Doctor Who dream for Timelord fan Jamie

FISH finger sandwiches and a glass of orange squash while watching Doctor Who were the Saturday night routine for a six-year-old who dreamed that one day he, too, would write such amazing stories of time travel.

FISH finger sandwiches and a glass of orange squash while watching Doctor Who were the Saturday night routine for a six-year-old who dreamed that one day he, too, would write such amazing stories of time travel.

Fast-forward three decades, or a squillionth of a nano-second in Tardis time, and the dream has become reality for Jamie Hailstone, with the inclusion of his work in a double CD collection of eight Doctor Who short stories.

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Jamie, a freelance writer and lifelong fan of The Doctor, was one of 500 who took up a challenge to pen a 2,500-word tale about the timelord for Big Finish Productions, who have the rights to classic episodes featuring the first eight Doctors.

His is called A True Gentleman.

“I sat down in the middle of January when it was freezing and spent three or four afternoons coming up with a story,” said Jamie, of Angmering Lane, East Preston.

“It’s set in the era of Jon Pertwee’s Doctor – he had a fantastic yellow open-top car called Bessie which he used to drive around in, and my story also relied on him having a car.

“It’s based in the Highlands, as my mum comes from Scotland, and is about a young boy who gets caught up in a mini-adventure with the Doctor – something we all dream.

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“While he experiences the Doctor dealing with an inter-galactic, diplomatic incident, the boy gets the puncture in his bike tyre mended into the bargain.”

Half of the stories in the audiobook, called Doctor Who Short Trips – Volume 1 are by “outsiders” such as Jamie, and the others are by regular writers for the programme.

“It’s very pleasing that you can’t tell the difference between the two,” said Jamie, who was also delighted with the treatment his story was given by the production team.

“They have added special effects to create a soundscape around it, so you can hear the Tardis in the background and the sound of the sonic screwdriver.”

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All the stories are read by an actor from the earlier series, including Peter Davison and Colin Baker.

Jamie’s is narrated by Katy Manning, who starred as Jo Grant, assistant to Jon Pertwee’s Doctor Who.

“She is an amazing actress and has done such a fantastic job with it.

“The story is told by the boy in the first person, and she has made a tremendous job of bringing him to life.”

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Jamie, a former reporter on the Gazette’s sister paper, the Shoreham Herald, now specialises in writing on politics, local government and music. “As a fan, to have my work included on this CD is a bit like the Holy Grail – I have wanted to write for Doctor Who since I was six. It’s definitely the coolest thing I have ever written.”

The audiobook, officially licensed by the BBC, was produced by Nicholas Briggs, the voice of the Daleks and Cybermen on television.

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