Doctor Who fans in Northamptonshire celebrate show's 60th anniversary

James Grant/BBC

John Williams with his model of Davros, creator of the Daleks

It is exactly 60 years since The Doctor began his travels through time and space.

Superfans in Northamptonshire, who spend their time constructing characters from the series, are joining the celebrations.

Their collections include everything from the metallic canine K-9 to the dastardly Daleks creator Davros.

The county has many links with the guy from Gallifrey.

John Williams, a design engineer from Daventry, has been a huge fan since he was 10 years old and has run a group of Cybermen enthusiasts.

He has recreated several life-size characters from across the decades, but he is particularly proud of his Davros.

"He is my pride and joy really, my little lockdown project from surplus materials that I had around the house," he said.

"A lot of it is 3-D printed as well and it probably took three to four months to complete."

Just down the road is Weedon, where Dr Who scriptwriter Tom MacRae was brought up, and the town of Northampton boasts connections to the 11th actor to play The Doctor, Matt Smith, and Delia Derbyshire, who created the original electronic theme music when working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

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Patrick Leonard, a tailoring manager, has put one of David Tennant's Doctor costumers on display

At the gentleman's outfitters Montague Jeffery, in Northampton, the personal tailoring manager Patrick Leonard has a costume on display from David Tennant's forthcoming appearance as the 14th Doctor (he previously portrayed the 10th Doctor).

"This is as screen-accurate as we can possibly make the entire outfit," he said. "I would imagine that when the 14th Doctor costume is seen on screen, the phone's going to start ringing.

"It gives us a nice connection to the series."

James Grant/BBC

David Nagel with his well-behaved replica of K-9

David Nagel, from Rushden, has lovingly crafted several props based on the originals from the series, including the robotic dog K-9 who travelled with the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker and appeared later in The Sarah Jane Adventures.

He said: "He's the pinnacle of companions - a rolling, talking computer."

He believed the reason the series had survived for so long, notwithstanding the gap between 1989 and 2005 when the BBC cancelled the drama, was because The Doctor was fundamentally good.

"The Doctor is policing the universe for good and is trying to stamp out all the bad, and I think that knowing that there is someone out there trying to defend us from alien invasion is something that we enjoy," he said.

Three hour-long Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials will air starting in November and drop on BBC iPlayer in the UK. The specials will be followed by a new season starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor in 2024