Wait Here Susan, I Won't Be Long

Or context is all with my Doctor Who firsts.

First Doctor Who Seen: Remembrance of the Daleks on original broadcast in 1988. I was six years old. I was introduced to the show by my father who'd watched the show since the William Hartnell days but lost touch with the show. I may reprint my first ever article in TTZ which elaborates on this.

First Doctor Who Seen on VHS: My primary school friend Daniel Halliday had The Robots of Death on video and I was invited round one Saturday to watch it. Thus Tom Baker became my first out of sequence Doctor, and I saw this in the year long break between The Greatest Show in the Galaxy and Battlefield. The Doctor getting buried in sand, the Voc Robots advancing menacingly and Leela having her voice changed all stuck in my head and stayed in my imagination. It was almost 20 years later that I saw the story again when I bought the DVD.

First Doctor Who Missed on Original TX: Battlefield Episode 1. I was in Colombia. Finally saw it three years later when it was repeated on BBC2.

First Doctor Who novelisation: I believe it was Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons bought as a birthday present by a friend of the family who no doubt had been informed by my parents that I was now a Who nut.

First Doctor Who VHS bought: Death to the Daleks which I bought with my own pocket money having patiently saved up nine hundred and ninetynine pennies. I chose this one because of the exploding Dalek on the cover. I don't remember how excited I was when I first watched it (I rememeber being scared of the swamp root cable thingy) but my memory of the story now is that it's pretty boring. It's been years since I watched it and I quite likely won't rewatch it till it comes out on DVD

First Issue of DWM: #170 from January 1991. I was in W H Smiths in Lewisham and happened to spot the logo. Colin Baker was on the cover as the Sixth Doctor which is why I didn't spot it earlier because for a long time I thought Davison was McCoy's predecessor. That was due to a combination of The Making of a Television Series book only going as far as 1982 and because my Dad hadn't kept up with the show he didn't know either. Without digging up the issue (I've still got them all), off the top of my head I remember that there was an interview with Johnny Byrne (and thus the Doctor Who? cartoon was The Keeper of Traken themed), an interview with Jon Pertwee, a feature on Search Out Space and part two of The Mark of Mandragora.

First Doctor Who Toy (As a kid): I'm guessing now but I'm fairly sure it was the grey coated version of the Seventh Doctor from Dapol.

First Doctor Who Companion Crush: Ace of course. I fancied Sophie Aldred rotten. Still do.

First Doctor Who Celebrity Met: Deborah Watling when I attended the opening of the Doctor Who shop in East Ham. I guess that was around 1992. She signed my copy of John Peel's The Gallifreyan Chronicles. Victoria was my Dad's Doctor Who companion crush.

First Doctor Who Convention: None! I've never been to one. I wanted to go to one as a kid but could never persuade my parents to take me then when I was old enough that I could've gone by myself I had entered the stage where I thought I'd outgrown Doctor Who and wasn't as interested and then once I was properly back in the opportunity has never come up. This year my girlfriend and I were considering Whooverville and Swansea Regenerations but unfortunately both clashed with other commitments. So I remain a convention virgin and the nearest to a Doctor Who gathering was attending The Flashing Blade Picnic. I have been to the Fitzroy Tavern once but as a civilian not a Who fan (It was the nearest pub to where a mate was doing summer working experience)

First Doctor Who Fanzine: Believe it or not, it is actually The Terrible Zodin. Why? Well you'll have to wait for my Editorial in TTZ8 for that one.

First New Adventures Novel: Timewyrm: Genesys. I read it whilst on holiday in Cali, Colombia.

First Doctor Who Audio Play: Slipback. I can't remember how I got a hold of it. Was it repeated? I do remember thinking the Computer was pretty funny.

First Doctor Who DVD Bought: Remembrance of the Daleks. I bought it second hand off my mate Davros (Not his real name obviously). I couldn't resist as it was the story that brought me to this carnival in the first place.

First New Series Doctor Who Missed On Original TX: Rose. I had just transferred to a new job within the company I was already working for and I'd just been on Annual Leave so I had zero opportunity of making an advance request on the rota. I managed to finally see it three days later.

First Doctor Who Toy (As an adult): I was given a sonic screwdriver for my birthday. Subsequently I've also aquired a fob watch. But honestly those are the only two things! I've still got my Dapol toys but they're far from mint. I played with them so much that Mel has no arm, the Tetrap has no leg, the Dalek is completely emasculated and K9's tail is held on with sellotape.

Ok I think I've wittered on enough for today but if there are any more firsts you wanna know about just ask.