Tramalot Part IV

The Eleventh of July Two Thousand and Fifteen. Saturday.

The Altrincham Line

So I hopped on the train at Manchester Airport up to Deansgate and headed for the tram again. I fully intended to cross the refurbished footbridge between the rail and tram stations but I took a wrong turn and ended up going up a load of stairs instead. Never mind.

DEANSGATE CASTLEFIELD

He looked away, back out towards the Golden Gate Bridge. 'Don't be sad, Grace,' he murmured. 'You will do great things.'

 Golden Gate Bridge, Deansgate Bridge. Might have been more of a connection if I'd actually crossed over it. Can't win them all.

We've already visited Cornbrook, so on to


TRAFFORD BAR

Evans wandered to a nearby chocolate machine and gave the handle a hopeful tug. To his astonishment, the drawer opened, revealing a bar of chocolate. 'Well, there's lovely,' he said delightedly.

 Trafford Bar of chocolate. Of all the stuff in The Web of Fear this scene with the free chocolate lodged itself into my memory. It just seems so odd to me.


OLD TRAFFORD

'Look at what, Trevor?' Scott asked, scanning the field for some sign of a four or six being hit. 'There's a police telephone box on the pitch.'

 Some have made the case that a young Douglas Adams probably saw the episode of The Daleks' Masterplan with this cricket match and it inspired the bit in Life, the Universe and Everything. There's the unmade 'Krikkitmen' script too, of course. Not impossible, I suppose. Just highly improbable.


STRETFORD

He wore the sombre black tailcoat of an Edwardian gentleman under a heavy cape, with a Keble College scarf thrown over one shoulder.

 Another Joker, although you could make a case for the birthplace of LS Lowry being an appropriate place to read a novelisation of a story made of moving drawings. Shalka is an odd cul-de-sac but there's some merit in a story featuring Bishop Brennan, half a dozen lines from a future Doctor, Sir Derek warming up for the Master and an Oscar-nominated companion. In fact a quick check has just revealed - much to my astonishment - that the original website is still active! If you haven't seen it, check it out: The Scream of the Shalka 


DANE ROAD

'It's a TARDIS! she breathed, finally finding her voice. 'The Monk's got a TARDIS!'

 Not sure if the Vikings in this story are Norse or Danes, but - y'know - close enough.


SALE

But the Captain was continuing, disdainfully, 'A Lord of Time! Are there lords in such a small domain?'

 Pun alert! Oh, but this is one of my favourite stories. How did something this gorgeous survive Eric Saward's editing?


BROOKLANDS

Edgar Lumb - Morestran Pioneer - Died here 7y2 in the year 37,166    Braun thought about gathering some jungle flowers for the grave, then shook his head wearily.

 Erm, Braun was played by Terence Brook. This was on the Horror Channel earlier this week. That is all.

The corporal turned to look. 'Blimey, sir. How did that happen?'

Kklak! Had to get a 'Blimey!' in at the home of the Oh Blimey Big Band. You know I did. I really did. Thank you.

NAVIGATION ROAD

'A flying caravan, Marco,' Kublai said, 'there's something to tell the Venetians when you reach home.'

Navigation? A road? I think you can connect the dots on this one yourself.


ALTRINCHAM

This Brigadier had a black patch over his left eye, a scar ran from the patch down to his jaw line.

 Where else but Alty for a story about an Alt universe?

Now time to retrace our steps and then continue through the city centre and up to Bury.

More soonliest.