Secure your harness, give the Patmats a polite kick to keep them moving, and welcome once again aboard the venerable Nosferatu 2.5 — a ship so old, her warranty expired before the last Ice Age. Guided by our ever-intrepid host, Sophie Aldred, we continue our meander through the slipstreams of time, nostalgia, and the more excitable corners of fandom.

At Sophie’s elbow (and occasionally in her way) is Hobbes, the ship’s resident automaton butler: part mahogany majesty, part clockwork contraption, part withering commentary. He hums, he polishes, he frets, and he disapproves of nearly everything built after 1894 — especially the Goldfish. Together, they steer the vessel through cosmic peculiarities, temperamental machinery, and the perpetual mystery of “the door we can’t open.”

This week, the Time Scoop awakens with its usual lack of courtesy, plucking from the temporal tides none other than Katy Manning, beloved to millions as the irrepressible Jo Grant from Doctor Who. Once she’s safely disentangled from the machinery (and Hobbes has concluded his entirely unnecessary identity checks), Sophie and Katy settle into the Sofa of Informal Enlightenment to reminisce, reflect, and revel in adventures both on and off the screen.

But no episode aboard the Nosferatu 2.5 is complete without a descent into the shimmering depths of the Ffantaface — that vast, humming reservoir of collective fan history. At its bubbling threshold awaits Mrs C, the Cockney goldfish whose telepathic commentary is as sharp as her memory is short. With fins aflutter and attitude engaged, she grants Sophie entry to explore the lore.

In this instalment, the Ffantaface reveals Gavin Rymill: Dalek expert, graphic designer for the Doctor Who range, and a man who can tell a Mk III travel machine from a Mk V at twenty paces. Together they dive into the nuts, bolts, bumps, and mysteries of Skaro’s finest.

But the question must be asked: does Hobbes know more about The Door We Can't Open than he's telling us?

You can find us all over your social media.

Bluesky/Instagram/X: @aceodyssey63

Facebook: Sophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey

Sophie's Instagram: @sophie_ace_aldred

Katy's Instagram/Twitter/Bluesky:@ManningOfficial

Gavin's Twitter: @TheMindRobber

You can find out about Gavin's Escape Room by heading to www.westkirbyescaperoom.co,uk or @WestKirbyEscapeRoom on Instagram

For listeners who want even more adventure, you can step inside the Ace Odyssey Patreon Community-

Episodes released early

Two exclusive podcasts every month

Online meet-ups and interactive events

Direct involvement in the evolving universe of the show

www.patreon.com/aceodyssey

Sophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey stars Sophie Aldred with James Showers as Hobbes.

Special Guests- Sylvester McCoy and Ali Winter.

Music, Sound Effects and Sound Design by Michael Livesley

www.michaellivesley.co.uk

Written, Produced and Directed by Paul Carmichael.

Sophie Aldred’s Ace Odyssey is an Eh? Aye! Production © 2025

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