The wait is finally over for Doctor Who fans, with Peter Capaldi announced as the 12th incarnation of the much-loved Timelord. To celebrate, Your-hols.com has teamed up with VisitEngland to choose the best Doctor Who tours and experiences on offer across the country.
Who tour of London
The Doctor has been fighting foes in London for years and now you can visit the locations from the series. Brit Movie Tours offers a Doctor Who Walking Tour. Visitors get to glimpse 15 ‘set-jetting’ locations, including sites featured in The Invasion, Remembrance of the Daleks and more recently, Rose. Tours run at 11am on August 11 and 25, September 29, October 27 and over the 50th anniversary weekend, November 23-24 . Tours last approximately 2.5 hours and cost £12 for adults and £10 for children.
Get to see the Stone Circle
Outside the capital, Stonehenge took a staring role in the final episode of season five. In the episode, the historic landmark becomes an underground prison for the universe’s most deadly being, The Doctor himself. These days, visitors to the awe-inspiring World Heritage Site can get up close and personal with the ancient stones. Stone Circle Access visits provide the opportunity to go into the center of the stone circle, not possible during normal opening hours. Tickets cost £16.30 for adults and £9.80 for children.
See www.english-heritage.org.uk
In Search of the Tardis
There’s a real blue police phone box parked near Earl’s Court Station in London. Any day of week, large groups of tourists and fans alike can be seen outside the TARDIS-like landmark, taking advantage of this unique photo opportunity. You can also see a TARDIS at the London Film Museum.
Memorable memorabilia
For Doctor Who memorabilia, books and toys visit The Who Shop, a dedicated Doctor Who shop and museum in Upton Park. You will also find Doctor goodies at Forbidden Planet and Hamleys.
The Return of Daleks
The Doctor’s most famous foe, the Daleks, will return to Doctor Who in the show’s 50th anniversary special in November. In the meantime, a 35ft Dalek has landed in Cheshire. A magnificent straw sculpture has been created by Snugburys Ice Cream, which is currently putting the finishing touches to this work of art in a field close to the market town of Nantwich.
Time Travel Events & Exhibitions
York Maze, working in collaboration with local farmer Tom Pearcy, has created a Doctor Who-themed maze to mark the 50th anniversary. The maze features a 300-metre Dalek, and images of the faces of the first and 11th Doctors, William Hartnell and Matt Smith. Colin Baker, who played the Doctor’s sixth incarnation, officially opened the alien landscape last month. Entry costs £11.50 for adults and £10.50 for children. See www.yorkmaze.co.uk
Not to be outdone, the National Space Museum in Leicester will hold ‘Science of the Time Lords’ on November 16. This event will take a closer look at time travel, teleportation and robots. Three of the Doctor’s former companions, Sophie Aldred, Nicola Bryant and Louise Jameson, will be on hand during the day to offer budding Time Lords expert advice and insider tips.Tickets cost £13 for adults and £11 for children. See www.spacecentre.co.uk
In Herefordshire, The Time Machine Museum of Science Fiction has a permanent Doctor Who exhibition. This collection of Doctor Who props and costumes is open throughout 2013 and is widely considered to be one of the finest anywhere in the world, with many items on show from both the classic and the new Doctor Who series, including costumes from David Tennant’s last ever episode, The End of Time. The Museum also features collections dedicated to other sci-fi favorites, including Star Wars and Red Dwarf. This quirky Museum is open every day during bank holidays and school holidays. Outside of the holidays, the Museum is open Wednesday to Sunday from April to September. Admission costs £8 for adults and £6 for children. See www.timemachineuk.com
From November 22-24, ExCel London will have a Doctor Who takeover for days. The official Doctor Who 50th Celebration will bring together panel sessions with stars from five decades of the show alongside behind-the-scenes information from the production team and crew who’ve been bringing the magic to our screens for fifty fabulous years. Standard tickets cost £49.04 for adults and £22.12 for children. See celebration.doctorwho.tv
