EXTERMINATE! Daleks made their presence known at a charity convention dedicated to the hit television series Doctor Who.
But the villains didn’t cause any harm – they were part of the show at Ferneham Hall, Fareham, as die-hard fans discovered how they worked.
Barnaby Edwards, who operates the Daleks in the latest series, deconstructed a replica before climbing in it and moving about.
And Nick Briggs, the voice behind the Doctor’s arch-enemies, showed people the different computer-generated effects behind the famous words ‘exterminate, exterminate, exterminate’.
Mr Edwards, 43, of Exeter, said: ‘Operating a Dalek is like sitting in a chair and having a dustbin lid on your head. It’s deeply uncomfortable but at the same time its good fun. I’m honoured to be in this role. I’m a huge fan of Doctor Who.
‘If you told me when I was eight-years-old I would one day be a Dalek operator I think I would have exploded.’
Replica Daleks made by fan groups across the country were on show and visitors had their photo taken with Christopher Barry, 86, who directed Doctor Who from when it started in 1963 until 1979.
Mr Barry signed autographs and spoke about his time in the role. He said: ‘I have some fond memories. It’s amazing to think that Doctor Who has grown so much and has such a large fan base.
‘When I started out the budget was very tight and we were limited to what we could do. There’s a lot of impressive effects now.’
During the convention Doctor Who music was played and there were stalls selling merchandise. Ticket sales and money made from autographs and photos will go to Cancer Research UK and Children in Need.
Organiser Doug Inman, 30, a life-long Doctor Who fan, wanted to raise funds for the worthy causes after his grandmother Hazel Inman, 83, died of cancer.
Mr Inman said: ‘Though the money hasn’t been counted yet I would love to have raised £1,000. The response has been very good and it’s been great to see so many stars behind the series.’
He chose to hold the convention at Ferneham Hall because it was where large parts of the classic Power of the Daleks was remade last summer.
The series, directed by Nick Scovell and Rob Thrush, is based on Doctor Who footage that was broadcast in 1966 but wiped by the BBC four years later.
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