Massive long shot. Citizens of Lancaster - is there anywhere in or close to town that could, at a push, look anything like a time machine built in 1911? Or could, with a bit of tweaking. Thinking ahead about locations for a short film I'm workshopping with some 10 year-olds. - ThreadSky

ianmartin.bsky.social • 21 days ago

Massive long shot. Citizens of Lancaster - is there anywhere in or close to town that could, at a push, look anything like a time machine built in 1911? Or could, with a bit of tweaking. Thinking ahead about locations for a short film I'm workshopping with some 10 year-olds.

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beverleylreid.bsky.social•21 days ago

There might be something inside the Town Hall? Local government always have some wonderfully wacky objects. There's a miniature train set inside the Museum on the main square - depends on how it needs to work as a device in the story

beverleylreid.bsky.social•21 days ago

Also, on one of the walks that takes in the bridge over the Lune (there's a little coffee shop at the car park - I hope you recognise what I'm talking about), on the opposite side there's a little red brick building that must have something utilities based in it but might look alright.

beverleylreid.bsky.social•21 days ago

How small does it have to be? Because I would say the folly at Williamson Park has this exact quality? But it is massive and looks surprised from a distance

beverleylreid.bsky.social•21 days ago

Ah, you already have this suggestion

ianmartin.bsky.social•21 days ago

needs to suggest an interior, hidden space...

richardbrown.bsky.social•21 days ago

Not a helpful suggestion I know, but Lancaster Services is pretty close…

ianmartin.bsky.social•21 days ago

Forton? That's 60s though, I need 1911. Though we have just framed a marvellous Lee Madgwick print of post-apocalyptic Forton, I'm looking at it now...

richardbrown.bsky.social•21 days ago

We have this lovely Jen Orpin print.

johndaledalton.bsky.social•21 days ago

We actually ate in the Forton tower restaurant back in the day.

ianmartin.bsky.social•21 days ago

This beauty is framed and up...

richardbrown.bsky.social•21 days ago

Nothing but Flowers 🎶

johndaledalton.bsky.social•21 days ago

Forton Services?

manxinwales.bsky.social•21 days ago

Anything can look like a time machine if it also contains the technology to cloak itself to look like something from the relevant time period so as not to be spotted...

manxinwales.bsky.social•21 days ago

But otherwise, maybe the university... they have some amazing labs (they used to have a floating room). Could double up as a Uni tour/visit.

sailinshoes.bsky.social•21 days ago

Might be worth dropping the university a line to see if one of their science labs might be willing? Good publicity for them, and they have lots of labs with this sort of vibe:

sailinshoes.bsky.social•21 days ago

Forgot to add alt text - "a wall in a university science lab covered in pipework and valves and monitoring equipment"

ianmartin.bsky.social•21 days ago

yum

ianmartin.bsky.social•21 days ago

Ooooooooooooooh yeah, that's a thought! Thanks!

privatesecretdiary.com•21 days ago

And they have the observatory on the roof: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/physics/research/facilities/astrophysics-labs/

alltheopentabs.bsky.social•21 days ago

Not even in the same country, but what about a local microbrewery/brewpub?

alanferrier.bsky.social•21 days ago

The interior of the Ashton Memorial?

ianmartin.bsky.social•21 days ago

I mean, that's a very good thought...too big as a whole, but a windowless section might work...

eddierobson.bsky.social•21 days ago

If you can get permission to go up to the top floor, that's smaller and I think the only windows are in the dome? Can't find any pictures online but it might fit the bill.

q1t3d0.bsky.social•21 days ago

Image 18 here shows you the upper bit https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/ashton-memorial-304624

ianmartin.bsky.social•21 days ago

It's beautiful, but the more I think about it the more I think we need quite a cramped, mad-scientist vibe...

dtwiz.bsky.social•21 days ago

Lancaster Escape Rooms has a mad scientist room, if they'd let you in there to film for a bit...

q1t3d0.bsky.social•20 days ago

That makes me think of this, unfortunately no help as it's further afield but you might be interested anyway...
https://www.museumofvictorianscience.co.uk/

ianmartin.bsky.social•21 days ago

cheers Ed

jmfrankland.bsky.social•20 days ago

Various Park options.The Butterfly House, Temple Shelter, the long gone Observatory and The Bandstand?

jmfrankland.bsky.social•20 days ago

Other options, Jubilee Tower, Queen Victoria on Dalton Square, the shed on Aldcliffe Road Triangle. The crooked house on St George's Quay is a bit early, bit I like it!

ianmartin.bsky.social•20 days ago

These are all great, and thank you! But it needs to be very much an enclosed, windowless, mad-scientist broom cupboard/time machine...

putt1ck.bsky.social•21 days ago

Contact the buildings specialists at Oxford Archaeology North, they're most likely to know of something

commonmugwort.bsky.social•21 days ago

I wonder if LRGS has a supply closet you could dress up, or any of the water installations near there. Perhaps some of the works up towards Crook o’ Lune, for the weir? Or even the upper storey of Moor Space; the Dukes might even lend you some odds and ends.

thegreatlummox.bsky.social•18 days ago

There must be something at the castle, or in the depths of the town hall

ianmartin.bsky.social•18 days ago

The adventure continues...

iainandjane.com•20 days ago

Pop it up wherever you like!

ianmartin.bsky.social•20 days ago

Well, as weird indoor spaces crammed with 1911 steampunk mad-scientist time-machine shit go, that's HOPELESS nutters, isn't it?

iainandjane.com•20 days ago

Ah, but IMAGINATION though.

ianmartin.bsky.social•20 days ago

Stand down, Mr and Mrs Wonka.

geospacedman.bsky.social•21 days ago

Lancaster Escape Rooms? I don't see anything Vic/Edwardian but... https://lancasterescape.co.uk/rooms

ianmartin.bsky.social•21 days ago

Antidote might work, but good luck our getting a one-hour set-up and two-hour shoot for nothing..

geospacedman.bsky.social•21 days ago

"Not my problem, ask the producer for the cash", says the location scout to the director, thereby ending his location scout career...

geospacedman.bsky.social•21 days ago

There's that odd font-thing on a pillar outside the Priory. Add a few steampunk pipes on top and some flashing lights...

ianmartin.bsky.social•21 days ago

nice thought, needs to be inside really

pibasedlifeform.bsky.social•21 days ago

Trying to think of where there is outdoor machinery in decent nick

That pulley thing on the quay by the cycle path any good?

(where Green Ayre Station used to be)

wildswimmer.bsky.social•21 days ago

The top floor of the Storey Institute is amazing, and probably around the right era(ish). The institute was originally an art college, and the top floor has skylights, wooden floors, space. Not sure it's open to public access, but it might be worth asking the council.

wildswimmer.bsky.social•20 days ago

Iron Press studio in the same building might also work? Same era, with amazing printing presses (from the old Lancaster Uni art department), which might look like the mechanics of a time machine. Lovely people/space. https://www.ironpressprintmaking.co.uk

ianmartin.bsky.social•20 days ago

That's a great thought...thanks!

garp92.bsky.social•21 days ago

Perhaps the former Halton railway station, on Denny Beck Lane cycle path. You can stand on the old platform, and the building is still there

emily1collins.bsky.social•21 days ago

How about an old canal boat?

mrtrellis.bsky.social•21 days ago

There's an actual yellow Leicestershire Constabulary police box at Abbey Pumping Station next to the space centre.

dorkomatic.bsky.social•21 days ago

This could be useful to me too actually.
(My grandfather's Vortex 1800 was last seen parked around there and I'd love to track it down, I need to borrow the tachyon coil for a, um, thing...)

benwillbond.bsky.social•21 days ago

Do you need a kindly actor in his fifties to dress up like H G Wells and be baffled by what the children want but ultimately cave in to their demands and learn something about himself in the process?

ianmartin.bsky.social•21 days ago

No. I want a Lancastrian caretaker who discovers his limitations by inventing a time machine and pinging his daughter into the 21st Century. But I'll let them know, and then they'll beg me to ask you, and then you'll be in Cannes and we'll ALL learn a valuable fucking lesson.

benwillbond.bsky.social•21 days ago

Ah that made me laugh me so much.

benwillbond.bsky.social•21 days ago

Ha ha

europalepus.bsky.social•21 days ago

i think i need you to dress up at H G wells ben, please

pamnashes.bsky.social•21 days ago

No help to you but curiously there used to be a band in Lancaster called Electric Free Time Machine 😁

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