Tom Baker



I remember the first time I met Tom Baker. Having been the first Doctor I ever saw, he was, in my opinion, an utter God. I was three when he first appeared on screen, and though I don't remember the first season he did, I have fond memories of many of the stories from his next few seasons, especially The Seeds of Doom, which gave me severe nightmares, but I didn't dare say anything in case I was banned from watching the rest of the story. When Tom left in 1981, I was very sad, and although there were some excellent shows in the later years, nothing could replace Tom.
Anyway, as I say, the first time I ever met Tom was in London in 1992, I think it was, when the excellent Reeltime video Who on Earth is Tom Baker? was released. Having travelled the hundred or so miles from Sheffield on the train, I was looking forward to it immensely. The signing of the video was in Trafalgar Square, and I got there in plenty of time. I was anxious to find the place where he was signing, and I wandered around for a few minutes before I found the place - and the very large queue! There were about 500 people there that day, and it seemed that I was at the very back. But I waited patiently, and eventually the queue entered the building and down some stairs, where I parted with my £15 for the video. Turning the corner I saw the queue leading off, and there, about twenty people in front of me, was TOM. He was laughing, that great booming voice echoing around the building. My knees went wobbly, and a shiver went down my spine. It was Tom! As I got nearer I got more and more nervous, until he was in front of me. Nervously I handed him the video cover. "Hello," he said, "What's your name?". And he grinned that famous grin, his teeth seeming to flash in the lights that illuminated the room. "Have you come far?" he asked as he signed that signature on the front of my video and in my 25 Glorious Years book. And then he shook my hand, and it was over. My first meeting with Tom.
It was a few years before I met him again. As part of the tour of Arsenic and Old Lace, Tom came to Sheffield in the autumn of 1994, and naturally I went to meet him. I went to see the play first, a very funny play, with excellent performances. I got a few items signed, and he seemed very interested in the fans, answering questions and signing everything that was thrust to him. The following night, the Friday, we went to see him again. There was a bigger crowd than the previous night, and he emerged alongside co-stars Josephine Tewson, Patsy Byrne and Stephen Pacey. Again, he seemed jolly and willing to sign anything that was thrust upon him. We had learnt that he planned to go to the pub after the show, and we planned to follow him. Having taken a few pictures with my new camera, and got everything signed, Tom left for the pub - with us ten yards behind. When we got to The Brown Bear, I was right behind Tom. As soon as he entered, a voice came from the back of the pub - "Is there a Doctor in the house?". The bar was packed - "Can I buy you a drink?" I asked, fumbling for the change in my pocket. "Oh, don't worry," Tom boomed, "I think I'll get served before you will!" As it turned out he did, but he got a surprise when he did, for working behind the bar was his nephew!
It was a glorious night in the pub, Tom stood and talked to us for about half an hour before gong to the posse of actors in the corner and talking to them.
The final time (to date) I met Tom was in 1996. We had learnt a few weeks previously that Tom would be signing in Longleat in the start of August. Having travelled down for a weekend in July, I didn't fancy doing it again and the expense of having to find a hotel, so it was arranged that I would drive down on the Sunday. We set off at 6am, when the dawn had hardly broken, and made it for 9.45, having stopped for half an hour outside Bristol. The day was a Tom signing plus various shows and exhibitions, and I duly joined the queue for Tom, which was enormous. When I was very near the front, Gary Downie announced theat the autograph queue would be closing, and issued us with raffle tickets, which would enable us to stand in the same order as before when we returned an hour later. And when we did, Tom was there again, lively as usual, his grin filling the room. I can't remember if it was one or two items signed, but I got a piece of artwork signed by him on the cross at East Hagbourne from The Android Invasion. Then we were ushered out of the room and that was it, apart from a cutting of the cake to celebrate 21 years of DWAS. The last sight I got of Tom was when he went back into the building with Nicholas Courtney.
Hopefully, one day, I'll meet Tom, and perhaps I'll even ask him about those events we've met at. Until then, I've still got the memories of those magic days.


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