Sunday, April 27, 2014

Friday April 25th

Time to meet the Doctor!!
I walked from my hotel to Cardiff Bay where I looked at the Millenium Centre and the entrance to Torchwood.


Then moved on to the second of the two goals of this trip; the Doctor Who Experience!

This is a relatively new (2012) attraction where they built this non-regular building and stuffed it full with Doctor Who things.

Why here in Cardiff? Good question, but I believe it's because this is where they shoot it (and also Torchwood of course).

First you go through the Experience where you are guided by the 11th doctor (on screen) and a companion (in flesh) through some of the scenes from the new series; you'll see the Starship UK, the TARDIS, a Dalek ship, a forest full of weeping Angels; all to get the Doctor out of the Pandorica - his enemies have managed to put him in there again...


After this fun (walking-)ride you were let in to the exhibition hall; where there were Doctor replicas, TARDISes, clothes, sonic screw drivers and loads of aliens from the show.







After this I went to through the gift shop and out again.

The BBC Wales Studios were close by so I walked there too.
I didn't expect much, but I did walk into the lobby and got to talk a little bit with the security guard there (a very nice chap!). He even took this photo of me and a Dalek they had in the lobby.
Apparently they are shooting Doctor Who in four of the nine sound stages they have here!


Now I felt that I was finished with Cardiff and took the train to London again.
I travelled through a rainy Wales & England, but the rain had stopped once I got to London.

I am staying at the Wellington Hotel next to the Waterloo station. I looked for the hotel reception and it was actually inside the pub as an extension of the bar. I got room 10 at the third floor which looked like this:

After a quick stop I headed out again. No rest for the wicked - or me!

First stop: the Freemasons Hall or as I like to see it; the entrance to Thames House in the fantastic TV-serie "Spooks":

Then to my favourite store in London; Forbidden Planet. I looked around and bough a Doctor Who short story collection (one story per Doctor). Then I ate at the Angus Steak House, which is always nice.

Heading home again, I did remember seeing an IMAX theater close to the hotel. I went there and realized that they would screen 'The Amazing Spiderman 2' in about an hour.
I figured that I could not miss this!

So I saw it. On UK's largest cinema screen. It was truly Amazing, the sound, the screen, even the 3D looked good. I want to do it again!


After that experience it was time to go to the hotel, write this and get some sleep.
Good night!

2 comments:

Henke said...

Hmmm, maybe I have to give the Doctor a chance? As of now I am totally ignorant.

But, hey, where is the photograph? Or was is some kind of joke about the nice security guard? :-}

Halo said...

You really should give the Doctor a chance. You can start with the new series from 2005 - just make sure you get through the first season before you give you verdict.

No joke, I just thought that one picture of me from this trip is enough! :)