Kind words from Tom Baker

Tom Baker has a personal dedication on his website to Nicholas Courtney. Some very nice words there from one legend to another.

Dedication

The Brigadier and Me

What can I say that hasn’t already been said about Nicholas Courtney today. The Brigadier was a legendary figure in the world of Doctor Who and the man behind the character was a wonderful person to meet. I had the honour to meet him on two occasions and both of those are among my favourite convention memories.

The first time was at the Doctor Who Appreciation Society’s Unleashed II convention in 2007. It was great to sit and listen to his stories in the coffee club, I hadn’t realised how much he had done in his life and how many people he had actually worked with. It was at this event that they did a panel with him, Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks and they talked at great length about the UNIT years on Who.

That Saturday evening he was last seen in the bar with with his autobiographer Michael McManus and a group of fans. I had the honour, or misfortune, I’m not sure which, of having the room next to Michael and I was awoken at around 3am by the sound of Michael and others doing drunken Kenneth Williams impressions! When we met Nicholas and Michael the following morning they looked just a little grey as they took refuge in the autograph room!

The second time I met him was at the Tenth Planet Dimensions 2008 event in Newcastle. Myself and my Dad had bought tickets for the guest meal that evening and we were lucky enough to be on the table with Nicholas and Deborah Watling. It was a surreal experience having a three course meal with these legends of Doctor Who and it was really good to talk about a whole host of different things and muse about the quality of the gravy! We also had the honour of buying him a drink in the bar and needless to say he accepted in true Brigadier style and had a double!

I am sad that The Brigadier didn’t get a chance to appear on the proper show one more time. I truly hope that Steven Moffat and the team do the man and the character justice and give him a send off on screen that he deserves. Give The Brigadier a funeral so that The Doctor and the fans can all come together and bid a fond farewell to a true gentleman. God bless you sir.

A Quick Guide to Doctor Who

If you’re new to Who or just want a quick refresher, then this guide is certainly worth a read.  Posted by fans in the US to coincide with the start of the new series on BBC America.  It’s concise, to the point but rather good.

Everything You Need To Know About Doctor Who