Yes, The Park features that Park again, Avenham Park in Preston, Lancashire. A lot of the stories get written there in summer, so it seems fitting that now and again it gets to be the setting for a story. So far it has been seen in three Theta Sigma stories, one Unfinished Business, one Ten story and one New Lords of Time – this makes twice now. And the trees in the wildwood and the fake totem in the middle of it, actually were the original inspiration for the Theta Sigma story Great Tree Spirit. And the new Pavilion was what I had in mind for the coffee and pizza place in Earth Park on Beta Delta IV, and the interpretive centre for the Followers of the Doctor in the previous New Lords story. I don’t think we’re done with it, yet, either. There is plenty of inspiration in a park as big as that with so many things going on in it. I had planned to put in some photos of the places mentioned as portals, because the whole place had a revamp over the past twelve months, but the weather has not been fit to take good pictures when I’ve been there lately. Hopefully I will get some in the near future.

Earl Gregory, is the name of a young man who works at Nat West Bank in Preston. I was paying the gas bill at the counter and he asked if there was anything else he could do for me. So I said, “Yes, let me use your name in one of my stories. It’s a great name.” He laughed and probably didn’t think I meant it. Anyway, he’s been reduced by about ten years and become a time lord candidate. If he ever sees it, I hope he likes it.

Earl probably won’t figure in detail in another story. But I intend for him to be mentioned from time to time. He WILL be a sort of rival for Sukie’s affections when she’s a bit older. I need to sort out the family tree a bit to fit him in.