A Knotty Question - The 2nd Doctors Costume.

Patrick Troughton in  episode 3 of The Wheel in Space

This is a post that I have been meaning to do for quite sometime, but has always been bumped in favour of other information and research that has come my way. Now, following on from the hankie, I want to look at another iconic piece of the 2nd Doctor's costume and one that I think is always taken for granted or overlooked. So, at long last, and prompted by a recent purchase, its an in-depth look look at...
The bow tie.

The bow tie is quite an iconic signature part of the the 2nd Doctor's 'Cosmic Hobo' costume. Hanging there on the shirt, by just a safety pin (who came up with that... its genius). Now its curious, but In every medium, whether its, books, comics, toys, fan artwork, figures or Toby Jugs(!), whenever the 2nd Doctor is portrayed, the bow-tie always depicted when representing his costume is dark blue with white spots. Ah, but whats wrong with that I hear you say, that's the bow tie he always wore. Well, actually no it isn't... would it surprise you to know that this incarnation of our favourite Time Lord sported several bow ties and each with different designs? Not only that, but the variant commonly associated with Troughton's Doctor, was only worn in 5 of his original run 21 stories! Now, this begs the question as to why is it that a bow tie worn in just a handful of stories, is the 'go to' design when depicting the 2nd Doctors costume? I have my own theory as to why, but before I go into that, let's have a look at all the bow ties worn by the 2nd Doctor during 1966-69. Here we will also discover how many he had and which design was actually worn the most during his era. So without further ado, lets have the rundown...

BOW TIE 1

The Plaid Tie

Worn in Season 4

Stories = The Power Of The Daleks  - The Highlanders 

From colour photos taken during Power of The Daleks & The Highlanders, we can see that this bow tie is royal blue and black plaid with a white spot at each intersection. Its a fairly firm bow-tie that holds its shape well. There's a medium knot with medium sized, curved bows. Note, that even though worn in The Highlanders, is was only seen for the location filming of episode 1... more on that later!

Publicity photos of Patrick Troughton taken during the filming of The Power of the Daleks

BOW TIE 2

The Paisley Tie

Worn in Seasons 4,5 & 6

Stories = The Highlanders (studio) - The Mind Robber

Sadly, there is only one set of colour photos of this Bowtie. These were taken for publicity purposes during the filming of The Ice Warriors, one of which was 1st used for a front cover of The Radio Times. Luckily we can see the detail, which helps match it up with many of the black and white images and photos taken over the years. (I have tried to get it as sharp as possible for you to see above) It is blue, with red paisley shapes and splashes of yellow within the red paisley shape. It has a long/wide knot. This pattern matches black & white publicity photos and screen images from all of the above stories, plus the 5000 year diary and 2nd Doctor hat publicity photos and I would suspect, the photo taken for the title sequence, though I would like clarification on that.. A section of photos from those stories are presented below, as well as the one from The Wheel in Space above.

The paisley Bow-tie as worn in The Ice Warriors, Fury from The Deep & The Web of Fear

This is the smallest bow tie and, probably due to the fabric used, the one that became the most crumpled and scruffiest as time went on. To my mind this version seems not to be made from a pre-tied bow tie, unlike the others, but from a strip of material or from a self-tie bowtie sewn together. This can be seen in detail from the Telesnap taken during studio filming of episode 1 of The Highlanders below.

Here the loop of folded material and distinctive long knot can be clearly seen that marks it out from the others, and is recognisable even in the most grainiest of photos or screen grabs. At this point the bow tie, being new, still has a good shape to it. 

BOW TIE 3

The Spotty tie

Worn in season 6

Stories = The Invasion - The War Games

..and here we are. This is the version most associated with the 2nd Doctors Costume, but annoyingly there are no clear, colour photographs of it... so far!  From what we can see this one is either Black or Dark (Navy?) Blue with light, possible white spots. These spots run in a straight grid of 3 across the width and 4 across. The bows are quite narrow and unlike its predecessor, it keeps its shape well over the months.  Strangely as the Doctor's appearance grew even scruffier during the tail end of his last season, this version sticks out against that look, as it is the stiffest and smarter looking of the bow ties worn.

As seen in Season 6 - (from Left to right) The Krotons, The Invasion & The War Games

So, there you have it, the full set of bow ties that Troughton worn during his original run of 21 stories, however (ha, there's always an however isn't there?) there is evidence that points to another bow tie being worn. To look at this we need to jump back to the very early days of the 2nd Doctors reign...

BOW TIE 4

The Diamond tie

Worn for the 1967 The Annual photo- shoot

Stories = ???

This is a fatter dark blue bow tie  with red bumpy diamonds shapes and yellow centers. Evidence of this being worn can be seen in 1967 Dr Who Annual only... until 2019. In that year, Doctor Who Magazine, dedicated its March issue (no. 541) to the Director Christopher Barry, publishing unseen photos from his private collection during his time on Doctor Who. The front cover used one of those photos of Troughton wearing the 'publicity tie' only previously seen in the annual. Luckily for us, the design can bee seen in great detail and is certainly the same one in the annual photos. However this throws up a few questions.
1). Why would there be a separate bow tie for publicity purposes
and
2). Why would Barry, a Director have a publicity photos in his collection? Surely a different department at the BBC would be the ones taking and therefore storing the photos?

As seen in the Doctor Who Annual 1967 and more recently (middle photo ) on the front cover of DWM

The answer is perhaps a very simple one, there wasnt a publicity bow tie, there were in-fact two different bow ties worn by Troughton during filming of The Power of The Daleks and that is why it is in Barry's collection. If this is so, why were there two worn?

Well, lets look at the filming dates to help solve the mystery shall we? All studio recordings for Power were taped in Riverside 1 every Saturday from 22nd October to 26th November 1966 (returning on 21st to film the new ending with Jamie entering the TARDIS). Location filming for episode 1 of The Highlanders took place on 14th and 15th November 1966 at Frensham Ponds. Which means that the location filming took place during the week of rehearsing Power of The Daleks episode 5. This type of scheduling was common practice in the early days of the series. Therefore, the same bowtie worn in The Power of the Daleks up to that point, can clearly be seen in publicity photos taken during the location filming of The Highlanders.

Publicity photos taken on location during filming of episode 1 of The Highlanders

Now lets look at the telesnaps of Episodes 5 & 6 of The Power of The Daleks. Here The Doctor has his bow tie on (of course), but it does look a different shape. It is certainly fatter than in earlier episodes. So why is there a different bow tie worn at the tail end of one story. My guess is that perhaps it was likely that a replacement was necessary because the original was lost after, or during, location filming. Quick somebody go down to Frensham Ponds and do a bit of digging.. you may unearth an original piece of the 2nd Doctors costume in the mud!

A selection of Telesnaps of episodes 5 & 6 of  The Power Of The Daleks

I have to thank Si Hodges for pointing out the possibility of a different bowtie being used in episodes 5 & 6 of The Power of The Daleks, as this originally had escaped my attention. To be honest, until he mentioned it, i just thought that a spare was used for publicity purposes, but now that I think about it, that didn't really make sense at all. A replacement bow tie does. Thankfully another photo of it appeared again on the front cover of DWM 541 and helped me link the information together. Of course the exact bowtie worn in those episodes is pure speculation, so until further proof is presented I don't offer it as fact, but with a bit of further research, or forgotten photos resurfacing, who knows? If it was indeed used in those episodes  it could also place the time frame of when the Dr Who Annual publicity photos were taken. But what about continuity I hear some cry... Well, let us not forget, back in 1966, no one would have thought that these episodes would ever be seen again, let alone scrutinized over by the likes of myself and others. Lets face it, if the production company wasn't bothered about a swap of actress playing a character during the run of The Macra Terror later, a change of bow tie wouldn't have been a major problem for them.

Dr Who as seen in TV Comic

Interestingly, this variant of bow tie was briefly referenced for a time, during the early colour TV Doctor Who comic strips. The Artist John Canning must have been handed the Annual publicity photographs, because the bow tie he illustrated was blue with red spots, a sort of mashup on the 1st two bow ties Troughton wore. (see picture opposite)

So, there we have it, 3, possibly 4, different designs of bow tie worn by the 2nd Doctor. If we tot up the screen appearances, the one he wore over most stories by a country mile as the saying goes, (and my personal favourite) was bow tie No 2 - The paisley one. This was as worn in a total of 14 consecutive stories or 81 episodes and appearing in each of Troughton's three seasons. All very different when you compare it to the 11th Doctor, who wore a different bowtie per story!

If you want to have a closer look yourself of all the bow ties worn in every story, then head over to the official BBC Doctor Who website. http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/photonovels/power/
You will be able to access all the telesnaps taken to compare and contrast. Be warned... you will probably need a magnifying glass if you are looking on your phone!

OK, that's it then, bow ties all sorted, nothing else to add, but here's a question for you, ... if the blue, red & yellow paisley bowtie is the one worn the most, why is it that bow tie 3 (the spotty one) is the 'go to' design when depicting the 2nd Doctor's costume? Odd isn't it? Well, after a bit of head scratching I think I've settled on an answer. To my mind it comes down to several reasons, missing episodes, clear and available publicity photos etc, but I actually think it all stems from when Troughton had stopped officially playing The Doctor. Which brings me neatly onto part 2 of this post...

TIES WITH TARGET

During Trougton's time on the show there was not the wealth of tv tie-ins produced that there is toda. So other than The Radio Times or the World Distribution Annuals, images of him in character were scarce not helped by the actors reluctance to promote the show. There was next to little merchandise with the 2nd Doctors image on. However, in 1973 all that changed...

With 3 years of Doctor Who under his belt, Jon Pertwee was riding high with his portrayal of the Timelord. The show was hugely popular and there was a wealth of merchandise with Pertwee's image blazened upon them. The 3rd Doctor was everywhere. He could be seen in or on, comics, annuals,  jigsaws, chocolate bars, jellies and of course books! Target books acquired the rights to publish novelisations of his and other Doctor's TV stories in 1973. These books, as we now know, were hugely popular. they were the 1st mass produced pieces of merchandise that finally put the 2nd Doctor's image squarely on show and firmly back in the mind of the general public.

The Abominable Snowmen, The Cybermen, and The Three Doctors respectively, were the 1st books published that featured the 2nd Doctor on the cover. Aĺl the covers had one thing in common, the publicity photos used as reference by the artist Chris Achilleos were all taken from The Three Doctors and of course in those photos the bowtie is spotty, but it doesn't stop there... After a gap, The Web Fear was the next novelisation to see Troughton on the cover. However, since the 2nd Doctor's last appearance, the house style had changed slightly making The Web of Fear the 1st novel to illustrate the 2nd Doctor in colour. So, for this cover Achilleos took a bit of artistic licence with the bow tie and coloured it dark blue. That's quite understandable as in some photos, due to lighting and contrast, a black bow tie can appear to be blue. Even my own performs this trick when photographed! Again a reference photo taken from The Three Doctors was used. Ironically, as Si Hodges points out, it is a black & White photo! 

1st edition Target Covers featuring the 2nd Doctor - illustrated by Chris Achilleos

So, despite the paisley bow tie being worn in the majority of Troughton's stories It is my belief that The Three Doctors publicity photos used by Target for its range of books, help cement he blue bowtie with white spots as the design most associated with the 2nd Doctor's costume. This design, or variation of it, then continued when Troughton reprised the role in The Five Doctors and The Two Doctors.

So, there you have it, that's my theory... It's mainly down to the Target novels.

SPOT ON!

While it is true that The Three Doctors is spotty, very like the last original one Troughton wore in his final stories, It certainly isnt the same. That spotted bow tie is different from bow tie 3 as the white dots are set diagonally, not in a straight grid. I have to admit, it did take me a while to reailse myself that they were not quite the same style.

Compare the dots! - The original spotty bowtie as seen in The Krotons (left). The Three Doctors spotty bow tie from The Radio Times photo-shoot (right) and the two versions from my own collection.

...and staying with my collection, a slight indulgence now as I showcase the three I currently have, both in colour and in Black and White. I thought it might be a bit of fun when comparing them against the originals seen in the TV series. Note that the 3rd one looks blue in the photo, but in 'real life' it is a light black that does look dark blue in some lights. As yet, the red Diamond version has escaped me, but in truth, its not something I am burning to find for some reason. That said, if I find it I will of course add it to my collection, along with any closer matches to the 1st and 2nd bow ties.

The three bow ties from my own collection both in colour & glorious black & white!

Now, I'm not claiming that the 1st two are a 100% exact screen match, but each one, including The Three Doctors version are genuine bow ties form the same era. The only exception is The 1st one, though vintage, it was made from using the material of a necktie. As mentioned in a previous blog, its the rule I always use in hunting for all my 2nd Dr costume pieces.  For those interested bow tie 3 is the latest addition to my collection.

As always, thank you for reading. I you have anything to add, on any of my posts, please feel free to do so in the section below, especially if there is something that you want me to look at in a future. My next blog, already in the planning stage, will once again feature another dip into the 2nd Doctors costume... Ooh, now there's a clue for you all! ☺️

Until next time.

Photos and video stills used on this site are © BBC Worldwide Ltd. The Doctor Who brand is a trademark of the BBC. No infringement is intended or implied.

The 2nd Doctors Hankie - Update

Patrick Troughton  - The 2nd Doctor

Well, here's a blog I didn't expect to be writing, but research can be a funny old thing... it can lead to twists & turns or even send you up a blind alley as you spend years tracking down one particular item. The trouble is, depending on the path you decide upon, you may become a bit blinkered and overlook something that could have helped in adding a link to find clues a lot quicker in your quest. Yep, it can sit there staring you in the face waiting to be to be looked at again with fresh eyes after years of being ignored. Such a thing has just happened to me, hence my reason for returning to the topic of the 2nd Doctor's Hankie. 

As mentioned in my last  blog entry (what do you mean you haven't read it, go there 1st & then come back. Done it now? Good!) I spent a number of years trying to track down, and succeeding in finding, the actual design of hankie Troughton used during Season 5 & 6. It's getting to the point now where I can instantly spot it from the smallest of images. The pattern is burned into my brain so much so that in July 2019 I found myself another one. 

I always like an 'heir & spare' in any collection & now I'm the lucky owner of two 2nd Doctor hankies. This 2nd one is slightly faded due to regular washes, but as you can see in the photo below, its the same design. It was purchased from America, so I have no idea of its back story, but its a find I'm really pleased with.

My two 2nd Doctor season 5&6 hankies. The latest purchase on the right.

Now, as I've previously stated, I was only ever researching the season 5 & 6 hankie, so haven't really paid much attention to the others Pat wore for his return appearances. Anything after his original run doesn't really interest me.  Perhaps it's because in the JNT years  they were always a bad approximation of his costume. So, looking at photos after 1969 is something I don't do often and probably why I overlooked something that actually ties in nicely to the 2nd Doctors original Hankie. It's a shame I didn't notice before posting up my last blog. But hey, not to worry... as it now has a separate entry all to itself. This section concentrates on...


THE 2ND DOCTORS RADIO TIMES HANDKERCHIEF.

One of the publicity photos from The Radio Times Photo-shoot

As we know, in 1972 several publicity photos were taken of Troughton, Pertwee & Hartnell for The Radio Times, in celebration of 10 years(ish) of Doctor Who (see above). Interestingly, Troughton is the only Doctor who's costume in the photos wasn't wholly used with what was finally seen on screen. 

Another RT Publicity Photo.  - Note Pat's  Hankie & Trousers

The trousers in the photos were changed to a smaller houndstooth check, similar to the pairs he originally wore during his original run and very much like to the ones worn by Hartnell in the Radio Times publicity photos (perhaps even the same trousers as the two actors were never 'live' on screen together). Apparently the reason for the change was the detailed orange pattern caused a strobing effect on the screen. But more on those trousers later!

As seen in the above and opposite photos The 2nd Doctors hankie was of a green paisley pattern. However, this hankie also didn't appear in  The Three Doctors, as it was substituted for a red & white patterned one. At the time of writing, there seems to be no reason given for the change of hankie. Perhaps Troughton preferred one with red in it, similar to the ones he originally used? Or perhaps it was decided by the Costume Department to match the colour's in with his new braces? Who knows? Whatever the reason it's a real shame. Why? Well, looking at the hankie in the Radio Times photos only the other day, I sudden saw that it had a major connection to the original ones Troughton had in 1967-69. 

I've  previously mentioned (see last blog) that the design of his original red hankie was commercially available at the time after I'd discovered another with the red & yellow colours reversed... Well now it appears that there was yet another colour variant. Look closely at the green hankie used in the Radio Times shoot and you can see the same Paisley shapes in this version as detailed in the original red one. ‎The background is now green but the border is back to yellow, as in the original. The reds have now moved position again and sit alongside the blues within the paisley patterns and flower shapes. See the pictures comparing my red hankie alongside the green version and then an one used in the story Invasion.

My red hankie,  RT hankie, RT hankie in B&W & hankie worn in Invasion

Its a match! I can't believe I didn't see this before, especially as I have a clear photo in my own Radio Times 10th Anniversary Special. Mind you, I have not looked at those publicity pictures for years and didn't think to do so in my original search, but the pattern (now I know it so well) is unmistakable. Of course, it makes perfect sense that if there was a yellow variant, then of course there would also be a green and, one supposes, a blue version too! Each of the 4 colours rotating to take primary position over the same pattern. 

So there we have it, another costume mystery solved... and quite by accident!

Trevor Martin as The Doctor -1974

So, what about those those orange checked trouser? (see, I said I'd come back to them). Well, to end this chapter I thought I would throw in a bit of trivia as their story didn't end with the Radio Times Photos shoot, oh no. They re-surfaced twice more. 

The 1st time they were seen again was when there was another publicity photo shoot. This time they were worn by Trevor Martin in 1974 when he played The Doctor in Terrance Dick's stage play Doctor Who & The Daleks - The Seven Keys to Doomsday. This would not be unusual to see them again as most costumes for TV, Film & Stage were hired from Bermans, a big costume hire company in London. (still trading today as Bermans & Angels, also known as Angels)  It is however, a coincidence that they were chosen for another Doctor to wear. (The picture opposite was originally a black and white photo. The excellent colourisation is the work of Clayton Hickman) 

But that wasn't the last time they would be seen in public as they popped up one final time 33 year later...

In 2007 the trousers were teamed up with some replica costume items that had been doing the rounds in a few exhibitions. They were not original items or even replacement items like the trousers. They were just a collection of bits & bobs representing the 'Cosmic Hobo' look of the 2nd Doctor. (Note the 'straps' or button flap as seen in the picture with Trevor Martin).

The trousers as seen in the auction catalogue.

This collection of non connection miss-matched bits of costume, were auctioned off by Bonhams‎, and sold for a staggering £9,600! (see the Photo left, as published in the auction catalogue). The figure paid was of course hugely inflated, just because of that Radio Times photo shoot... Oh, I'm forgetting of course, knowing that you would be owning a pair of trousers that Mr. Troughton had actually worn, all but briefly would add to the value (there must be a bit of his DNA mixed into the fibers surely?). That said, they certainly looked better than the costumes JNT's designers cobbled together for the 5 and 2 Doctor stories. Even so, £9,600 for a pair of trousers. Ouch!

Information on the 2nd Doctor costume auction

Well, that the trousers all sorted, but this blog is really about that hankie sported by the 2nd Doctor  in the Radio Times  photo shoot, so let me turn back to that... What happened to it?  Was the hankie chucked away in some prop-box after the shoot, or just lost for ever? Or could it, by some miracle, have stayed with the trousers throughout the stage show, then the auction and is now in the possession of the new owner? Who knows, and to be honest I didn't really think much about its whereabouts at all while putting all of this together. However, I now have to admit I do favour the latter theory. I think the hankie it IS with the trousers, and there's a very good reason why I think that.

My sole purpose for digging out all this info on the Bonham's auction, was just to add a fun side note about the trousers, nothing more. I just wanted a copy of the photo to illustrate that section of this post. So as I was compiling this section I happened to read over the blurb and then I saw something their in the description... Have a look yourself. Read the info on the costume bid, and take note of the highlighted section.

Sounds familiar doesn't it? 

Now, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the buyer has unknowingly purchased for his £9,600 the very same hankie from the photo shoot, along with the original trousers. If anyone knows the owner do let them know about this blog as they could have a second original item in their possession. Oh, & please do let me know too. I'm curious!

Thanks for reading!

The 2nd Doctor's Handkerchief

You know, it's funny... there's always a bitter/sweet feeling after you spend time hunting and researching an item, or completing a project. After my success in tracking down the correct War Games Sonic Screwdriver was concluded, I began to miss the thrill of the chase. I felt the need to fill the void. Another challenge, another item to identify. So, I turned my attentions once again to 'My Doctor', this time focusing on his costume.

The Doctor, Jamie & Zoe try to flee from The Time Lords in episode 10 of  'The War Games'.

At 1st glance, the 2nd Doctor has probably the least complicated costumes of all his regenerations. Spotted bow-tie, tail coat, braces, check trousers and hanky. Simple eh? Well, not really to be honest. With hardly any colour reference photos after Power of the Dalek's, finding out in detail what he actually wore and visualising it in colour is tricky. How many variations of bow-tie? Brown or grey houndstooth trousers? Tail coat, morning coat, or cut-a-way jacket? What type of pocket handkerchief? Quite a few questions you see, but no easy answers. The only constant seemed to be the braces. With a keen eye for detail thanks to good reference photos from Power of The Daleks, screen grabs from Wheel in Space & Seeds of Death, I had a bash at creating my own. With care, they were easy to replicate but only after first sourcing the correct vintage button braces (see my completed version below).

My replica 2nd Doctor braces

Now I have seen some shocking versions of the 2nd Doctor's Costume over the years, either in print, or via the BBC themselves (yes Five & Two Doctors stories I am talking about you!), none more so than at the Doctor Who Experience. It was a complete mess. Nothing was right, or even a halfway attempt to get it right, just a 'that will do' attitude but if its not done right, it looks wrong. Case in point, the costume isn't a straightforward as it seems. For me out of all the items used to create the 'Cosmic Hobo' look, one of the most elusive parts of the costume has to be the hanky (which was strangely lacking at the DWE). 

So, that was my next mission decided then... to identify and purchase the correct hanky (or hankies) used during the 2nd Doctor's original '66-'69 run. Not as easy task, as clean reference photos were scarce and episodes missing. It wasn't added to Troughton's costume until a few stories into season 4 and even then it was shyly poking out of his top pocket. Full exposure wasn't until mid-way through The Ice Warriors when it was displayed hanging in the loose and casual manner we think of today as Troughton began to relax into, and developed, his characterisation. 

So where to start?‎ It was a minefield quite frankly. What were the Hankies? Were they silk or cotton? Hankies, cravats, bandannas, or pocket squares? I was getting nowhere fast for about a year... until I stumbled across some great reference photos of the screen used hanky by Julian Knott, who had not only logged the stories they were seen in but also enhanced the pictures.

 

Photos captured & enhanced by Julian Knott

The photos were all from Season 6 and I could clearly see that it was the same design of hanky used. I also went back to my DVD collection and freeze-framed certain scenes it featured in. Now I knew what I was looking at, I could identify the shapes better. I could confirm that this style of hanky also appeared in Season 5's Enemy of The World and Web of Fear. Whether different designs were used in season 4 and the missing episodes, I couldn't tell. Sadly reference material hasn't been available to date for each story, but all in all what I had was a great jumping off point for my hunt for a hanky that was certainly used by The 2nd Doctor. 

Photos from Invasion & War Games showing the colour of the hankerchief

So, onwards... Cross referencing this new information alongside the colour photos from Invasion & War Games (see left) I now knew I was looking for paisley and petals shapes on a red hanky. Not that it made it any easier! After all, I was looking for an item that had been made way back in the mid 1960's! So, that's where I focused... Gentleman's accessories ‎of 1960's.

The box of 1960's Gentleman's handkerchiefs 

After comparing what seemed like every single variation of paisley designs (and believe me there are many) against the photos Julian had posted, it took me another year before, my eagle-eyes finally spotted what I was looking for. Unbelievably, to my surprise and delight, I had found the hanky in a box of three! The link took me to ebay but there my luck ran out. The pack of three had been snatched up only a matter of weeks before. To make matters worse, I could see it was one bid and sold for a song at only £8!!! After all that time looking I couldn't believe I had narrowly missed out on owning these. (see right)

Another photo of  the 1960's Gentleman's handkerchiefs 

Once over my shock, I started to look closely at the items. I noticed that this box of hankies contained only two matching designs that in turn matched the 2nd Doctor's handkerchief. The 3rd handkerchief in the set was of a different design, but all 3 were produced in the same colours of red, green, yellow and blue. I had found the correct hankie, but I wanted one myself. So near, but so far. Still, ‎from the description compiled on the eBay listing I found out the size... and more importantly the material. Cotton! At least I had another two piece to the jigsaw that would help with my research. 

So, it was back to the drawing board. My search to that point had taken me the best part of 2 years to find a match. I knew I wouldn't be lucky finding another hanky for sale so soon. Lightning doesn't strike twice, especially after all the time I had been looking. I even tried to persuade the seller to pass on information so I could contact the buyer to ask them to sell me one. Despite even buying an unwanted item from the seller in exchange for information, he didn't want to play ball! I was demoralized but undefeated. I kept on searching... Then just 4 months later (and after spending money having a replica pattern drawn up to print my own) Bingo! I found another. I honestly couldn't believe it. I was in, quick as a flash as it was bid or 'best offer'. I'd snagged one at last.

 

My 2nd Doctor hankie with my original Eveready (Sonic Screwdriver) Penlight

This hanky had never been used and has been in the possession of the sellers grandfather. Also, just to add to a tentative Doctor Who connection (well from the 2005 series onwards), it came from Cardiff. It certainly was a match of the previous ones I had seen on ebay and, more importantly, the reference photographs that I had been using. This can be seen below in both a black & white and a colour photo of my hanky in a side by side replicated pose against one of Julian Knott's clearest reference photos.‎ 

Mine either side of the original costume hankie used by the 2nd Doctor

From the photo, I'm sure you'll agree I have, without a doubt, found THE hanky. The paisley and petal pattern match perfectly. This is 100% the design of hanky that was used by Troughton for his version of The Doctor. Job done! Mission over... Ah, yes, but as is always the way with these things, when you think you have reached the end point something else springs up, and guess what, it did! 

Another box of 1960's gentleman's hankie in a different colour combination

With the hanky still being flagged up on my eBay listings, I came across another pack of 3 in March 2019. The colours used were the same, but they had reversed the positioning of the red and the yellow in the design. The other colours and pattern however, remained the same with no variation at all. Not only that, but the design of  the two other hankies in this box also matched the 3rd one in the previous pack (above). 

The two patterns were obviously quite popular at the time and must have been produced in a variety of colours and package combinations. As for what brand this hankies were remains unknown, as both boxes were devoid of any manufacturer's name and the single one I bought had no branding either. I conclude that as the boxes are different, it seemed to be that the two common patterns were copied, or were available to use by many companies. 

The two hankies side by side. The red & yellow sections have been reversed

The only question I need an answer to now is, could the other patterned hanky design that makes up the the set in the 1st box found, have also been used by the 2nd Dr in an earlier season? As with the way of filming, duplicates of costumes are always required. S,o if the if the BBC props department bought them in bulk, would they have bought them in packs of 3 (as seen above), or as a number of single hankies? If it is the latter would they also have been of the same design?Remember, at the time these hankies, now long gone from our High Street stores, would have been an common and popular item back in the 1960's, especially with the Mod and Dandy explosion of the era. I'm sure time will tell... it usually does (as a certain Time Lord once said).

My 2nd Doctor costume, complete with hankie

I will leave this section of my blog with one final photograph. It's of the hanky now firmly in place with the rest of my 2nd Doctor costume. I'm sure you'll agree, it certainly looks 'right', especially when the photo is switched on to black & white  (go on... have a go!) 

Forgive my indulgence in including this photo, but I'm rather pleased with my replica costume and I can't think of where else to showcase it. All items you see (apart from the bobble hat) are vintage. I decided to collect pieces from between 1960-70's for an authentic look. I certainly didn't set myself an easy task. I'm not one for collecting costumes, this is the one and only time I shall do it. I suppose I've the DWE to thank for getting me started, as I knew with a bit of care their version of the 2nd Doctors costume could be bettered. As Troughton is 'my Doctor', I just wanted to do him justice. As I said at the start, this costume appears to be a simple enough design, but if a few wrong things are added, it just throws it off kilter slightly. 

That's it for this entry. Any questions, comments or additional information, are welcome, please contact me below. Feel free to post a link to this blog onto anyone you think will find it interesting, especially those who collect costumes or who are involved in the cosplay circuit.

 Many thanks!

Photos and video stills used on this site are © BBC Worldwide Ltd. The Doctor Who brand is a trademark of the BBC. No infringement is intended or implied.

WAR GAMES Sonic Screwdriver - Prop Replica

For this entry, its a slight change to the norm, but a Sonic connection never-the-less.  As I want to return to The War Games version of The Sonic Screwdriver, the one that most people associate with the 2nd Doctor, and shine a spotlight on replica of this iconic little prop.

For those that don't know, a replica of the prop has been produced by Dark Energy Creations and to this date are still the only company making versions of this early design of  The Sonic Screwdriver. 

It all started a few years ago when Brian Terranova got together with Dave at Dark Energy Creations to work on crafting a detailed version of the prop. This was produced using exact measurements obtained from an original and existing Eveready penlight. Brian tells me the results were remarkable from the off. When he 1st saw Dave's prototype at a convention, the only suggestion made was to replace the stainless steel body! Admittedly, stainless steel is a vast improvement on the aluminium originally used, but not correct in materials. The aim was to replicate it for collectors as close to the original products as possible. It was a minor hiccup. Dave substituted the metal and with that, the penlights were ready to roll. Everything had been copied from the source material apart from one minor detail... the brand name on the clip.  This was sensibly omitted for copyright reasons. So, apart from that everyone who then purchased DEC's replica had, as thought at the time, the next best thing to the real deal. 

However, all changed in January 2019 when my blog exclusively revealed the correct and updated information on this Eveready penlight. Cruelly demoted by a few swift clicks of the computer keys to just a wee gadget used by the 3rd Doctor in The Time Monster to tap out a Samba beat in-order to de-hypnotize a group of captured scientist (full details in my 1st blog entry), those replicas were no longer correct. They were now just Mark 2's. Sonic's no more... but not for long! 

News travels fast via the web and upon hearing about my research, Dave started working swiftly behind the scenes. He replicated a new activation clicker to transform the Mark 2's to the correct Mark 1's for all his previous customers... and the results are in! Not only has he delivered excellent customer service by shipping them out for free, but he has also produced an upgraded, quality product. The results are truly astounding! How do I know? Well, Dave kindly sent me the updated end cap and I have to say, since he has never actually held an original in his hands, this piece of work is impressive. Very impressive. It would still be impressive if he had  had access to an original! In all honesty, I cannot praise this enough. 

Anyway, enough chat... let the results speak for themselves via side to side comparison pictures of the DEC replica activation clicker against my original Eveready. So Ladies and Gents, it's time to play... 'Spot the difference!'

Not bad eh? With just a slight tweak by myself to the internal threading only of the DEC end cap, you can see that their replica fits perfectly onto the body of my original Eveready penlight Mark 2. Thus turning it instantly into the correct Mark 1 version penlight, or Sonic Screwdriver as seen in The War Games  (Please note - 'In the flesh' the colour of the DEC end cap is darker than it appears in my photos)

Now, for those of you who missed out on this excellent replica and now wishing that you had jumped on board, don't panic! Start saving your cash as I bring you good news.  There will be a 2nd run of these penlights sometime in the very near future. Don't miss out a second time, as this is the only way you'll be able to come anywhere close to owning this version of the Sonic. Remember, Eveready only produced the white clicker variation of the penlight for just two years, so they are as scarce as Gallifrian Hen's teeth. 

So, if you want a chance to purchase a replica of this rare prop, don't delay! Go visit the Dark Energy Creations site  via this handy link...

http://darkenergycreations.com/sonicpenlight.aspx

There you can subscribe to the newsletter to be updated on not only this, but the other Sci-Fi film and TV related products coming up in the foreseeable future. 

Oh, and while you're there, have a look around to see what else they've produced. It's all good stuff. You wont be disappointed at the craftsmanship of the work, or the excellent customer service.

Until next time!

Photos and video stills used on this site are © BBC Worldwide Ltd. The Doctor Who brand is a trademark of the BBC. No infringement is intended or implied.