Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:

Q1. Bristol

Q2. Victoria Hughes


The initial clues place us in the city of Bristol. Bristol has two football clubs, Bristol city and Bristol Rovers. Bristol city started out as Bristol South End c1894 before turning professional and rebranding as Bristol city c1897. According to some of the references I checked, a footballer and cricketer born c 1928 who played for Bristol city fc was Clement Arthur Milton. There is a type of pasteboard called ' Bristol board' and a company called 'Bristol Water' but I could not find a cutlery cleaning product with that name or a dye.

A lavatory attendant and author, who by all accounts had a very tough life and wrote about her facility's clientele (mainly sex workers) was Victoria Hughes (b 1897). One of her books on this subject, published in 1977 was called 'Ladies' Mile' .

Bristol station was opened c1840 on land which used to belong to the Knights Templar. According to some of the sources I checked on this outfit, they started out as a bunch of ragged squaddies billeted in the motor pool in the ruins of Solomon's temple on top of mount Moriah. The scuttlebutt says that after finding something of incredible value in the mines under the temple, they became fabulously wealthy and ended up controlling the world banking system. 'Mines of Moriah' may mean real delvings beneath the temple of Solomon, or it may be a metaphor for a spiritual journey and transformation that the initiates of the order underwent. Interestingly, 'Gandalf the Grey' seems to have undergone a similar test and after meeting his Jungian shadow in the 'Mines of Moria', emerges later as 'Gandalf the White', a degree higher in his sodality....(If you believe that Mr Tolkien was a Christian, you may be a little naive in matters esoteric, though perhaps the occultists amongst the Inklings have imparted some of this knowledge to him, Owen Barfield (Rudolf Steiner disciple) and Charles Williams (Fellowship of the Rosy Cross, writer of occult novels and alleged H.O.G.D. member) are in the frame for this one). King Philip IV of France took a contract out on the Templars (he wanted to rip off their money) and most of them were killed around 1307. The Pope ordered the tyrannical fascist King Edward II of England to destroy the order but he held out until 1312 before breaking it up and executing many of the knights. Temple Church is near Temple Mead station in Bristol and according to English heritage, the tower is five feet off vertical.

A king who was imprisoned for a time in Bristol castle, was Stephen of England. His father count Stephen Henry was killed in the battle of Ramlah in the Levant c1102 according to some sources. A Bristol priory founded c1129 by Robert Earl of Gloucester, was St Jame's priory.

A musician born c1925 who attended Bristol Cathedral Choir School and who composed a piece of music called 'Primera' is most likely 'Russ Conway'.

Link to the competition

Sunday Times Where Was I?