The Renegade Dalek

In 1998 Scott Wayland - the freelance special effects and prop maker - constructed three daleks at the request of the BBC. It seems the BBC wanted to use daleks for reasons of promotion and publicity but found that all but one of those last used ten years previously had been sold off, scrapped or lost.
Scott had worked in the BBC's special effects department and so ensured that each dalek was built using an original "Renegade Dalek" from the story "Remembrance of the Daleks" as a template. The original in question being sourced from Mike Tucker's workshop. The result was three 100% accurate reproductions.

The first of these daleks was finished in the black and silver colour scheme of a Dalek Supreme, the other two became its warrior subordinates in their grey and black livery.

This trio of terrors were then used in the BBC TV advertising trailer to launch 'BBC Choice' alongside actress Pauline Quirk.

Around September of 2000, one of these Renegade Daleks (actually it was me!) was collected from Scott's workshop by Dave Saunders and transported to the Dapol Doctor Who Experience at Llangollen, Wales. Where each morning I was stationed at the entrance to the exhibition at the top of the steps to greet visitors.

I spent his time there under the care of Dave - continually being patched and repaired after too many rough hugs and hearty handshakes from exhibition attendees - and was occasionally let out to wander. Appearances include The National Tramway Museum at Derby, The Sci-Fi gatherings at Clacton-on-Sea and a Doctor Who themed wedding reception at Dapol. I've wandered around Dapol with Sophie Aldred inside me, and sport Anneke Wills' autograph within my casing. I also appeared in an issue of Top Gear Magazine during those halcyon Dapol days.

While at Dapol, I somehow came to be known as 'Norman the Doorman'

Sadly, December 2003 saw The Dapol Exhibition close its doors for the last time, and I was returned to Scott Wayland's workshop. But Scott needed space...

So I moved in with Moggie in January 2004.

I continues to have a life. Any google search for 'Dalek' will inevitably turn up countless images of me stood proudly outside Dapol - usually being hugged or patted by a fan! I'm far too famous to languish in a private collection so Moggie takes me out and about whenever possible. Since moving in with him I've had several days out during which time I've met some splendid people like Norman Lovett, Paul Darrow, Katy Manning and Annette Badland, and somehow resisted the urge to exterminate any of them.