Time Travelling – That’s the tennis well out of the way at Wimbledon and the promise at the end of the men’s final that the BBC would announce who will be the next actor to play the Doctor in the BBC’s Doctor Who series, fulfilled.
My last forages into Doctor Who as a pre-teenager, with a black and white telly, was watched like thousands of others, from behind the sofa.
A bit more modern and in colour, I remember the introduction of Davros, leader and creator of the Daleks.
Apparently those of a certain age like myself will remember this, along with various creatures and regenerated Doctors. At one stage I had a knitted Doctor (Tom Baker) styled scarf and it was a wonder I didn’t trip and break my neck. I may well at that time have also been the wearer of a Starsky and Hutch “mother” knitted replica cardigan but that’s another story..
While I have dipped in and out of Doctor Who, I have missed out on the latest modern sonic screwdriver carrying young “hipster” styled Doctors.
The New Doctor
So with a bit of hullabaloo surrounding who would be the new Doctor, my interest led to watching the announcement after the end of the men’s final at Wimbledon
What a choice that turned out to be, as the new Doctor, the thirteenth in the series history replacing Peter Capaldi, was announced that Jodie Whittaker who came to prominace in ITV’s crime drama Broadchurch, will be the latest actor to take on the role of The Doctor and the first female doctor.
Motorcycles
In a tenuous link, still from behind the sofa, I wondered has the Doctor ever ridden a motorcyle?
The answer is a resounding yes, with companions as pillions – some have been riders – sonic screwdriver in hand – “with time and space to solve problems and battle injustice across the universe, traveling via the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimensions in Space).”
Various Doctors from the first Doctor played by William Hartnell in the first episode in 1963 to the latest Doctor played by Peter Capaldi.
Yes we know that apparently other Doctors have appeared in actual Doctor Who episodes – e.g. The War Doctor played by Sir John Hurt and the “original” Doctor, William Hartnell turned up, played by Richard Hurndall and then David Bradley – All the Doctors so far, from Hartnell to Capaldi oh and film spinoffs, have ridden a range of motorcycles and a scooter.
From what I can find from various lists these include:
- Triumph Bonneville T120
- Yamaha XT500
- Triumph Bonneville Scrambler – anti-gravity motorbike
- Vincent Black Shadow with a Steib sidecar
- Vespa
Did I miss any?
From “borrowing” a motorcycle from a cop in San Francisco, to getting shot off one, to riding up The Shard in London, here is hoping to see the new Doctor continue on a motorcycle in whichever future or past as she travels through time.
Maybe it is time to dip back into watching Doctor Who, now where is that boxed set of DVDs to watch and catch up!
Trevor Baird – Motorcycleminds
Doctor Who Appreciation Society
Leave a Reply