The word ‘dalek’ entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 1963 and they have been on our screens ever since. But could I find one to preside over my 50th birthday party?
“No, I’m definitely not having a party for my 50th, I just want to tell people where I will be for one evening and invite them to join me for a drink, if they can. No pressure.” I was talking to my mum on speakerphone just after Christmas. She was obviously disappointed. “Oh, he is having a party!” Helen piped up in the background.
So, that was that. While Helen bravely organised food and entertainment, I tried to think of a way to make the party memorable for my guests (and perhaps take some of the attention off me). As a child of the 80s, I kept coming back to sci-fi, how Doctor Who, Blake’s 7, Star Wars, Buck Rogers and many others had defined my childhood. I thought of the iconic film and TV props I could hire from that era.
I decided that I needed a Dalek to preside over the celebration. I mention them several times in my book and I have a model one sitting on my desk right now! As a wheelchair user for the last 25 years, I have developed something of an affiliation with them. In 2024, I blogged about rewatching classic episodes with my son. I met my first Dalek on a family visit to the Barry Island Doctor Who exhibition in the early 80s (much of the filming for the show was done in the area). I remember being absolutely terrified of the Dalek stationed at the entrance barking threats to exterminate any friends of the Doctor. I mean, I felt cold, visceral fear and I can’t even remember if we made it past it or not.
As you would expect for an iconic monster that has been on our screens for over 60 years, there are many different types. Until 2010, Daleks were based on the Shawcraft silhouette of 1963. The special weapons Dalek, Supreme Daleks, different coloured Daleks, and of course Davros himself.
Trying to recruit even a single Dalek proved a challenge! The first person I asked had a fully working Dalek that would harass guests at the party – unfortunately, it was unavailable for my party because it was going up to the Comic-Con in Aberdeen that weekend.
Next, I got a quote from a film and TV props company – they had four Daleks, a Tardis, a Davros and a Cyberman, but not only did you have to hire them for a week at a time, the prices were eye-watering! My son and my dad both kindly offered to pilot a home-made Dalek for the evening and Helen threatened to build one from egg-boxes and a metal bin. Hmm. I started thinking, perhaps I could find a local builder or even make a Dalek myself!
I registered the username “RB supreme” on the Planet Dalek Forum and immersed myself in the world of building – your – own – Dalek – in – a – shed. Apparently, it’s a thing that lots of middle-aged men do. You can download blueprints and with carefully crafted MDF, metal and use of a 3D printer, anyone can build a high quality Dalek. When I floated the idea of becoming a Dalek Builder that tea-time, my son commented that I would need a plunger, I bristled and quickly corrected him “You mean an appendage.”
Daleks have an interesting issue with copyright. Unlike other franchises (Star Wars and Star Trek) which own all of their characters and the core of the show, for Dr Who’s first 20 years, the writers often retained the copyright of what they created. I think that was because nobody recognised the value of their work. Though the design of the Daleks is owned by the BBC, the character of The Daleks is owned by estate of their creator, Terry Nation. This has implications for Dalek Builders. Members of the Dalek Owners’ Club are unable to make a profit from public appearances, events or functions. They cannot use copyrighted images, sell Daleks, parts or unlicensed Doctor Who or Dalek items. I had to rethink my briefly held dream of assembling a crack team to build a Dalek for private hire and exhibiting at conventions.
With a couple of weeks to go, we were starting to look at using cardboard cut-outs. I posted a desperate request for help in the Dalek Builders’ group on Facebook. Luckily for me, Tony Stewart, the owner of Who-Ray Dalek Hire, saw my plea and very kindly offered to bring his Daleks all the way down from Hull (took pity on a fellow sci-fi fan!). But why were the Daleks in Hull in the first place you ask? Well, Helen made me laugh when she explained that to some friends on the evening: “Hull is where all the Daleks live, they like it there because it’s very flat!”.
To avoid copyright issues, Who-Ray Dalek Hire (when you say it out loud – Hooray Dalek Hire) do not charge for the hire of their props, just the expenses of the staff needed to setup and operate them. They have a clear disclaimer on their website stating they have no connection with either the BBC or the Terry Nation Estate and always use the wording ‘replica props’ and insist that event organisers they work with do so too.
But then gets even more complicated. Because they have a mixture of licenced props and unlicensed home-built props, all of which are screen accurate, they have been requested to appear on the BBC several times. Tony explains: “I think the key is to be respectful to the brand and history.”
The display looked great! With a red Dalek and a grey Dalek on each side of the stage, K9 sitting obediently in front. All were dramatically backlit with coloured lights. Behind the stage was a swirling galactic 3x4m backdrop featuring the Tardis. As both Daleks were original 70s design Genesis Daleks (from the 1974 story, Genesis of the Daleks), I was proud to say that they were original, retro props from the 70s – just like me!
The party went very well. A perfect mix of friends, family, food, music and Daleks. Highlights were me realising the grey Dalek was exactly the same as the one I had encountered all those years ago and seeing a group of children tentatively gathering around the red Dalek, and then squealing with excitement and fright when it came to life, moving forward and threatening to exterminate them! – it’s good to see that Daleks can still inspire terror after 63 years!
Richard C Brown MBE – March 2026
World According to Me: 