Talk:Bannerman Road

Delta and the Bannermen

Article previously asserted, in a section called "References", the following:

The Bannermen was the name of the evil race that chased Delta in 1987 story Delta and the Bannermen.

I think that's a bit strong. We're asserting that it's an actual reference to that serial, and there's no cause to believe that. Googling "bannerman road +bannermen" lists us as the top source for the assertion. And that's always a bad sign. Other relevant hits are forum posts. It's a passing coincidence, that's all. "Bannerman Road" is a thoroughly common name in the UK, because there are a number of relatively famous Britons with that last name. Even one of BBC Wales' common guest actresses, Yasmin Bannerman, shares the name. For instance, there's a Bannerman Road School in Bristol, a Bannerman Road in Nottingham, a Bannerman High School in Glasgow, and a Bannerman Avenue in Manchester. It's just a bog-standard British name. However, if there is any meaning to it, I think it's likely just in the simple definition of a "bannerman". A bannerman is someone who carries the banner (that is, flag, standards, seals) of an organization or political state. It's become eclipsed by the phrase "standard bearer". And that's appropriate enough for SJS, who, as one of the children of time, is clearly one of the Doctor's most faithful standard bearers. CzechOut ☎ | ✍ 05:12, 9 August 2008 (UTC)

It Does Seem a bit stupid to have the reference unless it can be properly sourced Dark Lord Xander 03:24, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Removed the Delta and the Bannermen thing again. Reasons above still stand, but I'd add that the Bannerman Road in Manchester is reasonably close to RTD's house, so he could have been inspired by that. Also, one of the more famous British "Bannermen" was of course the turn-of-the-century Prime Minister, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman — the very first person to be referred to as "Prime Minister".

Plus, there's the question of singularity. If RTD had meant to reference the previous serial, why wouldn't the name be Bannermen instead of Bannerman? Until and unless we can get a quote from either RTD or Gareth Roberts, the co-writers of the pilot, stating definitively that they were making a cheeky reference to an obscure bit of televised Doctor Who, the assertion — even if couched in language like "it may be" or "it could be" — should be kept out of this article. CzechOut ☎ | ✍ 13:33, November 27, 2010 (UTC)