By Bedwyr Gullidge

Telos Publishing, out now

 

From Longleat to Blackpool to Cardiff, Doctor Who has frequently found a home to display its props and costumes, and the whole 50-plus-year legacy is finally chronicled.

Considering just how many non-fiction books have been written about Doctor Who (official or otherwise) it seems remarkable that this is the first volume dedicated to its exhibitions, and will be an easy buy for most fans.

I visited my first Doctor Who Exhibition at Longleat in the late 70s, subsequently visiting the displays at Blackpool, Isle of Wight, Land’s End, Brighton and Cardiff, so what a thrill it is to step behind the curtain and discover the stories behind these little pieces of Doctor Who heaven. This book takes you back to a time when the only way to revisit a story was via a Target paperback or latterly DWW/M. For me, the entry to the darkened rooms via faux over-sized TARDIS doors took me into a world of wonder.

Author Bedwyr Gullidge worked at the Doctor Who Experience and channels this excitement into his book, with 13 chapters covering the individual locations of the key exhibitions, their legacy and a gallery of flyers and press photos. In his introduction, Gullidge thanks a lot of people and references the amount of research that went int his project, and that’s corroborated by a detailed bibliography of resource publications and websites.

Whether you follow the story chronologically or dip in and out of a chosen chapter about your favourite era or location, each section is packed with facts and insight. The Longleat chapter understandably references the 20th anniversary (I was lucky enough to be there) and even if the author wasn’t in attendance, he surrounds himself with many who were, sharing their own personal stories.

Is it a downside that there’s no colour plates and that the gallery is fairly limited? In the midst of a lockdown, the very existence of this book is a minor miracle (and it’s printed by Amazon) and the point is well made that a quick Google search will uncover a plethora of home videos and photos. There’s still a place for a full colour, illustrated guide, but who’d release that? Maybe as a special from DWM.

Verdict: A welcome history of Doctor Who’s many exhibitions – I discovered so much that new to me, and it also triggered so many happy memories, from queuing up to see Patrick Troughton at Longleat’s Orangery to the excitement of approaching the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff Bay. 8/10

Nick Joy

Click here to order from Amazon.co.uk