Actor Sylvester McCoy – the seventh Doctor Who – returned to the set of the iconic BBC show on Saturday.
He was joined by fellow actor and former sidekick Sophie Aldred (who played Ace) to mark the 60th anniversary of the prime time-travelling programme.
For the first time in nearly 35 years, Sylvester, 80, and Sophie, 61, re-enacted some iconic scenes and donned their actual screen-used costumes.
The backdrop was H&F Council’s Macbeth Centre – which is serving as the set of Series 25, titled Remembrance of the Daleks. The centre welcomed the stars for a special Doctor Who convention at the weekend.
“I really enjoyed reminiscing about my time filming at the Macbeth Centre, but I still wish that I had gone down the zip line on my umbrella onto the Dalek shuttle craft,” joked Sylvester.
The Remembrance of the Daleks’ four-episodes were first aired in 1988. In the serial, the Doctor and his explosives expert, Ace, travel back to 1963 to protect the Hand of Omega from the Daleks.
Watch all four episodes of Remembrance of the Daleks on BBC iPlayer.
But the Macbeth Centre, situated off King Street, isn’t the only place in our borough that’s significant in the Doctor Who universe.
Riverside Studios in central Hammersmith served as the principal home of series two to four.
Daleks have even emerged from under Hammersmith Bridge.
Check out photos from Riverside’s free Doctor Who exhibition, which is open until 3 December.
Time travelling
More than 100 devoted fans came to meet them at the Macbeth Centre. It felt like they had stepped right into the series, with three menacing Daleks roaming the corridors as well as a faithful TARDIS.
Many came dressed as their favourite characters. Even the youngest Doctor Who fan – the eight-week-old Jack – was dressed for the occasion along with his Who-loving parents.
Today, the Macbeth Centre is better known as H&F’s educational outpost offering courses and new skills to all ages of learners.
Recognisable shots of the centre were featured in Series 25 – including the reception area, the courtyard, a classroom and outside in Macbeth Street.
Sign up for a course and see if you can spot any of the scene’s backdrops.
