Tuesday, 5 November 2019

The Mothership David Hugo Boyle Obituary



David Hugo Boyle
1948 - 2019

David Boyle was born in Preston Royal Infirmary. He moved to Warrington at just a day old after his Dad who had been demobbed from the RAF, returned to the UK from India. It was his Dad who first piqued his interest in trains, having bought his first model railway before he started at the now defunct Richard Fairclough Secondary Modern school. He would often supplement his pocket money by fixing other pupils’ broken engines.

In 1983, he founded the DAPOL company (DAPOL is an amalgamation of David and ex-wife Pauline’s names. Polly is short for Pauline) that made mainstream ‘OO’ Model Railways. Their model engines manufactured from their Winsford site were produced in Hong Kong and the Far East, an arrangement that successfully survived for 32 years, strengthening their relationship with their Far East partners.

In 1994 the Boyle’s moved their business from Winsford to a larger site at Llangollen, which was able to support both the railway business and their new Doctor Who exhibition which was also supported by the BBC. Under licence from the BBC, DAPOL also produced Doctor Who figurines and action toys, including Tardis Play Sets.



In 1994, during the move to Llangollen, a devastating fire broke out in their Winsford site, destroying huge quantities of their products including their historical ‘Wrenn’ model railway material.

Their Llangollen Exhibition had 6000 square feet of space, to house a collection spanning 30 years of Doctor Who props from the Troughton era right up to the Seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy.

In 1998, David resigned from DAPOL, his former wife Pauline became the sole proprietor, running not only the factory but also the Llangollen exhibition until it closed.

Unfortunately, in 2002, the BBC decided not to renew the licence for the Doctor Who figures and playsets and DAPOL turned their attention back to model railways and in 2003 moved their manufacturing site from Llangollen to Chirk, Wrexham.

David set up another Exhibition of Doctor Who, this time on the promenade in Blackpool, next door to Sea Life. It ran from 2004 – 2009 when it closed. He sold a new range of Doctor Who figures from the Character Options range, along with a few of the early DAPOL figures rescued from the Winsford fire – the Time Lords of Gallifrey. Only a few of these are still in existence.

The BBC took back some of the Doctor Who costume exhibits after it closed to be displayed in their other venues up and down the country.

David was well known within his local community and a regular supporter of the Lytham Club Day Parades, where he would be seen driving his popular yellow Doctor Who car BESSIE, whilst dressed as a Native American. Bessie was the Third Doctor’s mode of transport when he was without his TARDIS. She was one of only 22 built.
It has a Ford Popular chassis with an Edwardian Roadster kit body. Its registration plate SUX419 will show it as a Ford Esquire on car insurance databases. It was occasionally used as a back up car in the Doctor Who series.

In 2009 David met his beautiful partner Julie in which they spent nine and a half loving years together. With Llangollen holding many fond memories for David, from his old DAPOL days where he brought up his family, to his twilight years with Julie, they would often spend their time visiting the local Llangollen Railway Station together.

On one particular Valentine’s Day, Julie arranged a trip to the Steam Railway. It was the first operational day of the year, so naturally the heating wasn’t working! As Julie recalls, ‘the champagne was particularly well chilled!’ Julie often called ahead to the staff at Llan, so that David was always given the ‘Red Carpet’ treatment. When he celebrated his 66th birthday, he was invited to ride in the cab for the journey, however due to heart surgery six days earlier, he was unable to drive the train. 

In 2017, David suffered a massive stroke which rendered him unable to speak, and requiring 24-hour care. Yet, despite this, however, David retained an amazing quality of life. Even after David’s stroke, they attended a very uplifting talk at Preston Comic Con, given by Colin Baker and Gareth David-Lloyd who reminisced about their careers in both Doctor Who and Torchwood. Later, after a photoshoot with Colin, the Sixth Doctor spoke with David, ‘treating him with the utmost respect and compassion.’ They had met on numerous occasions in the past, at David’s Doctor Who Exhibitions.

On 17th September, 2019, David sadly passed away but he was determined to go out in style.


David had always been a lifelong Wire supporter. He was brought up on the Wilderspool Causeway, close to the ground of his beloved Rugby League team, the Warrington Wolves. His matchday shirt was placed upon his coffin in the church, alongside his Native American headdress, outfit and shoes.

His TARDIS coffin was transported in a silver horse drawn hearse from the home he shared with Julie, in Lytham, to St Cuthbert’s Church, where a public celebration of David’s wonderful life took place. David’s last wishes were that everyone who came to pay their respects at his funeral were to wear bright colours. As the cortège arrived at the crematorium, a bag piper led the procession playing ‘Abide with Me’ and ‘Amazing Grace’.

David’s family said their final goodbyes to the original 1960s Doctor Who theme tune.

David also requested that half of his ashes were to be scattered along the steam railway at Llangollen, which was the location of the DAPOL factory and the Doctor Who Exhibition, and half in the grounds of Lytham Hall, where the Lytham Club Day celebrations continue once the parade has finished. The scattering of these ashes will take place sometime next year.

Special thanks to Julie Whitfield, for the use of photographs within the article, and for the personal information.

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4 comments:

  1. This say's nothing about Davids spiritual work ?

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  2. David was a very spiritual person. He believed the soul exists forever therefore, we truly never die.
    And also I'd like to mention his incredible insightful beliefs and investigations into the afterlife and reincarnation. And without doubt his battle to bring into the public domain, the knowledge that there us indeed a ruling body of people who really are in control of the planet.

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  3. David was a wonderful man,

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  4. Was really sad to hear David passed, the world needs more people like him

    ReplyDelete