bedfordwhocharitycon.co.uk

Bedford Who Charity Con 9

Saturday 6th April 2024

We're delighted to welcome our guests to Bedford Who Charity Con 9:

Paul McGann (The Doctor), Daphne Ashbrook (Grace), Una McCormack (writer), and Peter Roy (actor from Hartnells to the Davisons).

More guests tba.

TICKETS

Available from

https://buytickets.at/tobiasvaughanphilanthropicfoundation/968473/r/web

Adults £49.50

Children (under 14) £20.00

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult, please

Once we have paid our costs, everything made at the convention will go to our charities:

Bedford Foodbank - providing emergency food to more than 2000 people every month.

SMART - Bedford's homeless charity. They run a day centre and a 20 bed hostel.

FACES - supporting local families in crisis.

The money we raise will be split equally between them.

Over the years, Bedford's Doctor Who events have raised a staggering £42,784. We can't thank you enough!

The ticket sales have to pay for the event itself. So, I'm afraid we're not able to include any autographs in the ticket prices. We don't have any other funds of our own to help with the costs; once we've recouped them through ticket sales, profits on the tickets go to the charities.

However, what we can do (and do do!) is give you the opportunity to have your photo taken with all the guests in the group photo session; there's no fee and we just ask for a donation to the charity bucket. So, while we can't offer free autographs, the photo session means you won't have to dig deep to have professional photos taken with the guests!

Obviously, we try to keep our costs down; Simon (the organiser), the crew and a host of other volunteers are unpaid and the convention's run by fans for fans. Everything we make over and above our costs goes direct to the charities.

We have a number of tickets reserved for people who have been hit hard by the financial crisis; please contact Simon on info@bedfordwhocharitycon.co.uk

To get the flavour of the convention, have a look at our two minute highlight reel from Bedford Who Charity Con 7 (2022).

Just click on the video to the right.

Bedford Who Charity Con 9

Saturday 6th April 2024

The King's House, Bedford MK42 9AZ

Welcoming, friendly, relaxed, informal...

Enormous fun!

A small scale Doctor Who convention where you get to meet

and chat to the guests...

Bedford Who Charity Cons are hugely popular with our

audiences.

Why not come along and see what all the fuss is about?

Is it going to be any good? Here's some feedback

on previous Bedford Who Charity Cons...

"The very best fan convention."

"One of the best [Doctor Who] events I have been to.

Warm and relaxed atmosphere, amazing guests and

fascinating panels."

"What really stands out is the intimacy, the sense of delight in the presence of people whatever they’re doing on stage or off. It’s not just the usual Sylv and Sophie double act that comes amongst the public; the stage is close, the guests are confident to come up to the audience because they are treated well, and the happy crowd is not intimidating. People listen well and hang on every word or pregnant pause. And all go home feeling they’re part of something good."

- thedoctorwhocompanion.com

"I loved it... The costumes, the beaming crowd and the warm energy in the place in combination with the event itself were just fantastic... The genuine compassion for those in desperate need came through and it is so important at this time. The gathering of the likeminded souls today was so varied in content and so interesting and funny. However, it was also incredibly inclusive, calm and most respectful of everyone who shares a love of Doctor Who... Bedford stands out by virtue of a genuine intimacy between audience and guests... A really brilliant day."

THE VIDEOS!

Sketches and performances are a key part of Bedford Who Charity Cons...

You can find them and us on the Bedford Who Charity Con - Doctor Who convention YouTube channel.

Click on this link to go to the channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbdFv3UKQC8jpFs3LvuI5Q

And the channel includes:

The highlights: the interviews with the guests (including Jo Martin, Colin Baker, Wendy Padbury, Frazer Hines, Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, Janet Fielding, Jennie Linden and Miranda Raison)
The sketches, with (here goes!) Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Peter Davison, Sadie Miller, Chris Naylor, Chris Ryan, David Gooderson, Wendy Padbury, Frazer Hines, Terry Molloy, Sophie Aldred, Brian Croucher, David Banks, Miranda Raison, Sarah Sutton, Janet Fielding, Louise Jameson, Carole Ann Ford, Peter Purves, Maureen O'Brien, Sarah-Louise Madison, John Leeson, Paul Marc Davis and Geoffrey Beevers. They include: The Master in The Psychiatrist's Chair, The Doctor Who Fan Accreditation Sketch, Davros on Desert Island Discs and The Doctor Interviews for a Travelling Companion.
Colin Baker singing a rousing rendition of "I'm from Gallifrey and I'm OK"

And if you want to watch only one, have a look at Colin Baker and the Dalek Invasion of Bedford sketch. Click on the photo below.

And the audiences said...

What a Doctor Who con should be like. Friendly, informal, a great atmosphere.

It's absolutely bloody brilliant.

A fabulous con! Relaxed and fun!

This event just gets better every year... the beauty of the event is

that it feels like a gathering of friends.

Another amazing day.

Always a brilliant day! Lovely family friendly atmosphere!

A great day. My first involving getting autographs and talking to the guests rather than staring at them from afar and pointing and giggling! Well organised show.

It was our first convention. We all had a great day!

It was brilliant!

Nice relaxed atmosphere.

Brilliant event. Really, really enjoyed it.

"A lovely day, as always" - Mike Tucker

"Truly lovely day. Thanks to all who came and all who worked so hard to create a great atmosphere" - Sophie Aldred

"A delightful day" - Anneke Wills

Bedford Who Charity Con 9 is an independent Doctor Who convention run by and for fans of Doctor Who; it is not endorsed by the BBC. Doctor Who is copyright to the BBC and characters and aliens are copyright to their respective writers.

Please be aware that guests can occasionally be called away for filming et al.

This is a charity convention; the organisers are unpaid. All profits are donated to charity.

Group photos with the guests are free, though we ask for a donation to the charity bucket in exchange.

THE TOBIAS VAUGHN PHILANTHROPIC FOUNDATION

The Foundation runs Doctor Who events in Bedford for the delectation of Doctor Who fans, and to raise money for local charities.

Inspired by the spirit of Tobias Vaughn, the Foundation is dedicated to the advancement of mankind.

Here's what we've raised in the past:

Bedford Who Charity Con 1, 2015: £1195

An Evening with Mike Tucker, 2015: £280

Bedford Who Charity Con 2, 2016: £2592

The Great Bedford Foodbank Sponsored Dalek Push, 2016

Patrons: Sophie Aldred and Katie Manning: £4515

An Evening with Mat Irvine, 2016: £115

Bedford Who Charity Con 3, 2017: £2700

Bedford Who Charity Con 4, 2018: £2278

Bedford Who Charity Con 5, 2019: £8172

Bedford Who Charity Con 6, 2021: £6643

Bedford Who Charity Con 7, 2022: £10,383

An Evening with Terry Molloy, 2022: £315

Bedford Who Charity Con 8, 2023: £3583

TOTAL: £42,784

THANK YOU FOR YOUR STAGGERING GENEROSITY!

So what sort of convention is it?

Some conventions these days are primarily commercial affairs; they're designed for people to buy merchandise from stallholders, and to buy autographs and photos. Bedford Who Charity Cons are more traditional in style; they're non-commercial, and are run by fans for fans. There's a mixture of on stage interviews, performances (including sketches!) by the actors, signing sessions, the opportunity to meet the guests, get their autographs, and have your photo taken with them.

We want to make sure you have a fun, relaxed and enjoyable day... and to raise a lot of money for charity!

We're also grateful to the companies who have donated Doctor Who merchandise for us to auction at Bedford Who Charity Cons. Please do support them, too, with your custom! They are:

Big Finish
Underground Toys
The Monster Factory
Silva Screen Records
Character Options
Reeltime Pictures
Eaglemoss
Lovarzi
Santa Pod Raceway

And sincere thanks to those local business who have supported the Foundation's events. Please do support them with your custom! They are:

Elstow Tile Warehouse (who have sponsored every convention since the first one!)
M&DH Insurance
The Colour Shop (printers), Castle Road
The Swan Hotel
H C B Solicitors
Sharman Law Solicitors
Rice Thai Restaurant, St Cuthbert's Street
William Rutter Motor Services
Parrott Construction
The Jaffa Orchard, Castle Road
The Picture Gallery, High Street
All Ears, High Street
Limes, Lime Street
The Eagle Bookshop, St Peter's Street
Price Wallace Property Management and Investments
Emmott Snell Solicitors
THSP: The Health and Safety People
emc design ltd
Deo Volente Solicitors
Kimm and Miller
Robson King
1st Choice Staff Recruitment Ltd

Thanks too to the charitable trusts and agencies who have supported our events. They are:

The Pavenham Charitable Trust
Bedford Lions
The Rotary Club of Bedford Park