that she'd been having an affair with the victim Matthew who played the detective Sidney but there was no way she could have hidden a crutch in her maid's costume.

So we had two suspects, Deborah the director and Karen who played Jade, who couldn't have smuggled the crutch in. Two suspects, Sarah who played Sissy and Jonathan who played Cedric, who could have smuggled the crutch in but who didn't appear to have a motive. And then William and Matthew themselves. If William had wanted to kill Matthew then there were easier ways to have gone about it. Which leaves the victim Matthew himself.

As Sidney, Matthew wore a long overcoat (not dissimilar to mine) so he could have done it but there are easier ways of committing suicide - even if you do want to do so dramatically live on stage. The thing is aluminium is actually quite light. There's no guarantee that a strike from an aluminium crutch would actually kill someone. But think about it, John. The bruises on Matthew's arm. William's unprofessional behaviour, the drinking, the affairs. Matthew had already complained to Deborah, the director, about William, but, because she was in love with William, she hadn't done anything about it. And that was it.

Matthew had decided to get William sacked himself. He'd gone into William's dressing room with the real aluminium crutch hidden under his overcoat. The drunk William, busy either fooling around with Sarah or fighting with Jonathan, wouldn't have noticed Matthew swapping the crutch. Matthew's plan was for William, as usual, to hit him with the crutch, not knowing that the rubber aluminium crutch was now a real aluminium crutch. He presumably hoped it would break his arm or cause enough damage that he could sue the theatre or Deborah and ensure that William was sacked. But William, perhaps because of the fight with Jonathan, was even more drunk than usual and swung the crutch too high, striking Matthew across the head and accidentally killing him.

So, just to make sure you've got it: The murder victim Sidney Paget (who played the detective Matthew Michael) was also the killer as he himself swapped the fake murder weapon, the rubber aluminium crutch, for the real murder weapon, a real aluminium crutch, in an attempt to get William Howells (who played the killer Albert Chaplette) fired. The plan itself backfired and he caused his own death."

4 comments

Bravo!

Mike Stamford 03 September 09:24

I think my brain just exploded

Bill Murray 03 September 10:12

GENIUS!!!!

Jacob Sowersby 03 September 10:14

Freak

Sally Donovan 03 September 11:43

[domchrisowens]

Murney on Patrol seeking community support and donations

Kingston Police horse Murney, along with Cst. Sarah Groenewegen interact with children at Lake Ontario Park on May 19th, 2019. – Photo by: Dominic Christian Owens A group of community partners has launched a campaign aimed at ensuring a beloved tradition in Kingston continues well into the future. The Mounted Unit, operated by Kingston Police, has been a popular sight downtown for more than 20…

[doctorwhonews]

Black Archive #20: Face the Raven

Latest from the news site: The latest edition to the Black Archive series investigates the Twelfth Doctor story Face the Raven. Sarah Groenewegen looks in detail at one of the key stories of the Capaldi era, the story that saw the departure of companion Clara Oswald, played by Jenna Coleman. In a series where violent death is prevalent but the regular characters generally immune, Face the Raven is a rarity in featuring the demise of the 12th Doctor’s longstanding companion Clara Oswald. While Doctor Who’s basis as a time-travel series means that the audience will see Clara again, everything after her death here is borrowed time. The figures reintroduced by Face the Raven all play unexpected parts: Ashildr, a Viking woman made immortal by the Doctor, is a mayor; Rigsy, a graffiti artist befriended by Clara, is a murder suspect; and numerous monsters from the series’ past have become refugees. Scripted by Sarah Dollard, an Australian living in the UK, the story uses the tropes and imagery of Doctor Who to comment on real-world issues of immigration, asylum and the penal system, its narrative leading directly to the Doctor’s own incarceration in the following episode. This Black Archive draws on the history of London and its presentation in fantasy, on queer and feminist theory and on the mythic and folkloric symbolism of ravens to examine this haunting story. It is the first of three books dealing with the final episodes of the 2015 season of Doctor Who. Sarah Groenewegen BEM has written numerous essays on Doctor Who, gaming, and being queer. She obtained her Master of Arts from the University of Western Sydney in 2000 by researching into Doctor Who and its fans. Her first novel, Daughters of Earth, was published in 2017 in the Lethbridge-Stewart range published by Candy Jar. In 2016 she was awarded a British Empire Medal for her services to law enforcement and LGBT+ diversity. Obverse Website Doctor Who News http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2018/06/black-archive-20-face-raven.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[everwalker]

Nine Worlds: Police and the Supernatural

Nine Worlds: Police and the Supernatural

Paul Cornell’s Shadow Police series and Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series both look at the theme of the modern British police service with a supernatural twist. This panel aims to explore the ways in which the police are portrayed in urban fantasy. What do they get right? What do they do wrong? Panellists: Sarah Groenewegen, Caroline Mersey, Laura Manuel This is the first session I went…

[karlshook]

New Lethbridge-Stewart Books are Announced

New Lethbridge-Stewart Books are Announced

Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce the latest titles in its Lethbridge-Stewart range of novels are now available for pre-order! Series four features Night of the Intelligence by Andy Frankham-Allen, released in May; The Daughters of Earth by Sarah Groenewegen, released in June; and The Dreamer’s Lament by Benjamin Buford-Jones released in July. Head […] via Series Four Available for Pre-order…

[nineworldslgbtq]

Meet Our Speakers: Sarah Groenewegen

Hey folks, I hope you're as excited as we are about all these awesome people who'll be speaking on the Queer Fandom programme at Nine Worlds GeekFest! Today we're talking to Sarah Groenewegen, who's written a number of stories for the Big Finish Doctor Who audiobook series, Short Trips, and who'll be joining us for our Queers Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the LGBTQ Fans Who Love It book party.

Queer Fandom: Hi Sarah, thanks for chatting to us! Where will people be able to find you at Nine Worlds?

Sarah Groenewegen: I will probably be wandering about, but chances are people will find me at the bar at some stage. There's a lot that looks really interesting around the whole geekfest.

QF: What are you working on at the moment?

SG: I'm just over half way through an 11 month project taking 50 photos to do with Doctor Who locations - where stories were set or filmed. I'm blogging this at the moment, but the intention is to publish as a for-charity book after November.

I am also scribbling some stuff for some upcoming Doctor Who books (yet to be announced). I also have the obligatory novel I'm writing (actually a standalone YA SFish/political/thriller with an asexual protagonist and a smattering of LGB and straight characters) and an SF/Thriller trilogy with a lesbian protagonist.

QF: We love that photo series, and the novels sound great. On the subject of media featuring LGBT+ characters and themes, what would you recommend to people attending the Queer Fandom stream?

SG: I love the books by Nicola Griffith, finally available in her native UK under the SF Masterworks imprint.

QF: Thank you, and see you in August!

[thedoctorwhocompanion]

Out Now: The Black Archive #20 - Face the Raven

Out Now: The Black Archive #20 – Face the Raven

The latest Black Archive book is out now and kicks off a summer triptych of Twelfth Doctor stories.

The Black Archive #20: Face the Raven is written by Sarah Groenewegen BEM, and naturally examines the serial that saw Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) leave the TARDIS… until the Series 9 finale. But, to paraphrase a well-known character from Star Wars, it’s a Trap Street, meaning Clara’s destiny…

[thedoctorwhocompanion]

Candy Jar Books Unveil The Two Brigadiers

Candy Jar Books Unveil The Two Brigadiers

Candy Jar Books have announced the third free short story of 2017, The Two Brigadiers, to accompany the release of The Daughters of Earth. The Two Brigadiers sees Brigadier Sir Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart feeling restless after his most recent adventure with the Doctor and Morgaine. But then there is a knock at the door and a familiar face asks for his help in finding an old friend who has gone…

[thedoctorwhocompanion]

Coming Soon: Lethbridge-Stewart Novel The Daughters of Earth

Coming Soon: Lethbridge-Stewart Novel The Daughters of Earth

Candy Jar Books have announced the second in the fourth series of Lethbridge-Stewart novels, The Daughters of Earth. Written by Sarah Groenewegen, who wrote the well-received Lethbridge-Stewart short story, The Lock-In, the novel sees Lethbridge-Stewart’s fiancée, Sally, take a more central role when she’s involved in a freak accident. Could the mishap have something to with Lethbridge-Stewart’s…

[thedoctorwhocompanion]

Candy Jar Books Announce New Series of Lethbridge-Stewart Novels

Kicking off the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Great Intelligence, Candy Jar Books have announced the next series of Lethbridge-Stewart novels. The fourth series, which will delve into the secret origins of the Intelligence and introduce two new writers to the range, features Night of the Intelligence by Andy Frankham-Allen, released in May; The Daughters of Earth by Sarah Groenewegen,…

[doctorwhonews]

Black Archive - Update

Latest from the news site: Obverse Books have announced a change in the schedule for the Black Archive series of books. The Black Archive explores the making of specific Doctor Who stories, analysing in detail the stories selected. The previously-announced 2018 release of The Twin Dilemma has been put on hold indefinitely. Instead Jon Arnold, author of the acclaimed the Black Archive #1: Rose will be stepping into the breach with a study of Steven Moffat’s debut story as showrunner, and Matt Smith’s as the 11th Doctor, The Eleventh Hour. The Black Archive schedule now runs as follows: * January – The Black Archive #15: Carnival of Monsters by Ian Potter * February – The Black Archive #16: Full Circle by John Toon * March – The Black Archive #17: The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit by Simon BucherJones * April – The Black Archive #18: Marco Polo by Dene October * May – The Black Archive #19: The Eleventh Hour by Jon Arnold * June – The Black Archive #20: Face the Raven by Sarah Groenewegen * July – The Black Archive #21: Heaven Sent by Kara Dennison * August – The Black Archive #22: Hell Bent by Alyssa Franke * September – The Black Archive #23: The Curse of Fenric by Una McCormack * October – The Black Archive #24: The Time Warrior by Matthew Kilburn * November – The Black Archive #25: Doctor Who (1996) by Paul Driscoll * December – The Black Archive #26: The Dæmons by Matt Barber Titles for 2019 will be announced in due course. Doctor Who News http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2017/08/black-archive-update.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[doctorwhonews]

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Two Brigadiers

Latest from the news site: Candy Jar Books has announced its third free Lethbridge-Stewart short story of 2017, to accompany the newly released The Daughters of Earth: The Two Brigadiers: It’s 2001 and Brigadier Sir Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart is feeling restless, his mind still on his recent adventure with the Doctor and Morgaine. But then there is a knock at the door and a familiar face asks for his help in finding an old friend who has gone missing! The book has been written by newcomer Jonathan Macho, who was a runner up in the South Wales Short Story Competition of 2015, run by Candy Jar Books. His first encounter with Candy Jar Books came in 2014 at their Summer Book Festival. Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen explains: I was doing a talk on how to write the perfect short story. Jonathan was in the audience, one of those who stood out, with a very obvious interest in Doctor Who. When I saw his submissions for the short story competition, I paid particular note. Indeed, I was the one who put both his stories forward for the final short list. In the event only one was picked as a runner up. There was an interesting humour to his stories, which were technically very good too. So, from that point I knew it was only a matter of time before I asked him to submit an idea to Lethbridge-Stewart. Jonathan says: After running-up in the South Wales Short Story Competition, I was just excited to have a publication under my belt. I had no idea it would lead to such an incredible opportunity, until Andy asked if I would like to work on a story for the range. Needless to say, he didn’t have to ask twice! Andy continues: I first needed to find out how wide his Who knowledge was, as often a lot of the younger fans are less familiar with the series pre-2005. Fortunatley he was one of those uber fans that knew everything, and so I asked him to pitch an idea set sometime after the 1989 television serial, Battlefield (which takes place in the late 1990s). Jonathan adds: The fact that my story is set during one of my favourite eras of Who is the icing on the proverbial cake! Just as I was trying to stay as true to his character as possible, the Brig here is trying to find his feet in a life he was meant to have left behind. Said life just so happens to involve clandestine reunions, strange happenings and infamous monsters of course. Who would want anything else? The Two Brigadiers also includes an mini-short written by Andy Frankham-Allen called When Times Change..., in which Sir Alistair himself remarks upon the announcement of Jodie Whittaker, the new Doctor Who! The book will be sent out free to everybody who purchases (includes any bundles or subscription featuring...) this month’s release, The Daughters of Earth by Sarah Groenewegen. This is the second novel in series four, focusing on a subject matter than is still topical. Sarah says: There are echoes of what’s happening now and how women organise. The intersections of class, race, outsiders versus those within the establishment – how prone they are to infiltration. I wrote the book during the US presidential elections, which kept being a touchstone to how far women have come to be treated as human beings with agency and a reminder as to how quickly reactionary politics can assert itself. The Daughters of Earth is available to buy individually or as part of a bundle from Candy Jar Books. Doctor Who News http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2017/07/two-brigadiers-180717200008.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[thedoctorwhocompanion]

Reviewed: Lethbridge-Stewart – The HAVOC Files 2

Reviewed: Lethbridge-Stewart – The HAVOC Files 2

Few ranges have the ambition and ingenuity of Candy Jar’s Lethbridge-Stewart books. This much is evident from the breadth of novels so far, and an added treat for subscribers: the downloadable short stories which regularly come free. And collating these together, we have The HAVOC Files series, the second collection of which includes five shorts previously available only as PDFs, two exclusive…