Dr Who 60th anniversary: This is what it's like to be a Dr Who fan for all these years

As the good Doctor steps up to the bat again, millions of fans worldwide are wondering what Ncuti Gatwa will bring to the role of the Time Lord - and why on earth the always awesome David Tennant is back for a trio of one-off stories.

But that’s one of the wonderful things about being a fan - you never know what’s going to happen next.

For a show that started off with a budget which would make the word ‘shoestring’ look generous, just what is it about Doctor Who that endears so much love from young and old alike?

First on the list is the storytelling. No matter how wobbly the sets or how much the aliens look like some guy crammed into a costume made of cardboard, rubber and bubble wrap, the stories are equal parts exciting and adventurous, magical and charming and always intelligent.

As for the Doctors themselves - whether they be William Hartnell and co who kicked things off in the 1960s, or Christopher Eccleston and his successors who picked up the baton in 2005 - they have always been the epitome of a hero, no matter their flaws.

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And unlike many other heroes, they never carry a gun, rarely indulge in fisticuffs and always, always use their brains to save the day.

As one-time showrunner Steven Moffatt said: “They didn't give him a tank or a warship or a X-Wing fighter, they gave him a phone box from which you can call for help. And they didn't give him a superpower, or pointy ears, or heatray, they gave him an extra heart.”

What more could you ask from a hero? One of them even wore a cape at times!

Rather unjustly, Doctor Who is often seen as ‘something for the weirdos’ - a mantel many of us wear with pride.

It was the product of a female producer - Verity Lambert - who fought through the stodgy boys’ club of the BBC in 1963 to take the reins; Delia Derbyshire, a composer of electronic music, who came up with the first arrangement of the iconic theme; and Waris Hussein, a British-Indian director.

Given the time - and let’s face it, sexism and racism were rife - if anything was going to attract the loners and outcasts, this was it.

And some of those loners and outcasts went on to write and produce some of the best TV of the 21st century - hello Russell T Davies.

Not quite a fun fact but did you know that the first episode ‘An Unearthly Child’ had to be repeated because everyone was more interested in the assassination of JFK than some new sci-fi offering.

It was shown again the following Saturday immediately before the second episode ‘The Cave of Skulls’ and many, many people sat up and went ‘that was rather good’.

So what’s it like to be a Doctor Who fan?

Well, it’s fun - so much fun.

If you avoid the obsessives on social media, who forget that the whole concept of the show is one of change and gripe about every little thing, then it’s a marvellous family to join.

And you get to meet - and pose with and interview - some of the best actors the UK has ever produced.

To those who poke fun and ask why we like to dress up as our favourite characters at social events, how is that any different from pulling on a football shirt and cheering your lungs out at a football match?

We all look a bit daft - but who cares if it’s what you love.