Boasting an impressive line-up including no less than ten actors who have played the Doctor, the London Film and Comic Con 2018 was most definitely the place to be for Doctor Who fans last weekend. And, for a lucky few, there were some truly special moments as some of the Doctors got to meet and share a brief word and a hug without catastrophically shorting out the solar system.
If you happened to be wandering through Olympia at the right time, you would have been there to witness a meeting between the Ninth and Eleventh Doctors, as rare convention attendee Christopher Eccleston and the rather more seasoned guest Matt Smith crossed paths. Cue a huge explosion of delight on social media as fans got a brief glimpse of the 50th anniversary story we never got to see. It’s difficult to make out what’s being said in the clip of the meeting, but it’s just possible to make out Matt Smith saying how he’d wanted to meet Eccleston for so long, suggesting this was their first encounter.
Elsewhere amidst the throngs of convention goers, Eccleston shared a brief catch-up with Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi. These weren’t the only moments to have made their mark on social media – Eccleston’s photo with fan Martin MacSween of Ness in Lewis, Scotland received over 17,000 likes on Twitter within a few days. As Martin’s brother Murdo explains:
“Anyone who knows my brother Martin will know how huge a thing this is for him. Martin has been waiting to meet Christopher Eccleston for at least 10 years. He was absolutely giddy after the fact and I had to sit him down in a cafe to get him composed again. He’s absolutely over the moon.”
“Martin was so nervous and could barely talk but then threw his arms around Chris unannounced and Chris took it in his stride. He then held Martin’s hand as he spoke to him.”
There have been complaints of poor organisation at London Film and Comic Con which made it a trying event for many who attended, and it’s to be hoped that the organisers will take such reports on board. Encouragingly, Eccleston, Smith, and Capaldi are reported to have stayed longer than planned to ensure over-running photo sessions could be completed.
But it certainly seems to have been a memorable event and Eccleston, who to date has preferred rather smaller scale gatherings, looks to have enjoyed himself and taken it all in his stride. Let’s hope it’s not too long before fans get to meet him again.
