The death of the actress of Mary Tamm has been announced today, after an 18 month battle with cancer. Mary Tamm is best known for portraying Dr Who’s assistance in the ‘Key To Time’ season in the late 1970s or that’s how so fondly I remember her.

For me this is truly sad news & I’m not ashamed to admit I did shed a tear or two on hearing this news.

No matter what anybody else might say, the late 70s was a golden age for Dr Who,; the fourth doctor portrayed by Tom Baker was my all time favourite doctor & the character of Romana (portrayed by Mary Tamm & later by Lalla Ward is still one of my favourite characters who travelled with the Doctor in the TARDIS, along with the fourth doctor’s previous companion Leela.

The idea behind the character Romana was for the Doctor to have a female equal to the doctor, because like the Doctor, Romana was a Time Lord. Unfortunately Tamm quit the role of Romana after just one season because whatever good intentions lay behind the character of Romana in furthering women’s liberation, Tamm felt the character had descended into the stereotypical screaming damsel in distress, but I still believe she portrayed the character of Romana as a beauty with brains which so many women wish to aspire to being.

As I say the late 70s was for me a golden age for Dr Who & I wanted to be Romana (& still want to be Romana) & with the death of Mary Tamm its as if a part of my childhood has died.

RIP Mary Tamm.