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What beats me is why nothing is being done on the Stalybridge - Guide Bridge line, which seems like an easy win to me. Some of the old MSW masts are still standing, though I dread to think what condition they are in. Someone made some money from that scrap!

I suspect you're right on both counts. That was my first thought when I drove past. A local "Transport expert" reckons that the £580 million announced by Schapps covered the Huddersfield - Dewsbury scheme, and the completion of the electrification to Stalybridge, and that was it. On the last, surely all that needs to be done is erection of the OLE.

Talking of Z Cars, there were a couple of spin - offs. One was called Softly Softly, where D.I. Barlow and D.S. Watt took promotions in a force in the Thames Estuary; and another, I'm almost certain, set in Bristol.

He was, IIRC, P.C. "Fancy" Smith. His partner was P.C. "Jock" Weir. I can't remember if Colin Welland was in it; I think he was. I forgot that I was old enough to remember it before you were even thought of. Not that mum and dad let us watch it much.

Passing the site of Miles Platting station the other day on the ring road, I noticed that Network Rail have created a 'compound' on the station site. It doesn't look quite finished yet. Does anyone know what it's for?

So did I (a bit further up the valley)! There was a late evening train, Deltic - hauled sometimes, which I used to hear when waiting for the bus on Whiteleas Estate in South Shields. It was travelling towards Sunderland.

The original H & M was called The Huddersfield and Manchester Railway and Canal, which should tell you a lot; I've never seen any record of any interest by the MS & L. The LNWR and the MS & L built the present (joint) station in the early 1880s; it was opened in 1885, about the same time as the New Line (the Micklehurst loop)

Was thinking that. There were certainly more than a few boxes in the Newton Heath/Miles Platting area. I think in this case, the double yellow is almost acting as the outer distant for the second box in advance.

With everything as it is, I don't think it's Edgeley either; there are no sighs of any electrification; the line from London Road to Crewe was done in the early 60s. When was the "Not to run South of Crewe " stripe on the cab side added? Although the boxes through from Edgeley Junction No. 1 to Heaton Norris Junction still exist, and they are still as far as know absolute block they re all work 4-aspect colour light ignals, with continuous track circuiting My memory of signals with that arrangement was at Phillips Park, approaching Miles Platting. I think it had to do with the close spacing of the boxes. But that one isn't there. Where's @Peanuts when you need him? He did some time in one of the Phillips Park boxes

If you lose, it's your own fault; they haven't won a league game yet; and only one or two in the cup! It doesn't look like they were K.O.d by a lower - level team, unlike one I know!

Our advice, when starting out was that "Club linesmen" should only give "ins and outs", just a signal to say whether the ball had crossed the line for a throw - in; not even who should have the throw. Of course, if regularly reffed certain sides, and you thought you could trust the linesman, you might allow them to give which way as well.

Weeelll..... Stalybridge became a station joint between the LNWR and the MSLR; the LYR station was a separate building, on the land where the fire station now sits. The MSLR talked about what became the New Line (The Micklehurst Loop), but that was eventually built by the LNWR. It's interesting idea; what if the MSLR had built it? Would it have meant the line from Diggle to Huddersfield becoming joint?

I don't know; the high-speed cross-channel ferries in 1940 were 'V' and 'W' class destroyers, among others!

No, I can't ever remember any at Plumstead, for instance (see above [waits for the photo to appear!]

You'd be surprised. I have twice seen "goals" not given, and the ball had crossed the line on both occasions, because the ref was well behind play and the assistant was as well! This was in semi-professional football.

If you have any. In the leagues you start out in, generally, you don't

Trouble, is speaking both as a lone referee and as an assistant, sometimes you need to have eyes in too many places at once! I've had to explain the player in front of/behind the ball thing to the team appealing for it. Wouldn't get rid of it though. It's the law that brings tactics and skill into the game.

That missed several important points out. Firstly, you're only in an offside position if you're closer to the the opponent's goal - line, when the ball is played, than the second last opponent. It's quite possible for two players to get behind a defence, provided the off the ball player hangs back a bit. Secondly, the player receiving the ball cannot be offside if they receive it direct from a goal kick, a corner kick, or a throw - in. They can't be offside if they receive the ball in their own half (I've seen this in particular in junior and youth games). The goalkeeper does NOT have to be one of the players included (but they are twerps if they get that far out of position) Lastly, just because the player is in an offside position doesn't mean they are offside. You have to be; a) involved in active play b) interfering with an opponent c) seeking to gain an advantage Offside is the shortest law in the LOAF, about a page and a half, but causes more contention than all the others put together.

Could it have been work given to a section of the D.O. who would have had nothing to otherwise? There were several occasions when I was given seemingly pointless work, but the D.O. manager didn't want to let me and others go, because there was something 'proper' in the pipeline.

Robinson on the GCR also proposed a 2-10-0; an ugly looking thing with a huge boiler (bigger than on the O5/B7).

We had wrestling on ITV Sport, on Saturday afternoons, usually before the football results. This ran from the early 60s right through to the mid-70s, at least. You can't forget Kent Walton's introduction: "Good afternoon, grappling fans"

That almost looks like first model railway loco I ever had; a Trix Twin 3-rail 0-4-0 tender job.

I was idly scanning TV channels yesterday morning, and ITV4 were showing "The Big Match Revisited"; who else remembers that programme, with Brian Moore (?). The game featured was Crystal Palace V Charlton Athletic on 1.12.74. What was worth talking about was that it was a 3rd division game; but I suppose with Terry Venables playing in midfield for Palace (who were managed at the time by Malcolm Allison), and Derek Hales ans Eamonn Dunphy among others playing for Charlton, it was worth it. I know that the regional ITV stations recorded local games, but this one went out nationally; how many such games are broadcast today?

Not quite as good as Andy Barlow tripping over his laces in the last minute v Wednesday in 1991!

Adding to that, up North, I suppose you could start by adding, say Bacup )which someone has already done) and Royton