Blogger John Cooper forgets to worry about crumbs in his beard when he has the chance to share a pint or two with the man who steered the scripts during the Pertwee era of Doctor Who.

A Pint With Mr Dicks

So I'm running down Oxford street in Manchester with a burnt mouth hoping it won't hinder my ability to talk to the living legend that is Terrance Dicks, Doctor Who script editor throughout the Pertwee era. I've just shoved in my gob what I thought was a sausage and bean pastie, but is actually ham and cheese, and far too hot for rapid consumption. It's convention day at the Fab Cafe and I've been given the jammy job of chairing a panel with both Andrew Cartmel (script editor for the Sylvester McCoy years) and Terrance Dicks together, with the added bonus of meeting the latter in a pub down the road for a short pre-panel meet and greet beforehand... and I'm a bit late.

I wasn't exactly nervous but as a fan having watched and read a multitude of DVD extras, sound-bites and written interviews, I did wonder if the man himself would be any different in real life.

When you're a fan it's easy to over-think or over-complicate the stuff you love and when presented with a massive opportunity like this my mind goes into overdrive. What do I say when I meet Mr Dicks? What shouldn't I say? Don't make a witty quip, he might not get my sense of humour. Don't make him feel awkward by by telling him how much of fan I am. Don't be cool. Get rid of the pastie crumbs from in my beard! Oh hell, where have my basic social skills gone?! Just be normal and everything will be fine.

And it was. A simple hello and introduction, then sitting in the warm sunlight of an autumn afternoon, Mr Dicks (or Sir Terrance as I called him for the duration of the convention) is down to earth, witty, accommodating and spoke his mind. He likes The Sarah Jane Adventures, the Judoon and Harry Hill, but ain't too keen on Torchwood or the countryside, though he's yet to see “Children Of Earth”. We talk about the many novels he's written and the fast pace of modern telly then all too soon it's off to the convention for the main event.

He doesn't see himself with any level of celebrity, though he evidently is, and at the Fab Cafe a roomful of fellow fans clearly think so too as he's welcomed on the stage floor with a massive round of applause.

This is a personal article by John Cooper, one of our site contributors. Have you ever met a sci-fi hero who impressed you with how down-to-earth they were? Let us know…