Full size Dalek sold by Strange Apparitions in Weston following death of Doctor Who fan Richard Buck, curator at Spalding Gentlemen’s Society

A rare collectable item that was sold to a specialist shop following the sad death of its owner has been bought by a superfan.

Richard Buck, who was curator of archaeology at Spalding Gentlemen’s Society, sadly died last year and his collection of Doctor Who memorabilia — including a life sized Dalek — was sold to Strange Apparitions in Weston by his widow.

Alex Hunt, who owns the shop — a specialist in new and vintage comic books, graphic novels, toys and collectables — says Mr Buck’s collection of all things related to the TV Time Lord is one of the best of its kind in the country.

Mr Hunt said: “One of Richard’s lifelong dreams was to have a full size Dalek.

“I sold it last week to an avid collector whose dream was to have one too

“Richard would think it was really cool if he was still here.”

Mr Buck, from Pinchbeck, died last year after complications with his heart.

His life sized item has been snapped up by fellow Whovian David Moore, 53, from Newark. He has been collecting Doctor Who souvenirs since childhood and purchased the Dalek for £600 after seeing a post on social media.

He said: “I always wanted a full size Dalek.

“I have a half size one and when I saw the Facebook post we gave the store a visit.

“The Dalek will be well-loved and cherished and has gone to a good home.”

Mr Moore has a separate room for his own collection which is full of merchandise from the classic sci-fi series. The Daleks were created by Terry Nation for the second ever TV story and have been the arch nemesis of the Doctor ever since.

He said: “I think Doctor Who is a bit of escapism.

“It is about travel and adventure and decent people using their minds to solve problems.

“One of the good things about Doctor Who is that it brings people together in these divisive times.”

Mr Buck was a keen historian with a passion for Spalding’s past.

He was fascinated by the enduring mystery of Spalding Castle which has long since disappeared from the landscape without a trace.

Petronella Keeling, chair of Spalding Gentlemen’s Society, said: “Richard was the keeper of archaeology.

“We hugely appreciated the work he did for us and are very sad to have lost him.”

Visit Strange Apparitions on Facebook for further information.

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