Tramalot Part II

The First of July Two Thousand and Fifteen. Tuesday.

Hello again. We've just changed trams on to the

The East Didsbury Line

We're just going to zoom through Trafford Bar for now and jump off at the first stop on the East Didsbury branch.


FIRSWOOD

Just a wooden horse, after all... but no - there was more to it than that. I tell you, my hackles rose at the sight of it!

There's a lot of these. They can't all be gold standard. Wood. The connection here is wood.


CHORLTON

'Time Lords are forbidden to interfere, Leader,' the Deputy objected. 'This one calls itself "The Doctor",' the Leader boomed, selecting a programme from the holovisor's memory and switching it on again. 'It has assumed a number of regenerative forms and it does nothing but interfere...'

 He was credited as Cyber Lieutenant on screen but here Ian Marter calls him Deputy - probably because it's easier to spell! He was played by Mark Hardy and here I am in Chorlton-cum-Hardy...


ST WERBURGH'S ROAD

Cameca turned to him and kissed him on both cheeks. 'Oh, sweet favoured man, you have declared your love for me,' she said, 'and I acknowledge and accept your gentle proposal.'

 Before River Song, Elizabeth I and Marilyn Monroe the First Doctor was engaged (albeit accidentally) to an Aztec by the name of Cameca. She was portrayed by Margot van der Burgh which is close enough to the name of this place.


WITHINGTON

The Doctor was drumming on the table eyeing the ranks of Sontaran troopers, and cursing in very low Gallifreyan.

 First joker. I couldn't figure out a link so I chose this book. Shakedown was orginally a straight-to-retail video featuring the Sontarans that materialised in the Who-less Nineties. Terrace Dicks novelised and expanded his own script as part of Virgin's New Adventures range.


BURTON ROAD

At last Burton cleared his throat. 'Let me get this right - you're telling me that you aren't the Happy Hearts Holiday Club from Bolton, but instead are spacemen who fear an attack from other spacemen.'

 Burton, of course, was the head of the Shangri-La Holiday Camp in this story. I think Delta and the Bannermen is fab. Doo-wop doo-woo. Love is the answer.


WEST DIDSBURY

The Doctor sat up. 'Ah, Lethbridge-Stewart. Do you think you could find my clothes? It's a trifle parky in here?'

 Another joker. What a strange time the nineties were. With no Doctor Who on telly, Jon Pertwee returned to the role on Radio 5 back when they used to do drama. On medium wave! The sound quality was atrocious so we lapped up the stereo cassette when it was released. Here, Barry Letts novelises his own radio script.


DIDSBURY VILLAGE

Seconds later a sibilant voice filled the air. 'Axos calling Earth, Axos calling Earth...'

 There is a butchers in Didsbury called Axon's! No, seriously! Here it is:

I remember being freaked out seeing this book in Menzies on the Precinct way back when. I had seen the Axons in the Doctor Who Monster Book but had never heard of Axos. It seemed strange and new. And that Achilleos cover - the beams coming from the Axon's eyes. Brilliant.


EAST DIDSBURY

'Stupid oafess!' squealed Sil.

 A few jokers on this line. Mission to Magnus would have been part of the original Season 23 before it was cancelled and later replaced by The Trial of a Time Lord. Philip Martin novelised his script and then later adapted the story as a Big Finish audio. It's fitting that a series about time travel has so many different versions of the same events, all produced at different times, each slightly different. It delights in thwarting any notions of canon at whenever it can.

Back up the line to St Werburgh's Road now, and then a change on to the Airport Line.

More soonliest.