"Over the Top" - a story from the Overground

Can you identify a station from just a paving slab? Sadly, some people can
GuyBarry
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Re: A Story from the Overground

Post by GuyBarry »

[No posts for a few days so I've taken the liberty of continuing.]

The two delivery men chatted aimlessly as they turned into North Midland Road.

"Dudley, who's your favourite Simpsons character?"
"HOMER, TONy. And it was 'Frog and Road', 'toad'."
"Don't you mean 'Frog and Toad', 'road'?"
"Maybe. Anyway we're here now. Ring the doorbell." A man came out. "Mr Hamstow?"
"WALT HAMSTOW, QUEEN'S ROAD-mender, at your service."
"Blimey. Why does the Queen have her own road-mender then?"
"Clear as CRYSTAL. PALACE staff have to get there somehow," said WALT HAMSTOW. "CENTRAL to the whole Royal operation."
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Re: A Story from the Overground

Post by The Orange One »

Here's a double length post to make up for your double post. This is mostly setting up our confrontation at the end.

EDIT: I'm sending them to a fake Ian Road, as the two that do exist within the UK are impossible to use for reasons rooted in reality.


Back over at the park, Roy and Ken were spotted by the Groves.

"Stop them!"

Bruce ran for his dog, momentarily unattended, but Theobald chased after them. He had been a marathon runner in his day, and would not let them get away! He chased them all the way to LONDON. FIELD, Stile, FOREST, HILL and tree were no obstacle. Finally, as they approached the station, they saw a passing cab. Hopping into the HACKNEY WICKed fast, they gave the driver directions.

"Marylebone station, please!"
"That's a bit far to take you in this old HACKNEY. CENTRAL London is effectively closed to traffic in the middle of the day - it's the 21st century! Have you seen the traffic?"
"I get that you took this HACKNEY DOWN South, but you must get going!"

Theobald arrived outside the station to see the cab pulling away. Happily he knew how to run a maratHON, OR OAK PARKed in his way would have gotten the better of him. He had never liked SURREY - QUAYS and docks were more his thing, having brought up in the North.

"This place has no character, everyone's just so dull! I'd have been able to round him up, were this only back in LIVERPOOL. STREETs of conformity and silence here! And where the hell is Marylebone?"
"Marylebone?"

The voice came from inside the station. He headed inside, curious to see who had spoKEN.

"SAL GREEN, Parson of Oxted." said one of the speakers.
"Fred Monton, Sal's boyfriend." said the other one.
"We understand you're chasing down animal terrorists. They often head towards Marylebone."
"We're prepared to give you directions."
"We'll give you rail tickets into London Bridge."
"You can take the Jubilee and Bakerloo Lines to Marylebone from there."
"I know my brother and his wife sell tube maps, but I'll give you this one for free, because charity is the way of the Lord."
"And because you have a good chance of catching them!"
Last edited by The Orange One on 06 Jul 2015, 20:17, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: A Story from the Overground

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Meanwhile, Tony and Dudley had dropped off Mr Hamstow's parcel and were on their way to their next job.

"Sure it wasn't 'Toad and Frog', 'dog'?"
"You can cut that out now. I need it like a dose of the CLAP, TONy."
"Sorry, Dud. Why are we off to South Ken, then?"
"Delivering some geezer's vacuum cleANER. LEYburn Avenue I think."
"I need his name. Can you lend me a PEN?"
"G.E. WEST."
Tony made a sudDEN MARK. "HILLy round there, is it?"
"You never been to South KEN? TISH! TOWN WEST of Knightsbridge. Very flat."
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Re: A Story from the Overground

Post by GuyBarry »

[Just a quick one to get things going again.]

The maps had, of course, come from the well-known tube map wholesalers BETH 'N' AL GREEN, but Bruce and Theo never kNEW. CROSS GATEkeepers looked at them sternly as they leapt over the ticket barriers at the station.
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Re: A Story from the Overground

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Their graceful leap elicited a praiseworthy comment from a bystanding WHITE CHAP. "ELegant leaping; well done!", he said.
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Re: A Story from the Overground

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Tony and Dudley had arrived in South Kensington, but their satnav had broken down and they were hopelessly lost. As usual Tony had half his mind on other things.

"Dud, what's that big football team in Milan called again? And I think we've come too far SOUTH."
"A.C., TONy. And I think you're right, but I can't find Leyburn Avenue on the map."
"Have you tried phoning him?"
"He's ex-diRECTORY."
"ROAD maps always confuse me anyway. Tell you what - let's toss a coin. Heads we go left, tails we go right. What is it?"
"HEADS, TONE."
"LANE on the left it is then." Suddenly he began to CLAP. "HAM! JUNCTION ahead is right by a butcher's shop. I forgot to get some for tea."
"Are you mad? We can't stop the van here for you to go shopping. We're late enough as it is."
"Sorry, Dud, but I've just had an idea. What was the name of that bloke we made the last delivery to? The one who mended the QUEEN'S ROAD?"
"PECKHAM? Something like that?"
"No, nothing like that. Hamstow! Why don't you phone him up and ask him to find Leyburn Avenue on the map?"
"But I hardly know him, Tone."
"So what? You've got his number and this is an emergency."
Dudley made the call. "Hello - this is Dudley CAMDEN, ROAD haulage driver with HARRINGAY GREENLANES Transport. We spoke briefly earlier. Would you happen to have an A-Z available?"
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Re: A Story from the Overground

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"I don't but my wife does, I think. She's a bit busy at the moment, watching the tennis. It's from QUEENS. PARK up for a few moments, and I'll see if I can get her attention."
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Re: A Story from the Overground

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Mrs Hamstow helpfully directed Tony and Dudley to Leyburn Avenue, but they were none the wiser when they got there.

"It's really odd here, Dud. I can't see any house numbers - just names next to the buzzers. What number are we looking for?"
"SEVEN."
"SISTERS are living at the first house, I think, so that's out." They moved SOUTH, TO T.T. ENHAM's address. "Try this one - perhaps he'll know."
Dudley pressed the buzzer. "Are you Mr T.T. Enham?"
"No, I'm his son, SYD ENHAM."
"I don't know if you can help us. We're trying to deliver a parcel to a Mr George WEST."
"'B' ROMP TONight," said Syd.
"Pardon?"
"It's just a prelude to the main 'A' romp next week. You're both invited, of course."
"Romp?"
"And of course there'll be roaST RAT FOR Dinner, as always."
"Blimey, Dud, he's a fruitcake! Let's scarper!" They ran out as fast as they could.
"Marvellous, Tone. This is a day I really want to bury the memory of. Normally I spend the whole of the day on a HIGH - "
"BURY?"
"- AND I SLING TONs of parcels through people's doors. What have we managed today? One sodding parcel. Where's the vacuum cleaner?"
"Dunno, Dud. I'm sure we had it before we went to that nutter's house."
They looked at each other in horror.
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Re: A Story from the Overground

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Just one parcel. Hmm. At one parcel a day, this business wouldn't make them RICH. MONDay looked like there'd be several more parcels to deliver.
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Re: A Story from the Overground

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Returning to Bruce and Theo, they had reached London Bridge, but were now having trouble getting across the river as the bridge was closed.

"I'm sure there's supposed to be a cable car somewhere," said Theo. "It's marked here. Leaves from the Royal Docks."
"I'm not going to some IMPERIAL WHARF to catch a cable car, I'd rather swim," said Bruce. "It's not even that much of a river, more like a ditch. Look, we'll head down that shopping avenue, or take these steps down to the SHORE. DITCH, HIGH STREET, your choice."

Luckily, this argument was all part of the plan, and who should pull up but our old friend Don.

"Right on time," he said. "And don't call me Don. My name is now James Hartlan." Taking this by trust, they got in.

"So what made you quit the church, James?" asked Bruce.
"Load of rubbish. All prayer, no food. My stomach is hollow now! Before we get to Banbury, we'd better have some sUPPER."
"HOLLOW, AYe," said Theo. "Lack of food has made your face chalk WHITE, HARTLAN."
"Exactly," replied Don, or James as we must now call him. "Also, I want some sort of reward."
"Name your price."
"Firstly, I would like a tree. Next, a BLACK HORSE. ROADworthy is a must. Finally, some SILVER."
"STREET navigation doesn't have that high a price!"
"If we don't have a deal, you can walk. It'd better be a tall tree. The talleST. JAMES'S TREE. Terrific!"

They reached Marylebone shortly, and all bundled onto the next service towards Birmingham Moor Street.

"Oh, look, the London Overground now goes to Enfield."
"I've been to Enfield," said Theo. "Did a 10K in this WOOD. GRANGE PARK, the place was called."
"Did you get food?" asked James.
"Brought it with me from the SOUTH. HAM, PS TEA, Dragged all the way here just for you," replied Bruce.
"Nice," said James. "Never heard of PS Tea though."
"Passing tradesman gave me some, guy called Thomas WESTHAM. PS TEA Delivered here all the way from Coonoor in India."

Their train then pulled into Wembley Stadium. After a late game between Arsenal and Newcastle, a team from the NORTH, WEMBLEY was full of people using public transport to get home, and straight out of WEMBLEY, CENTRAL England in its entirety seemed to be crowding onto the train. This was to be a long journey...
Last edited by The Orange One on 06 Jul 2015, 20:19, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: A Story from the Overground

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Tony and Dudley had just set off again, but Dudley suddenly changed his mind.

"Let's go to the puB. ROCK LEYburn Avenue to its foundations." He put his foot on the brake peDAL.
"STONKING! SLANDerous comments about drink-driving will not pass my lips."
They went into a dingy place called the 'Duke of WATFORD'. HIGH STREET bars seemed a world away. As they entered, the manager was on the phone.
"That's right. Duke of WATFORD, JUNCTION of Leyburn Avenue and Hope Street. Starts at 8.30. See you then." He put the phone down. "What can I get you, gentlemen?"
"Two pints of Guinness, please. What's on tonight then?"
"We've got a pair of up-and-coming young comedians - HARROW AND WEALDSTONE. Ever seen them?"
"I have!" said Tony. "Place was called 'Square World'. They were brilliant. Shared the bill with some bloke doing Woody Allen impressions."
"Was he any good?"
"No, he was rubbish."

They took their drinks and sat down.
"We've got to pick up another vacuum cleaner somehow, Dud. Can any of the lads at the depot bring one over? BoB? RON? DES?"
"BURY that idea, Tone. There's no time for that. We'll have to buy one. I know a bloke who runs an electrical shop round here - WILL ESDEN. JUNCTION boxes and that sort of thing. He'll let us have one cheap."
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Re: A Story from the Overground

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This plan is supposed to involve music, ale, Don, Ian Road, Barns and Bury the priest. How very odd.

Late in the evening, they finally reached Banbury. The three of them fought their way onto Tramway Road, between hordes of fervent supporters of the GUNNERS.

"BURY lives on Ian Road," said Theo. The Arsenal supporters had knocked his glasses asKEW. "GARDEN Solutions equipment required."
They popped into the head offices of Flymo, a lawnmower provider, and bought a lawn mower from a man called OsCAR PENDER.

"SPARKed a long police chase, this lawnmower did," he said. "A bunch of guys with funny names tried to fool some nuns by dressing up as gardeners."

They thanked him for the lawn mower, then continued up to Ian Road.
"How did you come up with this elaborate plan anyway?" asked Bruce.
"Oh, it wasn't my idea, I'm just a front. The idea was from an old friend of mine, the one bringing the gardeners outfits - look, here he comes now! He's quite the schEMER. SON - PARK over here," said James/Don, gesturing.

A car pulled up beside them as they wandered down Newland Road. Out of it stepped the mastermind, and an old friend, CHARLES DENton.

"Glad you invited me along," he said. "I need to get hold of Roy. He owes me a lot of money, ever since he fobbed me off with a crate of tea during that episode with the sWANS. TEA D-"
"PARK the sins of the past to the side for the moment," said Don. "We're here. Now remember, approach quietly -"
"Why did we decide on this elaborate plan of attack?" asked Bruce. "The man who stole my dog is right there!"

And before Don or Charles could answer Bruce had vaulted the garden fence and kicked down the door. Swearing under his breath, Don followed him. Charles and Theo took up the rear, the latter smirking. In less than five minutes, the five of them (for of course the old priest, Bury was part of the plan) had subdued Roy and Ken, and were driving them out into the country to tie them up in a barn.

"That was remarkably satisfying," said Charles. "I'd forgotten the joys of a brute force attack."
"Perhaps we should leave a tip off for the police," suggested James. "I know DI Warren Street was particularly annoyed he couldn't get him over that sWAN."

DS WORTH ROADen and DI Warren Street were perplexed, but very happy to find Roy and Ken the next day. After a thoroughly unpleasant night in the barn, Roy spilled the beans, and he and his brother were quickly sentenced to nine years in prison.

"Why, hello Roy!" said a familiar voice, as the prison guard locked the cell door. Roy looked around the cell. "Don't you remember me? It's Wes! What happened?"
"They got me," replied Roy. "They finally got me. It was Don, you know. He was working with Denton. You should never trust cHAMPS."
"TEA D-"
"HE, AT Half past midnight, locked me up in a barn! No, fobbing him off with tea didn't work on him. He told me so himself," interrupted Roy.
"Never mind. We've got nine more years of this prison sentence. Colin and Stan are just down the corridor from here - perhaps we can reminisce on the past together," replied Wes.
"Hang on, didn't you get married? To that constable?"
"Yep. She's my lawfully wedded wife. She won't let me out though."
"That was stupid," said Roy, and Wes laughed.

The next nine years were clearly going to fly by.
Last edited by The Orange One on 06 Jul 2015, 20:18, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: A Story from the Overground

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"We can't afford a vacuum cleaner, Dud. Why can't we ask BoB? RON? DES?"
"BURY - PARK that idea! Bob reportS TO KEN EWING, TONy. Ken's head of operations and he'll never let Bob go. Nor the others."
They drove over to Will's shop and went in.
"Dudley! Great to see you. What can I do for you?"
"Hi Will! We're looking for a vacuum cleaner."
"Well I've got that one over there - a NORWOOD. JUNCTION boxes are more my sort of thing though."
"Never heard of that make, Will, but we'll take it. Here's twenty quid."
"Actually, Dud - " But they were out of the shop with it already.

They raced back to Leyburn Avenue and found number seven.
"Mr West? Sorry for the delay in delivering your vacuum cleaner."
"But I ordered a Dyson. That one says 'Norwood'."
"Oh, there must have been a mix-up. We must have delivered your cleaner to the Enhams along the road, and theirs to you. Just swap them over."
"I'm not going there! They eat rats for dinner."
"Don't believe the rumours. Sorry, can't stop - got another delivery for a Mr STAMFORD. HILL-walking equipment."
"VanDALS!"
"TO N. JUNCTION Street next, Tone," said Dudley, ignoring Mr West. "Is that short for North Junction Street?"

Please don't answer this question - leave it hanging for comedy value!
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Re: A Story from the Overground

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With the whole debacle over the dog done and dusted, Bruce and Theo returned to Oxted to find Sal and Fred waiting for them, beaming. They clearly weren't expecting Don (or, for that matter, Charles), though.

"Congratulations! I hear you caught them," said Fred, but Sal was staring at Don.
"Hello, Hamilton," said Don. "What happened about KEN?"
SAL, RISEn to her feet in exasperation, explained.
"We just didn't seem to be getting anywhere," she said. "He was clearly more interested in Tottenham and cars, which was fine because I had always found interest in photography and religion. But when he went on Eurovision without telling me, we broke up."
"So you don't love him, then?" asked Don.
"I'm long over him, you can pursue him if you want. I love Fred, anyway," Sal replied.
"Does he know you used to be a man?" pressed Don.
"Of course I do!" answered Fred indignantly. "It makes absolutely no difference, I love you Sal. In fact, will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?"
"Yes, of course!" said Sal, kissing him. "Though I do need to keep my surname for parish business."
"Hate to break this up," said Bruce, "but you can't be the Green-Montons. That sounds like a band. You'll have to be the Monton-Greens, I suppose."
"Sal and FrED MONTON-GREEN it shall be," said Sal. "We'd better get planning for this wedding!"
"One question, though," said Fred. "How do they know you used to be Hamilton?"
"It's a long story," she said.

They worked on preparations at top speed, and after just two weeks they were being married in none other than Minster Abbey, by Friar Stephen and Bury the priest. Nobody was quite sure how Don managed to weasel his way back into the church's graces, but he had performed spectacularly. He was, after all, a champ. In attendance were many of their friends, like Bruce, Theo, Charles, Ken and Don. Fred had also gone written to his schoolfriends, and they'd written bacK. ILBURN HIGH, ROADs and fields away in Hampshire, had arrived en masse to see him finally tie the knot.

They'd left the reception down to Ken to organise, as he had had a brief foray into the entertainment business. In hindsight, this would turn out to be a bad idea, as he hadn't exactly got a band in. What he had done, was get in touch with fellow Eurovision contestant John Collier, who'd pulled a lot of strings and got hold of the double act Totteridge and Whetstone, some circus performers from Armenia and, most impressively of all, a copy of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (it seemed Walt and Ava Miller still had some sway in the Walt Disney Company).

For music though, Ken had only managed to get hold of an organist and a road enthusiast singing their latest song.

"Amersham and Chorleywood and Rickmansworth and Northwood Hills..."

As the music began, Sal sighed in exasperation. Honestly, what could you expect from the man who sung "Na-La-Na-La-Na"? Although to be fair, she thought, it was actually pretty good.
All London buses: 23 hours 25 minutes (with Adham, David, Josh and Tangy)
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