John Collier (1) (1901–1980)

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/blackpool-remembered-ed-john-collier/

I remember going to the Doctor Who exhibition in Blackpool in 1977, when I would have been ten; it was a subterranean chamber full of Doctor Who monsters, and I bought the new novelisation of The Dalek Invasion of Earth, the very first Doctor Who book that I bought for myself. My memories of exactly what was on display are dim.

Not so for the contributors to Blackpool Remembered, a lovely full-colour commemoration of the exhibition which ran from 1974 to 1984. There’s a loving recreation of the exhibition space, which was updated each year to bring in more recent monsters – and these were genuine BBC props, with only a couple of Daleks specially made for Blackpool. There are extensive memories by fans who kept more careful notes and photographs than I did, including a couple who have gone on to become bigger names in the Whoniverse, such as Steve Cole and Matt Fitton. It’s a great example of how to reconstruct a purely physical and temporary display space after almost four decades.

There is a great interview with Julie Jones, the Doctor Who production office staffer who masterminded the whole thing; but disappointingly, we don’t get much from the female fan perspective. Lots of mums and sisters and a few girlfriends appear in the photographs; I don’t think we hear directly from any of them. I guess that reflects the resources available to the editor, but it’s an unfortunate gap. (Also everyone seems to be white.)

Still, it’s a lovely production.… (mer)

Did not finish, because they are stories and i am doling them out as they are so much fun. Always dark takes on common folks- usually with a murder or two thrown in in a light hearted way. Example: 1st story (i think). Man is visited by 2 friends in a quiet town. They wonder where the wife is... strange that she is gone in the circs - he is digging the basement in an odd way (why?) and is evasive. Friends chat with him more or less forgiving him for murdering the wife because she is a notorious philanderer all about town casting great shame on the husband man. Finally they leave and the wife returns. The man casually invites the wife downstairs - to the basement - to show her something..... the end. Pretty delicious and so it goes - packed with witty murders and misanthropy.… (mer)