Kevin was an impressionable child of 10, and was mesmerised watching the first episode of the new science fiction series called Doctor Who on Nov 23 1963. He was also captivated by the futuristic sound of the theme music, which seemed to have a timeless quality about it. The use of the incidental harp music during the opening episode and later on, gave it a feel from the distant past. After all, the harp is an ancient musical instrument. For him, it gave the programme a unique timeless quality and certainly something he had never seen before.

It was superbly acted by the four main characters from the beginning, coupled with the futuristic sounds of the Radiophonic Workshop as the stories went along. And with the clever use of props, it was all believable to him and it became compulsory viewing every week following Grandstand on the BBC on a Saturday evening. The rest of his family were not really interested in Doctor Who, especially his Mother, and she would make a point of not coming into the family lounge while the programme was on. However when Kevin was watching the scary bits, he did wish that his mother or someone, would come into the room and calm his fears.

He found the first Dalek story amazing and frightening at the same time. He bought the video cassette release in the 1980’s and noticed that one or two scary short scenes were edited out which were shown in the first transmission in 1963. These scenes were obviously considered too frightening for today’s audience.

If he missed an episode on Saturday evening for any reason, like having to go out with his family, or a valve on the 14in Echo TV set broke down on Saturday evening, he was quite upset and used to contact a friend to find out what had happened in the story. He remembers on one occasion going around to his next door neighbour and watching Dalek Invasion Earth 2164 as the family telly had broken down again! However, because Kevin knew that the stories were very well done and of high quality and therefore he assumed would be repeated at some point in the future, or so he thought, he need not to worry too much about missing an odd episode. Little did he know what was going to happen in the 1970’s.when over a hundred episodes were junked by the BBC much to his dismay, including some of his favourite stories from the Troughton era.

Having an interest in drawing from an early age, Kevin began to sketch the shape of a Dalek now and again between lessons at school. He found them challenging to draw accurately.

He always felt that some of the early 1960’s Dalek merchandise (Dalekmania) in the shops looked a bit crude and not accurate enough compared with the real size BBC props. However he was thrilled to receive The Dalek Book from his next door neighbour for Christmas 1965. There were some well crafted stories in there to read.

As the show went out on transmission each Saturday, and new monsters appeared, he began drawing them as well (see 1960’s sketches.)

He remembers having nightmares about the Cybermen (1966-68). He thought they were more frightening than the Daleks at the time. It was their organic look and blank stare, coupled with their stealth, invading Moonbases and Space Stations that really made an impression on him. Kevin does not understand when people poke fun nowadays at the so called “wobbly” props and effects of early Who. He never noticed this at the time and to him it was all wrapped up in the stories themselves! Besides this was all cutting edge material we were watching and therefore we had nothing to compare it to then. Of course credit must go to the skill of the directors, Producers, actors, and the Radiophonic Workshop who made it all so believable at the time. He did not make the connection between the Dalek sucker pad and a sink plunger to clear a sink pipe of waste for instance. This seems to be a common criticism. He was too engrossed in the programme as to what was going to happen next, to make observations like that and surely one can put it down to coincidence that they happen to look alike anyway.

Kevin pays tribute to some of the unsung heroes in a piece of artwork entitled A NATIONAL TREASURE painted in 2005. David Whitaker is his favourite Doctor Who writer.

He remembers meeting a full size Dalek on loan from the BBC at Lewis’ department store in Birmingham in the mid 1960’s. His Mum and sister were there too, along with many other families. They all touched the Dalek plunger as it moved through the department store. He remembers going to see the Peter Cushing Doctor Who and The Daleks movie with his Mum and sister at the Odeon Cinema, Erdington, Birmingham in 1965. It was a magical experience and one could suspend one’ belief with the story.

At school one or two Dr Who fans pretended to be Ice Warriors by fixing their fountain pen tops to the end of their jacket cuffs, resembling the Ice Warrior sonic gun. One or two pupils were writing Dr Who and Star Trek scripts by the late 1960’s.at school. They were very good too!

Kevin continued drawing, and created a sketch of a scene from The War Games with invading Daleks in 1969. (See Sketches).

He remembers being sad when Patrick Troughton left the series at the end of the 60’s. It felt like the end of an era, because he knew there were going to be changes, as well as the advent of colour from the BBC. Also at that point it was not clear whether the show was going to continue.

He continued watching the show well into the 1970’s, but alas for some reason he was less inspired to draw and paint for the time being and became more interested in other things instead.

In 1971 he found a career in Civil Engineering, working on contracts in UK and overseas until he was made redundant from a Consulting Engineering company in Birmingham in 1995

He felt Doctor Who started to lose its way in the late 1970’s and his interest in the show, waned for awhile. Certain facets of the early stories seemed to be missing from these late 70’s offerings. Also he felt the stories and dialogue seemed to reflect the 70’s and 80’s, with the use and sound of synthesisers, rather than remaining timeless, as in earlier years, which he thought was an important essence of the show which had somehow been lost .

Kevin started to watch Dr Who again, when working in Australia with Earthshock in 1982. This seemed to be a good story, but the show was so different now in many ways and the re-costumed Cybermen were not as frightening as he remembers from the 1960’s. In his view giving the Cybermen guns was a mistake as they became less alien. He has watched all the episodes since, it is really the early DrWho that appeals the most, as it made such an impression on him as a child.

However he is enjoying the new Who from 2005. It has recaptured some of the magic from the early Who days, and the scripts are imaginative and logical too! He finds it more “mainstream” with domestic family scenes and of course the wonderful special effects.

When he was made redundant in 1995 from an Engineering company in Birmingham, he returned to his love of art and became a full time Artist later in the year. More or less straightaway he wanted to try and recapture the magic of the first Doctor Who episode with Bill Hartnell, and created AN UNEARTHLY CHILD (see WHO’S WHO GALLERY). He then created and painted a Dalek scene on a red planet called DALEK RULE! 1996.

Kevin is grateful for the interest shown by the following in his artwork over the years. Initially fanzines showed interest in his pieces of art, including Grand Order Of The Lords, run by David and Sandra Metcalfe based in Oldham, now sadly disbanded. He was featured in their Grand Order Bulletin in 1997 Slow Dazzle Calendars in London showed interest in his images. By this time he had painted Jon Pertwee as well. At the interview Paul Shoefield was particularly fond of his Hartnell painting and commissioned many more pieces, including all the Doctors for a forthcoming calendar.. The pieces still await publication today.

Some of his artwork has been donated to charities at Cromcon 98 and Tricon 98 conventions in the Midlands. The conventions were organised by Andy Dimmock.

He met Colin Baker at Longleat House at a1998 Dr Who convention. He kindly signed his print The Flamboyant Doctor He met Debbie Watling at Tenth Planet, (proprietor Dave Willcox)Gloucester Docks promoting The Ice Warrriors box set in 1998. She signed his Patrick Troughton print Actress Carole Ann Ford promoted his Unearthly Child image at Battlefied IV convention in 2000 at Coventry.

He was featured in the Official Club Newsletter for The Wolves Of Fenric in May 2001 after a Dr Who Exhibition at The Jane Powell Art Studio based in Kenilworth in April 2001. This was kindly attended by Chairman Roger Clarke and Editor Nigel Webster.

He was featured in a local Doctor Who group Newsletter in 1999 called Planet 14 with an article entitled My Childhood Remembered. This group is run by Stuart Hargreaves and Andy McCoy. Stuart became Kevin’s web designer for Parrish Paintings which includes Kevin’s Doctor Who artwork. The Doctor’s Recorder fanzine run by Andy Hardstaffe published Kevin’s image “When The Past Becomes The Present” in Jan 2000 on the back cover

He has always received good local press coverage in newspapers for his Dr Who artwork Martin Hearn, editor of a group called Programme Preservation Society features and advertises Kevin’s artwork on his website.

For more information and catalogue of finished pieces, please see WHO’S WHO GALLERY