How the Doctor Saved Me
Guest contributor Ross Flanagan shares a personal story.
It’s no lie to say that this summer has been hard for me. From May this year, things seemed to keep going wrong, and as a very optimistic person, I was becoming pessimistic and feeling down. I have felt worthless, upset, you name it, and I’ve probably felt it at some point in this time. Firstly, I had a really hard time with my course at university. All was going so well, and then things changed and I felt I could no longer do it. I felt as though I was doing everything wrong. Then there were personal issues too that I won’t bore you with. There was bereavement and arguments too. I have spent the last three months feeling like this.
You’re probably wondering ‘Why is this guy moaning about how hard he’s got it?’ and ‘Gee, my problems are much worse’. I know a lot of people have it worse than I do, which is why I hope this article helps you too. But I am going somewhere with this, bear with me…
On the 3rd August this year, I decided that enough was enough. I needed to get away and clear my head. So I went online and booked a hotel and train tickets to my favourite place in the world – Cardiff. It is a beautiful place and if you get the chance, you should really go. But to those of you hard core fans, you’ll know that Cardiff is also the home of Doctor Who. The BBC studios on Cardiff Bay is where they film, and to the Torchwood fans, the Hub is just around the corner, now a breathtaking shrine for one Ianto Jones. Anyway, my plan for Cardiff was simple, I would go, have some time alone, and think about where I wanted to be and what I wanted to happen in the future. I would use this alone time and hopefully come back feeling refreshed and back to the old Ross. I had it all planned by the Tuesday: sitting on the bay with a book, possibly a visit to the Doctor Who Experience and a delicious dinner at the diner in Cardiff city centre.
But this plan was soon to change. As I went around looking for filming updates for Series 9 (as I do daily), I soon thought it would be amazing to try and catch some filming while I was there. Soon, this became my new goal – catch the filming! From then on, I scoured Facebook, Twitter and Google for any news.
Monday 10th August, I caught my train to Cardiff Central and arrived at lunchtime. I got the next train to the bay and waited outside the studio. After five hours of waiting, nothing. Until Bethany Black came out, on her way home from filming episode 9 of Series 9. I asked her for a photo and she was brilliant and so friendly. She told me how much she was enjoying it and that is was a dream job. She also told me that she finished on 12th August for those of you who like knowing the dates.
I left after finding out Peter Capaldi left by car. I went for tea in my beloved diner and made a new plan. I decided to get there early the next day. It was all or nothing. After tea, I went to my hotel room and got ready for the next day. I knew that the only way for Peter to see me would be to make a sign/banner. All I had was an A4 sheet of paper and a black sharpie, it’d have to do. I made a sign reading: “Please can I get a photo with Peter Capaldi/Jenna Coleman? I’ve been waiting hours”.
An early start at the studio gates, holding my sign in the cold. People passed, people stared, but I was determined. And then it happened. After two and a half hours of waiting, a car pulled up next to me. A very posh car, with blacked out windows. And then I saw him. Who else should step out of the car than the Doctor himself? “There you go,” he said and then got a photo with me. We briefly chatted, then he went inside for filming. Best day ever!
It’s a long shot that Peter Capaldi will read this, but I want to say it anyway. After the worst summer of my life, I went to Cardiff to try and clear my head, and it turned out that all I needed was a good Doctor. I don’t think he’ll ever know this, but by Peter, my hero, getting out of his car to get a photo with me, I felt so good. Better than I’d felt in months. To him, I was probably just another Whovian trying to get a good selfie, but no, that day meant so much more to me than that. I will never forget that act of kindness. He had blacked out windows, he could have just ignored me and I’d be none the wiser, but he didn’t ignore me.
I got home from Cardiff later that day, again – beautiful place, and actually felt like me again. And since then, things are going better and I feel so good in myself. I only have to look at the photo (above right) and I get this brilliant feeling inside of me.
A lot of people can say they’ve met the Doctor, and, yes, I did too. But with me, the Doctor did what he does best, and made me feel special.
Thank you, Peter.
