A musical based on the life of Cliff Richard? The world has to be divided into those who think that is a wonderful idea and those who would run in terror!

Harry is a story based on the concept of an alien who finds our world horrifying. It doesn’t begin well for him, being mugged on the embankment. But he is at least rescued by Christopher and Jackie and finds himself being looked after at Mount Lœng House. But he discovers so much about our world that is upsetting and terrible. Again, though, he is in the best place to find out the other side of humanity. The Doctor, of course, knows that the Human race can be cruel and terrible. But he also knows of its goodness. And the second part of the story is a travelogue through time that shows Harry some of the good things that humans do.

The funeral of Doctor Barnado was one of the first ideas I had as a reminder of Human goodness. He is one of the people whose names are synonymous with real, genuine charity, and his funeral was a reflection of the high standing he was held in by ordinary people in Victorian London. The second trip, to the battlefields of WWI, and that infamous football match, was a strange way of proving that Earth WAS a good place. I wasn’t looking to pick examples of Human charity, rather examples of how, even WITH our wars and troubles, people still do good things. The 1915 Christmas football match showed that soldiers fighting in wars are still people, and they don’t exist just to fight.

The celebration at the end of the Second World War was to show much the same thing. Human spirit, undaunted by their troubles. It also re-introduced a character I created in the Unfinished Business story An Ordinary Man. Ernest Porter is here to represent all those people who did that little extra, who went above and beyond the call of duty, helping others to survive. Famous ones like Oscar Schindler, Nicholas Winton, Gladys Aylward, and others whose names were less well known.

Live Aid was a phenomenal example of Human endeavour for our generation. That had to be in there. The idea of it being a ‘date’ for young Jackie and Pete struck me as a rather nice idea.

Then the echo of the VE Day celebration, when what was left of the population of London celebrated the defeat of the Daleks. When Invasion of Earth was first broadcast in 1964 VE Day was a much more recent memory for far more people. Now, it is history for most of us. That memorable moment when Big Ben tolled in the last episode would have meant more to those who remembered the end of the war. It has a little less impact to us now. But I wanted to re-emphasise that impact.

Harry thus got the idea that the Human race WAS capable of great evil, but also of great good. Which is about what The Doctor thinks of us. So mission accomplished.

This story covered Christmas in the narrative, incidentally. Christmas Past was the story that was due to be posted at Christmas, but that took place in August in the timeline of the de Lœngbǽrrow family. Now they go into a new year with new challenges to face.

 http://www.pearsecom.co.uk/doctorwho/63ordinaryman.htm

http://www.rdwf.org.uk/doctors/D1/s2/02dalekinvasion.htm

http://www.goldonian.org/barnardo/drb_funeral.htm

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/christmas-1915-world-war-one.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_in_Europe_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Aid