The Good Doctor

Worlds collide...

UPDATE: fresh from a viewing of the latest episode. Holy Capaldi. I recently had the chance to remind him of his transcendent speech in The Zygon Inversion. We high fived. After Heaven Sent I'm showering him with the equivalent of a knighthood. As well as among Steven Moffat's best episodes, credit also goes to Stuart Biddlecombe, Rachel Talalay, Michael Pickwoad, MFX et al for giving us so much glorious, frightening imagery, whether it was underwater, in the corridors, atop the castle, or the Veil creeping in negative space. Every layer of the Doctor is shredded in this nightmare palace within 55 tear/sweat/squirm/chill-inducing minutes. Simply jaw-dropping.

***

A month after the Cineworld screening, receiving the last of the summer's sun in Cardiff two days back-to-back was therapeutic, and magical especially as Russell T Davies was down the Bay producing a new version A Midsummer Night's Dream. Eight years since our last meeting, here we were, fangirling about Peter, authorising the coinage 'Twelfies', discussing the viability of certain formats – animation would require higher budget/insurance, and a live episode would look like video – and the upcoming Doctor Who Festival at ExCeL. The following day, I succeeded(???) at staging an impressionable method of networking...

Imagine me on this bridge, handing the writer my business card

That was followed by a walk to the studio entrance when we reminisced our first exposure to Who, the 'Shoot for the Moon' story, and TV scheduling issues. Seriously, Series 9 is exceptional, ballsy television, but for youngsters and over-worked mothers it's on TOO DAMN LATE.

I'm still awkward at communication, but the conversation flowed seamlessly from one subject to the next and gave me a bit of perspective on proposals and setting budgets.

On the eve of the Festival, I found my hotel after a lovely afternoon with Lindsay (AWUK) and a failed attempt at getting into a recording of The Graham Norton Show near Waterloo. Not even the Prime Minister of India could get priority tickets to see such an incredible lineup of guests. I mean, Peter Capaldi sharing the couch with Tom Hanks, David Walliams and Duran Duran? Prior to that, Johnny Depp AND Benedict Cumberbatch. What a time to be alive.

The BBC Children in Need benefit concert (with Rob Brydon and Tom Jones) gave me a pang of homesickness. But I knew the Festival would in a way bring me back to Wales. I would be reunited with friends and make new ones to celebrate a show that's carrying us through tough sheep.

Opposite the hotel was a roundabout – Frobisher Road

Here we go again. This is where I queued for Benedict last April

The weekend was reported to be much busier than Friday, which was a relief. Three sets, exhibits, two talk stages and the Shopping Village which took up most of the space. Main panels took place in a separate theatre hall.

My first cosplay; Christel Dee praised the idea – Clara cosplaying as Classic Twelve – as highly original

Defending TARDIS from a Dalek; finally saw Real SFX show as I missed it at Sherlocked

There was a selection of props/costumes from recent episodes including the red velvet coat and guitar. I even bumped into Bernadette chatting to costume design legend Ray Colman, who liked my Mission Dalek. The Millennium FX exhibit (and the panel) was a treasure trove of creativity. After the monster-filled panel I ended up in Level 0 and stumbled upon the 50th Anniversary couch; up ahead was Mark Gatiss talking about Robin Hood movies with a dude. At Production Village I asked Michael Pickwoad about becoming a storyboard artist; he explained pretty much what I had done last month.

Talking of small worlds...

As he greeted me Peter looked surprised to see me again. “Lucy! It's so good to see you again! I like your coat!” I told him about my cosplay; he said Jenna was due to appear over the weekend, which made me feel deeply sad.

The motivation behind my cosplay was that Clara is making/made herself more Doctor-y. All it consists of are my normal clothes and hairstyle.

Before the photoshoots, the co-creators of Sherlock discussed how the idea of 'Immortal Woman' was pitched with Catherine Treganna. The video below is a tiny portion of the Cast panel. Michelle Gomez and Ingrid Oliver summed up how they cope with the pressure of delivering great performances, while Peter demystified the gap between the Twelfth Doctor's regeneration and his first adventure:

After another fantastic, brilliant, cool, good, and uplifting day in the world of Who, I was brought down by the godawful news of the attacks in Paris. Mum and Dad were more than relieved I was safe home.

The Doctor's anti-war speech in The Zygon Inversion couldn't be more relevant.

I returned to London a week later, to attend another Disney/Pixar advance screening/panel at BFI.

The Good Dinosaur is one of those films that not only pleases the dino-loving child in me, but, like Series 9, also has some deeply affecting moments. I related to Arlo overcoming his fears as he journeyed through the wilderness, figuring out his role in society. Full of inventiveness, tenderness and (digital) scenery porn, it's like a Miyazaki film.

Director Peter Sohn explained how The Good Dinosaur, Inside Out and all the movies express stories in which challenges are thrown at the characters:

“Story-making at Pixar is a very therapeutic one. The process of it is digging into every pore of what it is to experience being human on this planet, from birth to childhood to death to being a parent. And so these ideas, this film in particular, we really try to create haiku moments, poetry in the film that do echo certain things for sure but at Pixar there really is behind every film the same crew of people that have been working there for 25 years. What's so interesting about that place is that you can feel the storytellers in each one of those films and it really depends on what that storyteller is doing – they're amazing film-lovers and amazing parents and amazing people and artists there that put their hearts into the work. And so, life is injected in there...”

Pixar goodies from the BFI advance screening

Lindsay recommended me Dude, Where's My Career? a book aimed at lonely graduates facing the uphill battle of pinning down a job.

For a while between Oct-Nov I was consumed by anxiety, doubt and the belief that I was unemployable. The fact that death creeps closer towards two members of my family made it worse/making it worse.

But as GBBO 2015 winner Nadiya says,

“I'm never gonna put boundaries on myself ever again. I'm never gonna say I can't do it. I'm never gonna say 'maybe'. I'm never gonna say 'I don't think I can'. I can and I will.”

I'm no good as a salesperson in business. I aspire to be like the aforementioned storytellers.

In the face of overwhelming odds I'm left with only one option: I'm going have to art the shit out of this!

I Lava Who

With Mission Dalek, filmmakers and visual artists were prompted to create their own Doctor Who story. Those* who demonstrated creativity, inventiveness and technical accomplishment the strongest would win a trip to Roath Lock Studios.

I kept having flashbacks to uni while working on my entry. Despite certain limitations I was able to tell a story, assembling all the scenes and title cards together into a neat 90 second package. I managed to fit all four clues into the piece, the main one being "Technical Transformation".

The process of designing the character/prop assets and animation in Toon Boom Harmony took 12 days. My lucky number. Much of the "budget" i.e. time was spent on story development and keeping the eyebrows/fluffy hair on model. Compositing and editing were done in Motion.

Whether or not it's a hit with the judges, it was a lesson in decision-making and time-keeping. During this purely experimental exercise, I found I was able to get back into animation production. It felt tremendous. It has motivated me to make more little shorts with fuller character animation, without going overboard with story ideas that require more time and hands.

I am deeply thankful for the BBC for launching this. Maybe they'll call me to do an animated spin-off series of the Twelfth Doctor's adventures?

The project was finished in time for the deadline; what a relief it was to head down to Wales for a break. Mum could not have timed it better.

At Cardiff Cineworld, myself and pals attended the Series 9 Launch, watched two brand-new episodes back to back, reserved "for the Welsh".

The chilling two-parter is both everything you love about and would not expect to see in Doctor Who. It's like Empire Strikes Back or The Dark Knight. The Magician's Apprentice grabs you and never lets go. Producer Brian Minchin told me afterwards that because of the reception of Dark Water/Death in Heaven, we'd get more two-parters, and viewers would have to wait for The Witch's Familiar. Preparing popcorn for the reaction.

Steven Moffat and the Crystal Gems

The Q and A session followed. Jason Mohammad was once again a great host. Questions from the audience and answers from the panel were entertaining as always, while spoilery details were kept close to the chest. Everyone was all in favour of David Bowie or Keith Richards making guest appearances, so what could go wrong with a full-on musical episode? "Anything is possible," said Steven Moffat. Folks were divided, though.

The panel, also including Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman, thanked me for praising their performances and the episodes. But the night belonged to George Buckland, aka Mini Matt Smith. His moment that closed the panel was THE highlight.

The Matt the Myth the Legend (left). Plus bonus Michael Pickwoad photobomb

The group picture was another lovely surprise. At this point I'm so used to rubbing shoulders with famous people that I forgot where I was and who I was standing next to.

Already feeling generous and Doctor-like from picking the best seats for some fellow Whovians (one of them's an animator!) I directed Peter to peeps wanting to greet him before he shook my hand. I then asked him to sign a Gallifrey postcard dedicated to a friend back in Leicester.

The Doctor remembered me when I told him he made my birthday. "Oh! Delighted to see you again!"

Could I keep the momentum going with a trip into the TARDIS in two weeks?

Alas that trip wasn't to be.

Good thing The Doctor's Meditation was released. This is the prequel that was shot at Caerphilly Castle, and oddly enough had been screened exclusively in U.S. cinemas. It's 6 minutes of comic brilliance. There's a Waiting for Godot vibe about it. I'm hoping Bors is the new companion.

Now where was I...

The winning Mission Dalek entries ranged from excellent presentation, atmosphere, clever twists, to WHAT are they cereal. "Step Forward" was inspired by a true story. It was one that lent itself to the animation medium. Losing sleep and summer walks, I climbed a mountain with this one.

In the latest Radio Times, Peter taps into the positives of failure:

“All actors go through ups and downs and walk in the deep shadow of failure. I like to talk about it, unlike most who think it means you’re not successful. My failures taught me more than any success and made me wise. [...] There are lots of high priests, Aztecs, in this business, who profess to have the answers. When you realise they don’t, it’s a remarkable feeling.”**

It's basically "failing better", as Benedict Cumberbatch once told me. And I also have to remember one thing - Peter Capaldi said my art is fantastic. And that transported me to Comic Con. Thanks to these cats, among others, I will continue to become a better communicator. Written, verbal, visual. I just have to keep it simple. I'm still only a baby.

*The competition was aimed at UK residents

**Source: Who's Looking at Who? page 17, Radio Times 19-25 Sept 2015

The Owl and the Pussycat

The beautiful town of Caerphilly was bathed in sunlight. A mysterious fog surrounded the Castle.

As I was searching for the entrance, I learned from DW brand manager Edward Russell that the Aberavon Bay sequence went down really well at the Symphonic Spectacular, and that Peter thought those watercolours were “fantastic”.

Filming took place in the north-west tower and then atop a hill across a drawbridge. Besides all the forthcoming promotions, this prequel/minisode will be the first thing to be broadcast. The start of Series 9. Or presumably Timmy O'Toole is stuck down that well?

Rachel Talalay came to watch the action. She said the free-fall sequence in Death in Heaven (LOVE it) was so much fun to shoot. She also recommended seeing Mad Max: Fury Road. I saw it the next day at the Reel Cinema by the seafront. Incredible. Even the pregnant tabby cat loitering outside wanted to experience it.

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill (Bors in the Series 9 opener) and extras dressed in medieval garb would appear at intervals. I chatted with one of them about careers, working on sets of blockbusters and TV shows - the latter have quicker turnaround times - and Steven Spielberg's efficiency and professionalism on War Horse.

The whole experience was basically fantasy made real. The entire time I still could not... this was more than just a television production. And whatever was going on inside the tower - everything seemed like figments of my imagination. A loud bang shook the place into a brief silence.

After making new friends, reuniting with familiar ones, and playing with a pair of gorgeous setters, it wasn’t long until the Doctor himself strutted into the courtyard.

Every moment spent in his company becomes the new greatest moment of any Whovian's life. I felt more confident around Peter, despite my legs turning to jelly. Happens every time I meet a Time Lord. When he signed my pencil case I explained why it was relevant but then stopped myself in case I might offend him. Doubtful. Owls are among my favourite animals.

The pencil case illustration is Paperchase’s, not mine.

This moment was one of the highlights. It made all the kids laugh.

Why do I always bungle my communication in front of the Doctor?

After 5pm I made sure a few buddies who missed the chance got to meet Peter. Even after a long day, his eyes still sparkled green like the Doctor's signet ring. He demonstrated his drawing skills, was impressed by mine, was delighted to hear about my contribution to Glasgow School of Art’s restoration, and I thanked him for making me believe in magic. That's what Doctor Who is. It inspires folks to do good.

Oh what a day. What a lovely day.

Creative Cat and Doctor Hoo

I Am Sherlocked

Wide awake with post-con blues and giddy glee, I felt like I had run a marathon. Convenient or not, I'm glad I came anyway.

The Road to ExCeL

The prospect of attending this convention was unlikely. Over £500 was already spent on a page in a lifestyle magazine that nobody in my field even reads. Saturday would be the least awkward day to travel, but by the time I received payment, it was too late.

Benedict Cumberbatch attended Richard III's Reinterment Service. That was when I accepted this was the only opportunity to at least see the guy and show him support. How often does a global star of stage/screen visit your hometown?

Exactly two weeks before Sherlocked, Naomi of Cumberbatchweb announced on Twitter that somebody was sparing a ticket. At that instant I punched “yes please!” Everything was set in motion. I can't thank Naomi and Monika enough.

A seat at Benedict's Talk was then secured. Indecision stalled extra choices. There were also monthly bills to take care of.

The date change of the London Animation Club event was a blessing. Travelling to/from ExCeL required an Oyster card. Took a selfie with the ad poster on the tube escalator. If anyone attempted such a challenge, you were rewarded with funny looks, serious vertigo and a badge for your efforts. Cherish it.

All very eleventh hour stuff. Eleven days later...

The Reluctant Dragon

I joined the queue in Hall S7, exchanging other con adventures with Kirsty and Sera before being herded into the Main Stage.

Akin to a rock concert, Benedict seemed most in his element talking directly to the crowd. It was incredibly entertaining to hear his thoughts on Sherlock; character relationships; fellow cast members; how he approaches both big movies and little TV shows vice versa; dropping f-bombs; meeting Johnny Depp only as Whitey Bulger. This is a man still feeling his way through, mastering his craft. I have always been enamoured of him.

Now, don't ask me how...but the moment finally arrived. Although I've never had a problem with public speaking. The ultimate test was asking a coveted actor about his process, and applying it to my own.

Heart pounding, clearing my throat: “Hello Benedict, I'm Lucy from Leicester!”

My amplified voice was oddly disembodied. He scanned the audience to find me smack-bang in the middle. This wasn't even staged. “So good to see you,” I continued. “What I would like to know is... (reading from notes as it was too long to memorise) For each character you play or have played in any medium, how do you bring together your research and life experiences to deliver a unique performance and interact with other actors?” And then threw in at the last-minute, “also can you give us a little...bit of...dragon voice please?”

For 3 seconds, Benedict assumed his scaly, fiery form...

“Oh crumbs.”

Family Vertue

It had been a long while since going to a convention. I was reminded why I love it so much - a succession of random surprises ensue. Examples: for a toddler this was his first Con-going experience; one girl cosplaying as Irene Adler in barefoot wore only a coat; and while waiting for the Sherlockology panel, a boy I recognised as Louis Moffat approached the entrance. I excitedly told him I loved the charming interview he did with his parents. When asked if it was something he wanted to get into, he said it was more of a one-off.

Sue Vertue talked about her role as producer on Sherlock 1-3. I asked her, “What audience did you have in mind around the time of the pilot and A Study in Pink?” She said initially they were aiming for BBC Two; ultimately half the demographic were female, and Hartswood naturally skewed toward a young audience; her background in comedy helped – I squeed “YES!” when she mentioned Gimme Gimme Gimme as my sister loved that growing up.

This Reichenbach theory is...

I literally got my hands dirty at Real SFX's display. These cats deservedly won the joint TV Craft award for VFX the following day – the visuals in Doctor Who series 8 are the best.

Danny Hargreaves showed us fake blood you can eat, raining debris, the science of exploding bullet holes, ice old snow, rubbery thermoplastic that stunt performers smash through... Glorious practical FX.

The Door and Living Room were expertly and lovingly assembled as they are in the show. It took three times to fully confirm that yes that is the actual 221B set from Bristol. Apparently the adorable Arwel Wyn Jones had seen the aforementioned meme; we talked Wales and wallpaper, and I even showed him my Sherlock-related fan art.

The museum teased the costumes from the Special.

As well as being unable to locate Monika around the Con, I also deeply regret not meeting the other guests. Briefly spotted Jonathan Aris, Lars Mikkelson, Una Stubbs, but never had the chance to go up and greet each of them. Saw Mark Gatiss and Andrew Scott...in toy form. Martin Freeman was there too, in spirit.

I didn't want the Con to end. It was best not to fight clashes and just relax, process everything and top-up on lunch. The lines were long and would take up the small amount of time and cash. I did however purchase Series 3 on blu-ray, as I didn't have anything for Steven or Arwel to sign besides a TARDIS notepad with Sam Bailey's auto inside, which Danny was happy to sign.

Word had spread that Benedict looked less than happy – the truth was he had a cold.

There was a moment when he was escorted to a photoshoot cubicle. We made eye contact. Both said hello, but the guard prevented any high-fives. Awkward, but in those familiar eyes I saw a sensitive soul fighting a gruelling schedule and winning. While bunged up? That makes him thrice more badass. Later I glimpsed the 221B lounge shoot towards the end to check if he was okay.

The Convention

Like the show I savoured every minute of Sherlocked. I'm reliving it again reading the stories and quotes. It was a joy to discover and connect with fans from different backgrounds. I'm sorry for the many who couldn't attend and especially sorry for those few underwhelmed by the overall experience. Hard to argue with the expenses though. Just be grateful that most of the cast spent the weekend with you. We are all one big extended family.

Plans for 2016... Listen up Showmasters/Massive Events:

• People would pay handsomely for An Afternoon with Holmes AND Watson
• Get Amanda Abbington to do a panel or two with Louise Brealey, Una, Martin etc
• Michael Price and/or David Arnold can talk about musical compositions
• A live band performing the entire soundtrack on stage or in the centre of the Con
• Millennium Centre would be an ideal venue
• Offer another chance to explore the set
• Lastly, why bother doing another convention without David Nellist?

We will all be fresh from the Special and Series 4, spilling more credible and ridiculous theories and cracking jokes with those mad geniuses. Blame/praise them for bringing these gentlemen and women into our lives.

Carpe Diem

Immersing myself in passions and travelling distances are fuel for the creative soul. It can be terrifying and I am bound to make mistakes, but my communication skills improve.

There has been a Human League ballad swimming around in my head, since speaking to the mighty Cumberbatch, who is just a man. I fully 100% respect him now. As is the case with every star or writer I meet, I get a sense of their vulnerability. He dedicated a whole day to the fans. He is THE man and he deserves a nice long break and warm chocolate with his wife Sophie.

The whole thing has given me validity to make my animated short film; the missing piece of the puzzle has been found.

Keep “falling upwards” folks!

*Find out what BC said to me at the Q and A* (link to tumblr)

Catching a Drift, part 2

2014 started with promise, crumbled in the middle, rose again, then sank again rather steeply but shot right back up amid tears of Joy and Sadness.

It was a challenging 12 months of setbacks, achievements, cultural highlights, influences and revealing truths. My passions have directed me along this creative journey. I want to thank everybody who were part of it for helping me understand how this insanely tiny world works.

January-March

• Sherlock bounced back into our lives with Series 3. Illustrations and Oscar memes were hugely popular with Speedy's Cafe and fans.
• (pictured) Beren's Cat tries and fails to catch the mice.
• Tour of BBC Broadcasting House
• Animated Women UK MPC Showcase, Moving Picture Company
• The Image Is the Servant, Hansom Hall
• Designed the logo for Animated Women UK
• 3D Creative Summit, BFi
• Attended my first Animgather networking event: introduced to Bournemouth students, VFX pros, and other creative cats who are campaigning to save the Doodle Bar from redevelopment.

April-June

Source: Bubble_Fun_Tea

• Fargo made our Sunday evenings a little more sinister. Eventually we would binge-watch the first series of Happy Valley.
• Submitted a project proposal to LCB Depot - rejected, but...
• A collaboration with Mini Productions on the Acting on a Dream campaign begins.
• (pictured) Gok Wan, Miss GB and Leicester's Strongest Man appeared during the launch of the Fun Tea brand in Highcross.
• Godzilla, despite a triumphant return, started to haunt my dreams.
• The period when things kind of went…eh.
• Friends and family, Smod Co podcasts, Glen Keane's short film Duet, Days of Future Past and the Moving Together Dance show made me feel hopeful and less lonely. Also, this song(s):

July-September

• Watercolours and cooking slowly brought me out of my slump. Confidence grows but business is still very slow.
• Started designing illustrations for a Jurassic World fan project.
• Everybody's Music attracted more views via Toon Boom Showcase.
• The folks at somewhereto_ helped me run workshops and a market stall; neither attracted enough attention but they gave me bags of popcorn and a lead or two.
• Completely starstruck by Jenna Coleman and Richard Madden on the way to Animgather Summer Edition, Regent's Park.
• The popcorn was warmly received with fellow animators. I recommended a young man to seek Prince's Trust and somewhereto_.

• Danced like Star-Lord around Cardiff after attending the Doctor Who World Tour/Series 8 launch (pictured) where I met lots of lovely fans including Lizzie George, Michael Crumpton and Peter Capaldi.
• Fresh from Guardians of the Galaxy and Deep Breath, this video blew my mind:

• Attended Frank Gladstone's Visual Storytelling Masterclass at the University of Wales, before logging into Nik Ranieri's master lecture over at Virtual Animators.
• In September the bright spots of a frustrating holiday included a filmmaking lecture by Don Hahn, closely followed by Listen, Pride, Aunt Susan, and return to Caswell Bay.

"Keep Drawing"

• (pictured) Making of Duet, Curzon Soho: Glen Keane has seen 40 seconds of Everybody's Music.
• Revisiting Keane's classic movies helped improve my animation drawing skills.
• MADE Festival Conference in Sheffield; highlights include Michelle Mone, Levi Roots and bumping into the Seed Creativity guys.

October-December

• Stephen Fry replied to a tweet about making a fool of yourself in front of your heroes: …"I overslept [and] missed tea with Al Pacino. I mean you just don't stand up Don Corleone or Scarface…"
• I painted another watercolour of a scene from Kill the Moon.
• (pictured) Brand Licensing Europe at the Olympia, where I felt out of my depth, but I saw some exclusive footage and networked.

• (pictured) Opening Gala of LFF: besides some decent photos, the evening was a shambles. Came home later than planned. Wrecked by the ordeal and the death of our beloved Austin.
• My sister Emily, who was also going through hard times, encouraged me to draw The Midnight Beast fan art for her.
• Doctor Who + Virtual Animators (with drawing demos by Andreas Deja)
• UK Young Artists Festival, highlights: the Hermes Experiment, Jo Kelen, Gurdain Singh Rayatt, and Annlin Chao's Phantom on the Cliff.
• Interstellar rocks the Showcase in XPLUS, thanks to Christopher Nolan's championing of large screen formats.
• Doctor Who DVD Launch, Ham Yard Hotel
• Installations: Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, Paddington Trail
• The Imitation Game brought me to tears
• Leicester for Business Awards, Y Theatre
• Tour Jurassic World and trailer were both revealed
• (pictured) Aberavon sunset + chips + Paddington
• The Greatest Adventure came to an end with The Battle of Five Armies. I do love spending time in that world, whatever Age.
• AWUK networking (missed out last time when I got lost in Bloomsbury)
• Best Christmas Day Ever

Resolutions

• Tidy room
• Lose weight
• Sketch every morning
• Purchase Oyster and Young Person's coach card
• Get a business account
• Spend wisely
• Save up for Sherlocked Convention
• Read more books
• Sharpen pitch, selling and marketing abilities
• Improve communication skills
• Launch an art auction; donate the profits to the Glasgow School of Art Development Trust
• Make that film

Hello 2015! please be a good one for us all.

Related articles:

Doctor Who appreciation post

Catching a Drift part 1

Something beautiful, something wonderful: an Appreciation of Doctor Who

An impression of a scene shot at my Nana's local seafront. When life is tough, this reminds me that sometimes, life's a beach.

At time of writing it had been four weeks since the fan event in London. Never have I felt more closer to this show, one that my parents watched when they were kids. My mother's side of the family are from Glamorgan, where the production has been based for a decade.

Dr Who and the Daleks and the 1996 pilot were the first time I was ever aware of the concept. I remembered the wobbly sets, the grandfatherly figure and his family, the time machine and the cone-shaped vacuum cleaners.

Nine years later, the Revival fulfilled its promise, chiefly with the writing, the performances, echoes of the past and fresh new ideas. I'd keep up with the spin-offs and Classics. We started visiting Cardiff more often. The pickups in Coventry would be the closest that Doctor Who had ever come to the Midlands.

A show like Doctor Who inspires creativity. For instance weird mash-up videos like Lords of Happy Time was the antidote to the tearful Series 4 finale. The end of Russell and David's tenures, among other things, led to the creation of Everybody's Music.

Some speculative designs (April 2009) of Matt Smith sporting a spotty bow tie before his costume was revealed

Late 2013 reached a crescendo in the global celebration of the 50th anniversary. With the announcement of Peter Capaldi (how are they going to explain Pompeii and Children of Earth?), the specials and the profoundly moving An Adventure in Space and Time, it was a good year for fans.

Some of us were lucky to step into Eleven's TARDIS set at Roath Lock Studios. It gave me a sense that I was billions of miles away from home, yet I still felt at home.

Doctor Who has as much to do with escapism as it does with heritage. A few times a year we head to South Wales for short breaks to spend time with Nana because she's awesome. Since graduating university to become a freelance artist, I journey there more often to see what's occurin' in Swansea and Cardiff. Cultural activities, networking opportunities, Verdi's etc. Some of the locals would have inside knowledge on current shooting blocks.

There's also Aberavon Beach. Just a 10 minute walk from Nana's house, everything you could possibly want on vacation is there. Eye Myles and I both agree that Franco's make the best fish and chips in Port Talbot.

Summer arrived early in May of 2014, but back in England I was painstakingly animating a walk cycle demo reel. All work and no play...

Mum broke the news, from Nana's cleaner, that there had been filming at our favourite beach b'there. Of all places to see some lights-camera-action, though we never counted on it. Soon, things kind of hit a wall.

More crushing though was news of the fire that struck the Glasgow School of Art.

Capaldi, known for his fondness of it had studied there, graduating from Graphic Design. It was like he had lost something dear to him whilst in another country working, too. He addressed a beautiful message to the students who had lost their work. The thoughts of them and the message spurred me to help put the pieces back together.

The intention was to present to him a watercolour landscape of the beach scene. Through an online auction, fans would submit bids for the signed artwork, with all proceeds going to the Mackintosh Appeal/GSA Development Trust, towards its £20 million funding target. A la the stasis cube in DOTD, it would be called, "Lost in Sands of Time…No More".

Aware of his busy schedule an immediate response to fan mail was not guaranteed. What was guaranteed was a public appearance during the UK leg of the just-announced World Tour. I held my breath for the longest time during the morning tickets went on sale. Imagine the relief when I managed to purchase a stall ticket. L row. Twelfth row.

Cardiff, 7th August: I arrived early to join a small crowd in the Hayes that grew. Exciting as it was, I knew I had to decide on a selfie OR quick-fire scribbles on the artwork. It was possible the latter would resurface in September when we would return to Wales for another vacation. Production would soon begin on the Christmas Special.

Out of nowhere a Cyberman appeared. A second one reached out and started choking me. Then the Malcolm Tuckin' Doctor came to the rescue. It took him 20 minutes or so but Who cares.

He's a-comin'!

"Did you get it?"

on BBC News

In St David's Hall we got our first taste of this badass new Time Lord and the direction this series was heading in.

I was the first audience member to be picked for the Q and A. I spoke to Jenna Coleman (again, after an encounter in London two weeks before) Steven Moffat, and Peter, asking him if his Doctor often reflects on his past. His response:

“Anyone who has lived his life, he's always going to be haunted and challenged. But he gets on with things.”

The panel was full of great, internet-breaking moments, like the birthday singalong and the reaction to a WhoLock crossover. Afterwards we hung around with Samuel Anderson (Danny Pink). Overall it was lovely to share such an experience with fans in a city not so far from Nana's. According to her it's normal to sing/dance around Cardiff high-fiving random shoppers. Because as she says, "smile, and the world smiles with you."

The themes of Series 8 resonated with me, besides…

Godzilla-sized Dinosaur! (when I had just begun work on a Jurassic World project)

Oo-de-lally! Oo-de-lally!

CalArts reference!!!

Santa Frost!

Whilst other UK TV viewers were throwing tomatoes at X-Factor, we were drawn into stories that were scary, poignant, bonkers, ballsy, fluffy, and raised some broader issues. Listen and Flatline are firm favourites, along with some of the most beautiful imagery and character moments. I'm hoping we see how far Clara's relationship with endearingly grumpy Twelve goes.

Prior to and during its 12-week run, I was trying to achieve balance in self-employment and family life, not unlike Clara's. At times the show spoke directly to its audience:

"Fear can make you stronger"

"Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones. But you still have to choose"

"Be less scared, be more trusting"

Back in Leicester the watercolour painting was on display in Silver Arcade, part of the Knighton Lane Artists exhibition. Sadly I was unable to collect it in time for the next Wales vacation.

The scenes in Kill the Moon prompted me to paint two more impressions.

Mid-Autumn was a stream of personal failures and financial stress. Confused and burdened I became increasingly fearful of the future. There is nothing I hate more than letting down the family.

Fortunately, my friends at Seed Creativity were preparing a live social media project, aiming to spread the word about the UK Young Artists Festival around Leicester. Based at the Seed Creative Hub, it was a great way to make new friends and improve my marketing skills. Since then I was doing what I could to stay afloat, speaking to the right people etc.

The story of an autistic boy coping with his grandmother's passing thanks to a kind message sent by his hero lifted everyone's spirits.

Shortly after that, a lady who I had met in Cardiff was among a random selection of folks who won a pair of tickets to the Series 8 DVD launch held in Soho. She was offering a spare invitation, which I accepted without hesitation.

This stroke of luck happened to fall on the same fateful evening as the break-in at Seed Creative Hub. Laptops, iMacs, hard drives, training equipment etc were stolen. But it wasn't going to stop Dan, Jon, Richie or anyone from progressing.

I read all the messages of support from their followers, when it hit me. Things were about to come full circle. It made sense to give something back to the community and to those who helped kickstart my career.

17th November: The hellish Monday morning turned into an afternoon of pure magic. Elizabeth and myself - fully equipped with the watercolours - and a hundred other attendees were treated to a first look at Earth Conquest - a heartwarming documentary about the fandom. One thing I love about these events is meeting other fans and artists. They make it all possible.

It was followed by a panel where Steven and the cast including Frank Skinner, Michelle Gomez and Samuel shared insights, amusing anecdotes and world exclusives.

What made it extra special was the perfectly-timed clip from Kill the Moon.

It was a real Cinema Paradiso moment. I stretched out my hand: that's… our… beach b'there! No way could I pass up that opportunity to display the painting for the panel to see. Clara Oswald approved.

After the final applause, somebody called “we love you!” Everybody laughed and blushed, as Frank joked that I was his “ex-wife”.

So that concluded the panel. No meet-and-greet was happening in this room, we thought as we packed our bags. I turned 90 degrees… to find the Doctor materialising in front of me.

Holy Capaldi.

We shook hands many times, and I told him the show helped me through tough times which he was glad to hear. Our reunion was like that sequence in Spirited Away. “I knew you were good!”

Half dazed/skittish I told him the two paintings that weren't signed to Lucy were charity donations. He spoke his approval briefly as he was tending to other folks.

I hope I wasn't taking up anyone's space too much. If so, apologies for that. Peter caught me by surprise, graceful as he was. Despite the muddled interaction we all expressed our affection and thanks. And a cwtch! It certainly wasn't the first time I hugged a Time Lord.

We had even more success in the bar. I managed to get Steven's signature, telling him Series 8 was amazing and how excited I was for more Sherlock. Also, the Master is kind of adorable.

Funds raised for this signed artwork will go towards Seed Creativity's training programmes for young people. UPDATE: the Seed Hub is all covered and paid for, without my aid. Therefore I'm holding on to this item for now. On the other hand...

Funds raised for this one aided the Mackintosh Appeal, to help restore the Library and School of Art.

Now we can move on to eBay or other charity fundraising platforms… um, anyone know how to work this thing?

Helping the Doctor - that would be good. Doctor Who inspires us to do good.

Respectively, BBC Wales and Worldwide did an outstanding job on the show and marketing campaign. With the Revival's 10th Anniversary, 2015 promises more unexpected magic moments, like making children's wishes a reality. At the premiere it was kind of like the finale of E.T. for a small boy named Elliot.

Another example was forgetting we were in a theatre deep under the Ham Yard Hotel. The Doctor transported us to that moment on the sand dunes, watching a new moon forming in the clear blue sky above the sea. No matter how far-flung into the future it was meant to be, it felt like home again.

Not for sale.