thefirstword.(Features)

Byline: DAVE OWENS

Having a clear out of my attic the other day I happened upon a dusty copy of a long forgotten about annual (inset).

There emblazoned across the battered and worn cover were the words: "Terry Nation's Dalek annual 1976".

I was eight years old and more than familiar with the impossibly exciting and frequently scary (to these young eyes anyway) adventures of Doctor Who.

Tom Baker - my all-time favourite Timelord - was a staple of my Saturday night early evening viewing, often watched like a generation of other children from behind the sofa.

But who was this Terry Nation I wondered? Being the pre-internet age I had no idea who he was and why his name was prominently displayed on the cover of my treasured Dalek annual. Admittedly being eight and having a head full of giddy nonsense, chiefly the snotty-nosed pursuits of football, pop culture, sweets and comics, the thought didn't hang around long enough to cause me too much consternation.

However, I could never in my wildest imagination have guessed that I grew up just a few miles away from the man who I had incorrectly surmised was the creator of Doctor Who.

At this point the Timelord had ruled British TV screens for more than a decade and its popularity showed no sign of waning. Nor the insatiable demand for spin-off merchandise.

Another treasured toy, my talking Dalek, had long since been pitched into one too many battles - usually with my older brother's wind up Evel Knievel motorbike which he would launch at my stuff at every given opportunity.

Still, little did I - or should that be my parents - know that they were lining the pockets of the writer whose childhood was spent in the city of both our births, Cardiff.

Now a new book, surprisingly the first serious stab at documenting the colourful life of this hugely talented Welshman, has been published.

The Man Who Invented The Daleks: The Strange Worlds Of Terry Nation by Alwyn Turner is a compelling read.

It documents Nation's life from his early days in Cardiff to his first steps as a comedy writer for such greats as Spike Milligan, Eric Sykes and Tony Hancock, through to his lucky break writing for Doctor Who and with it his epochal creation of the Daleks, on to his penning such cult sci-fi classics as Blake's 7 and Survivors, and his influential role at the heart of much-loved adventure series The Persuaders, The Saint and The Avengers.

Terry Nation was one of the most successful writers of his age - while his genocidal pepper pots may have brought him notoriety and riches, the Welshman played a much wider role in British broadcasting's golden age, shaping the cultural landscape and creating a dynasty that still sweeps all before it today.

That enduring legacy, the subject of this week's cover story, is a fitting tribute to the man at the centre of this fascinating tale.

Editor: Hannah Jones Telephone: 029 2024 3767 E-mail: hannah.jones@mediawales.co.uk Web: www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-and-lifestyle