Enigma & Scooby...

...Are Very Engaging.

A Personal Account of a Triple Cause for Celebration

- 23^rd November 2013.

Well readers, it is me Enigma, and this is the story of the biggest surprise of me life which happened on the morning of the 23^rd November 2014, after almost 12 years of being together, Scooby had made an honest woman by proposing to me in the most Dr Who way possible.

That morning, I woke up with a mixture of excitement and depression. Excited that Dr Who was to celebrate its 50th Birthday and depressed that I was about to celebrate my 35th. Scooby was already up and the smell of coffee brewing was wafting into the bed room. After a few grumbles and protests, I managed to shuffle into the living room still in my pyjamas and dressing gown... and the duvet cocooning me trying to shelter myself from the inevitability of birthday celebrations. Scooby sat me down with a nice cuppa and some toast with Marmite. Whilst I ate through the gap in the duvet, I noticed that around my inflatable Dalek ,in the corner of the room, brightly wrapped in Dr Who wrapping paper, were my birthday presents. Scooby gave me his birthday card and those that can through the post to open. After that, he then said “Right you have three presents, this one here (pointing to the one to the left of the Dalek) is a good one, this one here (pointing to the right side of the Dalek) is the best, and this one (pointing to the present on top of the Dalek) is the bestest. So it is up to you to choose which one to open first.” So after much deliberation, I decided to go for the good the best and then the bestest...

Scooby did a slight sigh of relief which at the time didn’t make sense until later.

So the first one was the 'Regeneration box set' which I immediately wanted to start watching, but with gentle protest from Scooby I decided to watch it later. The best one was the Union Jack Dalek which again I was so engrossed in playing with until Scooby politely reminded me that I still had the bestest present left. I went to make another cup of coffee and had a smoke; all the while thinking what else have you got me? I sat back down and he gave me the wrapped present. I did the usual procedure, check how heavy it is....shake it to try and hear the familiar rattle of the DVD in its case. But no sound was heard... So I unwrap the box... Inside was a box with the TARDIS panel on the front of the box. I was taken aback. I thought, where you got this fantastic box, and get get some more for presents for Chalky and Shirt. Scooby informed me that he made these boxes himself. Impressed, I opened the box, to find a scattering of silvers star and TARDIS blue tissue paper and....another box. Smaller than the original this box was covered in the same and so taking that out of the big box, I opened up this box, only to find another smaller box in the same tissue paper and stars?. I was getting intrigued the fact that from what I originally thought it was, it was becoming apparent that it was something entirely different. So on opening up this box, there staring back at me was a small wooden TARDIS embedded in the same tissue and stars; it was carefully made and looked beautiful. I held it up and turn it over in my hands. It was a lovely little wooden TARDIS with such detail I was taken aback.

“Oh what a Lovely little TARDIS!!! Did you make it yourself?”

Scooby, who at this time (which now I should have noticed) was on his knee next to me on the sofa... mumbled “Umm no I didn’t, I got someone else to make it for me”

“Well that will got fantastically on the shelf with all my other versions of the TARDIS”. I set it down on the coffee table and went to get up from the sofa to get a refill of my cuppa.

Panicked and nowhere to go, Scooby started to clear up all the wrapping around him trying to not look inconspicuous. “You do know the doors on the TARDIS opens as well” He said looking up at me with a pleading look... I sat back down. Picking up the TARDIS I carefully pinched the 2 door handles of the TARDIS and opened them up. There embedded in Velvet was a ring.

“Oh what a lovely ring!” I exclaimed until the realisation of what I just said hit me

“Oh, it is a ring?” I then questioned.

Scooby could only nod at this point, (probably thinking 'Eureka - she has now go the idea!')

“Oh, it is THE RING!” I finally came out with....

One minutes silence happened as from there on as my 35 year old brain caught up with what has just been discovered.

I then turned to Scooby and said... “Well, do it right then”. He took the ring from the box and only managed to say “Enigma will you.. umph” as the duvet was discarded and I jumped on to him crying and saying “Yes, yes I will, stupid”.

From that point on, I totally forgot it was my birthday!

Scooby had arranged for us to go on a Dr Who location tour in London, so after getting myself composed and ready, he whisked me off to London Bridge to meet up with fellow Whovians and the sightseeing tour. It was a very easy going and informative tour, where there was a good mixture of classic and new Doctor Who series locations and information with the guide showing, on his I-pad, photos of that scene from the episode and further information at each site just to let you know that he wasn’t pulling a fast one.

I had to really try and stop myself from over-talking at Scooby and trying to work out which episode the location was based, before the poor guide was about to reveal. After a 2 hour tour and a lot of walking (glad I wore my trainers) we stopped for Chinese dumplings for lunch and made a slow journey back to home town.

Then it was time for the 3D Cinema adventure for the 50^th Anniversary Dr Who Special.

Waiting in the huge line that took up most of the foyer of the cinema and beyond, we patiently waited for the doors to open and allow swarms of Whovians to pile into the non assigned seats.

There was quite a mixture of young and old, whole families and the dedicated loners. One family had all dressed up in each versions of the 10th, 11th, and 12^th Doctors, the 12^th being a little baby with a bow tie sitting rather happy in his buggy.

I was keeping myself entertained by offering Jelly Babies to the nearest kids around me in my best Tom Baker voice (whilst wearing my long coat and scarf) and having different reactions from those who were unaware of the classic series, and those that smiled and acknowledged that I was doing a rather bad impression of a previous doctor (and those were the kids were all the family were in fancy dress).

After a while the time was ticking down and there was no sign of the doors opening. There were a few people who started to get nervous as they were anxious to be on time with everyone else around the world who were going to watch the special episode at the same time.

After what felt a lifetime, the doors finally opened and everyone filed in a semi orderly fashion to the best positions in the cinema.

Having found some good seats still left, Scooby and I sat down and prepared ourselves in the most comfortable fashion ready to sit back and take everything that was about to happen. Two rather heavy metal looking guys sat next to us and from casual chat found out that they had come all the way from Norway to stay with a few mates in order to get tickets to watch the 50^th anniversary in 3D and had tickets to the celebration/ convention the next day.

With 3D glasses firmly cemented on my nose, I looked around the packed room to find no empty seats available anywhere in the room. A sense of pride welled up inside me, to think that for 50^th years, the programme still hit home to so many hearts of the UK public.

The sounds of sonic screwdrivers and general excitement filled the air, until the lights slowly faded and the atmosphere become quiet and expectant. I had suddenly a twinge of guilt and sadness that my fellow companions were not here to join me with, what I felt, an historic moment, but that soon dissolved when the screen went white and out stepped the Doctor in 3D.

Ooooh to see David Tennant so close I could almost touch him was something that almost took over the fact that I was now a taken woman (sorry Scooby!).

The crowd gasped, laughed and cheered in a united front and near the end there wasn’t really a dry eye in the house. The biggest gasp came when the curator appeared with a very familiar face.

When the lights finally came up and the adventure over, we were all walking out of the cinema in awe and satisfaction, knowing that at that time all around the world, every fan was in total unity enjoying the pleasure of a show that, even after 50 years, had still quite a few tricks and surprises up its sleeves. And there was still the Celebration the next day to look forward to.

[EC/PC]