Blackpool Remembered: Your Doctor Who-inspired journey back in time starts here…

By John Freeman on August 31, 2020

Blackpool Remembered is a glorious Doctor Who project by the fans for the fans, celebrating the northern seaside town’s original long running exhibition – and it was always editor John Collier’s ambition to create something that would be available for free.

Available now as a digital publication, Blackpool Remembered offers fond memories of the original Doctor Who Exhibition on Blackpool’s Golden Mile, delving into the its rich history – and creating an impressive guide.

Hot on the heels of the latest series of Doctor Who, every year fans would travel the length and breadth of the country to Blackpool from 1974 to 1985 to visit the TARDIS and defy the Daleks. Back then, no other television show had its own permanent exhibition in the UK, and this was a chance to get up close and personal!

Doctor Who - Blackpool Exhibition art by Stuart Glazebrook — *Some sample pages from* Blackpool Remembered, including early art by Stuart “StuART” Glazebrook, who was a regular contributor to early publications from the Doctor Who Appreciation Society

Doctor Who - Blackpool Remembered Sample Page — *Some sample pages from* Blackpool Remembered, including early art by Stuart “StuART” Glazebrook, who was a regular contributor to early publications from the Doctor Who Appreciation Society

Blackpool Remembered charts the history of the exhibition, bringing together special memories, stories and photographs from the fans who visited it, as well as documenting the ever-changing exhibits which, like the series itself, regenerated every year to bring new thrills and excitement. Alongside this are detailed recollections from some of the people who made it happen.

The resulting book runs to an incredible 400 pages from 80 contributors, who include Steve Cambden, Julie Jones, Bob Richardson, Katy Manning, Mike Tucker, Neil Cole, Kevin Jon Davies, Steve Cole, John Field, Stuart Glazebrook and Richard Leaver.

The digital format means this book is indeed much bigger on the inside than ever imagined – proof that there is still so much love for the original Doctor Who exhibition in Blackpool, 35 years after it closed its doors.

So, travel back in time through a feast of nostalgia, with many previously unseen photographs, exclusive interviews and illustrations.

• You can download Blackpool Remembered here for free from the dedicated fan site

• The cover art is by project collaborator and illustrator Alex Storer. You can see more of his science fiction-inspired artwork here

• Kevin Jon Davies DWAS Day Trip to Blackpool in 1981 – Video

• There is a Doctor Who element to the Madame Tussuads attraction in Blackpool today: more information at www.madametussauds.com/blackpool/en/whats-inside-header/doctor-who

Blue Peter goes behind the scenes on the creation of Jodie Whitaker’s figure for Madame Tussauds – on display along with show costumes and interactive exhibits. Look out for Stephen Mansfield, who used to work on the show itself during the Sylvester McCoy era!

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.