When I Met JON PERTWEE

Dear Blogland,

I thought you might like to know a bit more about the boy behind the blog. So I’m going to share with you one of my favourite Doctor Who memories:

Jon Pertwee (1919-1996)

I've had many wonderful experiences vis a vis Doctor Who. My favourite story of all is thanks to my parents, who are both myth and legend authors and sci-fi enthusiasts. They were talking at a convention in a hotel in Heathrow and while they were busy, doing one of their panels, I was left alone. Being a lonely only child at the ripe old age of 10 with only a helium balloon for company I had to try and find something to occupy myself.

Jon Pertwee, the Doctor himself was also a guest at the convention so where else would I go. I took a seat right in the front. It was wonderful to see the man himself right there, for real, in front of me, the Doctor. And although now I consider myself very lucky to have met him before he sadly passed away, at the time he wasn't the Doctor! He was just a man. A man called Jon Pertwee. He didn't mention Daleks. He wasn't wearing his crushed velvet jacket, and billowy ruffled shirt. He wasn't fighting monsters or saving Jo Grant. He was just talking. And I, with the famously short attention span of a 10-year-old, got bored. Fortunately for me, but perhaps unfortunately for everyone else who had paid their money with the intention of actually listening to what Jon Pertwee had to say, and indeed for Jon Pertwee himself, I was not alone. I had my sole compadre, my helium balloon; which I had just happened to discover made a really great noise if you firmly rubbed it. Not more than a minute of this agony could have passed before the Doctor had had enough.

"Boy. Will you stop that?"

I couldn't move. I couldn't believe it. It wasn't just a man any more, it was THE DOCTOR, and he was scolding me, he was telling me off in that wonderfully avuncular way he did.

"Look, why don't you come and sit up here with me so I can keep an eye on you."

I was frozen, I genuinely couldn't believe what was happening. I had just been passively observing events until now.

"Well, come on!"

My balloon might as well have popped, or dematerialised as I totally lost interest in it. I moved up to the stage, walked up the stairs and sat down next to the Doctor.

"And I don't want to hear a peep out of you."

I sat silently hanging on to every word he said until he was finished. After everyone applauded and began to disperse Jon turned to leave the room. I was still sat in my seat quiet and waiting. Just when I thought he was about to leave, he turned back and winked at me and smiled. I didn't need a brother or a sister. I didn't need my helium balloon. I had the best friend anyone could ever have: The Doctor in the TARDIS.