Advanced search

Ian Scoones graduated from the Medway College of Art in 1960. He was soon after engaged as assistant to special effects wizard Les Bowie at Hammer's Bray Studio. In addition to creating occasional special effects for big screen horror films (often uncredited), he also constructed some of the miniature models and landscapes used in Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds (1965). In 1970, Scoones joined the BBC Visual Effects Department, where he established his reputation with prodigious work on the cult series Doctor Who (1963). He built almost all of the spacecraft models used in the show during the Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker era, including the excellent Jaggaroth ship from "City of Death" (designed on a model stage built at BBC's Ealing facility) and the Ogron vessel from "Frontier in Space". His numerous other contributions included planetary landscapes, the TARDIS spinning through a temporal vortex in "Pyramids of Mars" and the preliminary designs for K-9.

After "Doctor Who", Scoones went on to work on Blake's 7 (1978), where the budgetary constraints were even tighter (£50 per episode). In 1980, he became special effects supervisor for Hammer House of Horror (1980). From 1994, he lived in retirement, first in Spain, then in Bulgaria, where he died in January 2010 at the age of 69.

Sara Weymouth was born on 19 January 1961 in Ashford, Kent, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Doc Martin (2004), The Bill (1984) and There's a Viking in My Bed (2001). She died on 20 January 2010 in Kensington, London, England, UK.

Rafe Newhouse was born on 24 November 1923 in St. Luke's Hospital, Mile End, London, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Point Blank (1967), The Amazing Spider-Man (1977) and Where's Jack? (1969). He died on 20 January 2010 in Canterbury, Kent, England, UK.

Lynn Taitt was born on 22 June 1934 in San Fernando, Trinidad & Tobago. Lynn is known for Good Vibrations (2012) and Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae (2009). Lynn died on 20 January 2010 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Cathy Sarraï was born on 25 September 1962 in Tunis, Tunisia. She died on 20 January 2010 in Paris, France.

Merle Ellis was born on 12 January 1934 in Sioux City, Iowa, USA. He died on 20 January 2010 in Tiburon, California, USA.

Star Yoo was born on 9 October 1980. She was an actress, known for The Last Eve (2005), A Nursery Tale (1999) and Korean Report: Young Man Kang Goes to Hollywood (2004). She died on 20 January 2010 in Los Angeles, California, USA.