I've been a Doctor Who fan for as long as I can remember.
So, when the chance arose to actually go see one of the actors who has portrayed him I jumped at the chance. My mate informed me that Colin Baker was appearing in a play in a local theatre. The Trial of a Timelord boxset had not long been released and as I was thoroughly engrossed in it that made him the Doctor at that precise moment. I knew nothing of the play but we thought the tenner admission would be worth it just to get the chance for an autograph afterward (as it happens the play was one of the funniest things I have ever seen).

The problem came when the lights came back on and we all started to leave the theatre. "Shit, our train comes in ten minutes. Is it worth missing it for this?" Well, I'd gotten this far so I may as well. Clutching a Revelation of the Daleks DVD I make my way to the stage door. Another thought rushes through my head - "Has he already left?". Then another "What if they don't let us in?". "What if he refuses?". I can't say I'm skilled in the fine art of autograph hunting, so anxiety was building as we stood there, me trying desperately to stop the DVD slipping out of my increasingly sweaty hands.

Finally, out he comes. Colin Baker is a massive man. I'm quite tall, but I still felt dwarfed by him. Now I've got to get an autograph and a photo without blurting out anything embarrassing. No quotes, no Who questions, just get him to sign the DVD, thank him and leave. It's the moment of truth. Is he going to refuse?

"Excuse me, Mr Baker?"

Luckily for me he was a very nice man, very patient and quite happy to chat to us. But then I snap - I've got my autograph, I want a photo too, but the extra adrenaline from the relief of him not being a colossal bastard now causes me to stammer in the most Porky-Pig-esque fashion imaginable.

Then it gets nightmarish. My friend also wants a photo and hands me his camera. And I'm shaking. Physically shaking. I just about manage to take the photo without reducing it to a massive blur. I've never been like this meeting anyone in my life. God only knows what bizarre transformation had occurred within my brain, transforming me from regular human to vibrating fanboy extraordinaire. I think Colin was a bit confused by this behaviour too.

"Wow, if you're like this now, you should meet Tom. He's the really popular one," he jokes.

I stammer a "thank you" and we turn to leave.

He too walks off in the direction of his taxi and as we both turn the corner a group of girls in fancy dress walk past us all. Robot fancy dress. All cardboard and tinfoil.

"Are these with you?" Colin jokes once again.

"Great," I think, "Not only have I made a twat of myself but now he thinks I have an entourage of Cybermen."

He gives us one last smile and disappears into the night. We did indeed manage to catch our train and get home safely.

I'm glad to say that meeting Sylvester McCoy a few months later went a lot better, although I did hand a big black marker pen to him wet end first, which was an utterly stupid thing to do.
( shovelboy This is bad - Two minutes to Belgium, Tue 21 Apr 2009, 10:28, 2 replies)

Colin Baker
I once had a beergut fight with him at a Dr Who convention in Weston Super Mare in 1999.

He won.

Dr S
(Dr Skagra glorious glargzhem, Tue 21 Apr 2009, 10:46, closed)

*Clickety*
Just for the title.

I'll go back and read the post now :0)

EDIT: read it, still clickworthy
( SpikeyPickle wishes he was mabazaritchie, Tue 21 Apr 2009, 10:58, closed)