Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:


Q1. Lord's Seat


Q2. Petty France or possibly Little Britain (aka little Brittany) 


внимание друзья! for question 2, things get more than a little tricky, the poet John Milton lived at several addresses in London, ie Bread Street, Fleet Street, Aldersgate Street, Jewin Street, Artillery Walk (now Bunhill Row), Duck Lane, Little Britain and Little Britain. The Eastender is taking a punt on the answer being Little Britain, as it is listed as a street and was named after the dukes of Brittany or Robert le Bretoun and may fit with the clue about a small sounding version of France. There appears to be a Duck Lane in Soho, right next to one of the studios where the Beatle's 'White Album' was recorded, so would be too close for a distance of five miles from the studios. Things may be further complicated because some of the streets may also have been destroyed in the great fire of London. From some of the comments, Petty France (York Street) looks like a very good candidate also.

Very tricky this week, many false leads to follow regarding the poet's address but the initial clues seem to place us at Drum Castle, in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire. The fortress appears to be part medieval in origin, looks like it has a square tower, with subsequent modifications carried out by Jacobites and Victorians. It does have a historic rose garden, which the National Trust for Scotland's web site claims, was opened circa 1991.

Next to Ealing, where a novelist called Nevil Shute Norway was born, circa 17th January 1899. To call this guy a novelist, is to seriously understate his skillset. From reading some of his biographies, he appears to have been a polymath and entrepreneur, who designed and built aircraft and airships, as well as serving in various branches of the armed forces. Shute Norway published a novel called 'Pied Piper' c 1942, which is about an English teacher trying to smuggle a group of children out of Nazi occupied France, he is assisted in this endeavour, by a German officer who wanted to keep his niece out of the clutches of the Gestapo.

At five hundred and fifty two metres or one thousand, eight hundred and eleven feet in height, a fell called, 'Lord's Seat' lies next to the Whinlatter pass, in the lake district. Thence south east back to London and the Bank of England, which is allegedly known as 'The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street', due to being haunted by the ghost of Sarah Whithead, the Black Nun (who was said to be almost as 'orrible as the 'Blue Nun' from back in the seventies). The Bank of England was opened for business circa 1694 and has been operating from Threadneedle street since 1734. The ghost was scared off by the fierce Morlocks who run the place now.

South east of that position, would likely bring us to Maidstone, the county town of Kent and travelling west from there, on roughly the same lattitude, would bring us to the Bishop's palace at Wells, in Somerset. Apparently, the swans there, have been trained to pull a rope attached to a bell, which summons forth the staff to give them some bread. "Contes de ma mère l’Oye" translates to "Tales of Mother Goose" and Mother Goose, according to some sources, is buried in the church of St Olave's, Hart Street in London. The city of Sheffield's assay office once had the crown as it's mark but now has a rose.

This is where things become a little tricky. The song 'Blackbird' is from the Beatle's 'White Album' and the White Album was according to some of the references I checked, recorded at Abbey Road studios and Trident Studios, 17 St Anne's Court in SOHO (right next to Duck Lane). The poet John Milton was known as the 'Lady of Christ's' and seems to have lived in several addresses in London, ie, Bread Street, Fleet Street, Aldersgate Street, Jewin Street, Artillery Walk (now Bunhill Row), Duck Lane, Little Britain and Little Britain.  None of these look like they are five miles south east of Abbey road or Trident Studios but the one which could fit with a French connection and smaller version of France clue, is Little Britain (allegedly named after the dukes of Brittany or Robert le Bretoun and is described as a street in some sources). From reading some of the comments, Milton seems to have lived in an area called Petty France(York Street), which is a road in London and a much better fit for a very tricky question two...

The poet William Wordsworth (born c 1770) lived in Dove Cottage, Grasmere, in the Lake District for a time and one of the Designers of Tower Bridge in London (famed for its bascules and opened c 1894) was solicitor's son, Sir Horace Jones (born c 1819) 

Sunday Times Safari and Beach Holiday In Tanzania Competition

There does not seem to be a Where Was I? puzzle in the Times today, so the Eastender has had a go at the safari and beach holiday in Tanzania competition. Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers in this competition, seem to me to be:


внимание друзья! for round one, question 1, these seem to be currencies but the Eastender is not convinced that this is the common thread that links them (two of the words are also places in Croatia (Pula and Kip) ) and will do some more digging on this one....

Round One Answers

Q1. Ngultrum (Bhutan), Pula (Botswana), Kip (Laos) and Birr (Ethiopia) are all currencies but not convinced this is the common thread the puzzle setters are looking for on this one, seems a bit too obvious.


Q2. 300, 310, 318, 319, 320, 321, 330, 340, 350 and 380 appear to be types of aircraft, ie variants of the European Airbus.

Q3. The river Rhine passes through or close to Basel, Worms and meets the sea at Rotterdam (Rhine cycle route is also a possible answer, as pointed out by Flonska in the comments).

Q4. The Eastender was suspicious about the order these countries were placed in (why not alphabetical?) and thought it might be locations where ASDA were putting new stores (the initial letters of Azerbaijan, Sweden, Denmark and Austria form the word ASDA but on digging a little deeper, it turns out to be the order in which they won the Eurovision song contest.

Azerbaijan 2011
Sweden 2012
Denmark 2013
Austria 2014


Round Two Answers

Q1 South Dakota

Q2. Sea of Okhotsk

Q3. Brunei

Q4. Santiago (capital of Chile). Initially thought that this might be Beirut but the shape of the border more     closely resembles that between Chile and Argentina.

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be


Q1. Sandwich


Q2. At Sunwich Port by W.W.Jacobs (William Wymark Jacobs)

The initial clues seem to place us in the town of Sandwich, in the county of Kent. There have been many naval battles there, the one in 1460 appears to have been between a force led by Yorkists Sir John Denholm and Richard Neville (16th earl of Warwick born c 1428) and the Lancastrian fleet, which was defeated in the engagement. The battle fought at Sandwich c ad 851, was according to some of the sources I checked, fought between the Saxons, led by Aethelstan and the Danes, with the Saxons victorious in that encounter. The battle in ad 991, was a result of an attack by the Vikings, in which Sandwich and Ipswich were pillaged before another battle at Maldon, around 10th August that same year. Eustace the Monk (Born c 1170) lost his head c 24th August 1217, following the defeat of the French armada, by a Plantagenet fleet at another naval engagement off the port of Sandwich.

The hospital of St Bartholomew's seems to have been founded c 1217, as a result of the battle. A kings chancellor between 1145 and 1162, who landed at Sandwich c 1170, is probably Thomas Becket and the king who landed there c 13th March, 1194, was Richard the Lionheart. The author Thomas Paine is reputed to have had a shop in Sandwich. He published a work called 'Common Sense'.


A novel inspired by the port and published c 1902, is likely to be 'At Sunwich Port', by William Wymark Jacobs. The novel does seem to feature a character called 'Captain Nugent' and the inventor of the Sandwich (born c 1718), was of course, John Montagu, the fourth earl of Sandwich. The motto of the Montagu family seems to be "Post lot naufragia portum' (After so many shipwrecks, I find a port).

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:



Q1. Ailsa Craig


Q2. Turnberry

внимание друзья! For question 1: Ailsa Craig, is also known as 'Paddy's Milestone'. For question 2: The puzzle author could possibly be in Maidens but the sources I looked at, state that Robert the Bruce was born in Turnberry Castle and the lighthouse is also known as Turnberry Lighthouse, so the Eastender is taking a punt on the answer being Turnberry.

The initial clues seem to place us in Ballantrae, in South Ayrshire. Robert Louis Stevenson published a novel called 'The Master of Ballantrae' c 1889, which featured characters called Ephraim MacKellar and Henry Durie. The second town, is most likely Girvan. The OS map shows a river there called the 'Water of Girvan' and a viewpoint where the island of Ailsa Craig, which inspired the poet John Keats to write the line 'Hearken thou craggy ocean pyramid!' in his work 'To Ailsa Rock', can be observed. Die insel does appear to be ten miles or so from Girvan and some of the maps claim that it is three hundred and thirty eight metres (or one thousand one hundred and nine feet high). Area is according to some of the sources I checked around two hundred and forty five acres. It is also a designated site of special scientific interest. 

The Scottish Women's curling team won their gold medals in the 2002 winter olympics, using stones which were hewn from the quarry on Ailsa Craig and the lighthouse (eleven metres or thirty six feet high) was built c 1886, with the castle being restored by Thomas Hamilton c 16th century.

Six miles north of Girvan brings us into Donald Trump country and the village of Turnberry, where in 1274 King Robert The Bruce, who was inspired by a persistent spider, to re-evaluate his situation, come up with new plans and try, try, try again until he succeeded, was born. The castle is thought to be 13th century in origin and not much remains of it now. Turnberry lighthouse (built c 1873 and ninety five feet high) is built in the remains of the castle's moat. The writer is probably walking along the Ayr coastal path, which is around one hundred miles long.

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:


Q1. Dunsop Bridge


Q2. Whalley Abbey


The initial clues seem to place us in a village called Dunsop Bridge, which lies in a 312 square mile area of outstanding natural beauty, called 'The Forest of Bowland', in the beautiful county of Lancashire. In 1992, according to some of the sources I checked, BT installed their one hundred thousandth payphone in the village. The location of this settlement makes it a candidate for the exact centre of Great Britain and there are photographs of a plaque on the wall of the phone box (which may or may not still exist, as most people use cell phones now) which states "BT You are calling from the BT payphone that marks the centre of Great Britain. It is the 100,000th payphone to be installed by BT and was officially opened on 29 June 1992. The exact centre of Great Britain and 401 associated islands is at National Grid reference SD 63770 56550 as supplied by Ordnance Survey."

The exact centre is not however at the phone box but is given by the grid reference SD 63770 56550 which some sources claim, places it near Brennand Farm and that lies along a northward trail, on the west bank of the river Dunsop. The puzzle author was most likely headed for a three hundred and ninety six/three hundred and ninety five metre (thirteen hundred foot) high eminence to the east of Brennand Farm, called Middle Knoll.

A politician born c 1811, who was appointed chancellor of the duchy of Lancashire, is most likely John Bright. Bright went to several schools between the years 1820 and 1827, Townhead school in Rochdale, Pendarth near Warrington, Ackworth in Pontefract, York and Newton in Bowland quaker school, near Clitheroe in Lancashire. George Birkbeck, who founded the London Mechanic's Institution (which was renamed Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution c 1867), also seems to have attended the quaker school at Newton in Bowland.

Travelling six miles or so, south south west of Newton in Bowland, would bring us to the vicinity of Clitheroe castle (built c 11th/12th century, depending on which references you check). Another three miles south, lies Whalley Abbey, which according to English Heritage, was founded c 1296 and was reputed to be Lancashire's second richest, until ol 'Enry the eighth oi am' trashed it, c 16th century).

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:


Q1. Stratford


Q2. Bow porcelain


внимание друзья! For question one, Stratford used to be called 'Stratford-atte-Bow' but the poet seems to have been born in Stratford, so the Eastender is taking a punt on this being the correct answer, rather than Bow.For question two, this type of pottery is also known as 'soft paste porcelain' but the blue and white porcelain made at the factory in Bow, does seem to be known as 'Bow porcelain', there is a web site for collectors of this style: http://www.bowporcelain.net/

The initial clues seem to place us in Stratford, which is part of the London borough of Newham. A poet born there circa 1844 and who used 'sprung rhythm', is most likely Gerard Manley Hopkins, some of his biographies state that he was born on the 27th of July 1844, at 87 The Grove, Stratford, London. They also say that he used 'sprung rhythm in his verse'. A novelist who had an Alsation dog called 'Queenie' and who wrote about a similar dog in a novel called 'We Think The World of You' (published c 1960), is likely to be Joe Randolph Ackerley (born c 1896). Some of the text in this book, does seem to contain references to Stratford, in London.

The Great Eastern Railway had trains which were known as 'Jazz' trains, because they had brightly coloured carriages, which were regarded as 'Jazzy' by some people in that period. I found some references which claim that the locomotives used by the GER, were manufactured at Stratford Works.

A potter and painter (born c 1711), who opened 'The Bow Porcelain Manufactory' in the locale, appears to be Thomas Frye. This pottery is of the soft paste porcelain variety and from looking on the Bowporcelain.net web site, does appear to be blue and white.

Terribly Trendy Friend seems to have visited the third largest shopping centre in the UK, at Westfield, while the puzzle author goes to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which is said in some of the references I checked, to be around five hundred and sixty acres in area. There is a giant sculpture in the park called the Arcelormittal Orbit, which is made of steel and was designed by Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond and is around three hundred and seventy six feet tall, with four hundred and fifty five steps (This fits with the clue at the end from TTF, who 'nearly went into orbit'). A man made waterway which cuts through the park, is likely to be the Lee Navigation Canal, which is around twenty eight miles long, according to some sources.

From the OS map, it looks like a tidal mill called 'The House Mill', which is said to be the largest tidal mill left standing in Britain, lies around a mile or so south east of the sculpture.

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:


Q1. Forsinard Station


Q2. Dounreay Castle (aka Dounrae Castle)

The puzzle author has been a bit crafty this week as there are at least three railways (and probably more), called the S&CR. These are the Swindon & Cricklade Railway (built c 1881), the Shrewsbury & Chester Railway (built c 1845) and the Sutherland & Caithness Railway (built c 1874). The last one is the best fit for the given clues and seems to place us at Forsinard station, which is the visitors centre for the Flows National Nature Reserve (28,000 acres and established c 2007, according to some of the references I checked), in the Flow country, which appears to be a giant peat bog.

Travelling four miles or so west south west of Forsinard, would bring us to the hill fort on Ben Griam Beg, which is around five hundred and eighty metres or nineteen hundred and three feet high. The fort is described as the highest in Scotland, consisting of a roughly oval enceinte one hundred and fifty two metres by sixty one metres, on the Royal Commission on the Ancient Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) website and reminds the Eastender of a very bad French gag:

1st geezer: Ma femme est enceinte

2nd geezer: Ah bon, de combien de Watts?


Driving north along the A897, takes us to the estuary of the Halladale river and Melvich Bay. The lighthouse on a headland north west of that position, is probably Strathy point lighthouse which according to the Northern Lighthouse Board, was the first lighthouse built as an all electric station between 1953 and 1958. Its height is given as fourteen metres or around forty six feet.

Ten miles south east of Strathy point lie the ruins of Dounreay Castle (c 16th century) and the partially decommissioned nuclear power station of Dounreay (Dounreay Castle is also known as Dounrae Castle). It is just as well that the writer could not visit it because they seem to have spilled quite a bit of radioactive liquid there over the years. The power station seems to have been connected to the national grid c1962. The disused airfield there was once called HMS Tern (II) during the second world war, when it was passed from RAF coastal command (c 1944), to the admiralty.

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:


Q1. The Hereford and Gloucester Canal (aka The Gloucester and Hereford Canal aka The Herefordshire and Gloucestershire canal)


Q2. Stephen Ballard

внимание друзья! for question 1, some of Stephen Ballard's biographies state that he worked for the Gloucester and Hereford Canal Company and some references and sources say the canal is called the Gloucester and Hereford canal but others call it the Hereford and Gloucester Canal, while others call it The Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal......


The initial clues seem to place us in the vicinity of the market town of Ledbury, in Herefordshire. This appears to be the birthplace (c 1878) of John Masefield, a free spirited nomad and poet laureate from 1930 to 1967. Who can fail to like someone who penned the lines "When I am buried, all my thoughts and acts, will be reduced to lists of dates and facts" ?  

An author born c 1806, who lived at Hope House, in Hope End, some two miles or so north north east of Ledbury, is most likely Elizabeth Barrett Moulton Barrett, who later became Elizabeth Barrett Browning, when she married the poet Robert Browning, c 1846 and moved to Italy. EBB had the two Barretts in her name for complex legal reasons, to do with getting an inheritance from her father, who was loaded. Barrett senior built the Turkish style mansion of Hope House.

A canal which once passed through Ledbury, before sections of it were replaced by the Worcester and Hereford Railway, is most probably the Hereford and Gloucester canal, which according to some of the sources I checked was around thirty four miles long. The Ledbury viaduct has thirty one arches and is around three hundred and thirty yards long. Both the viaduct and the canal, seem to have been built by an engineer called Stephen Ballard (born c 1804). The viaduct has five million bricks in it and these were made from clay excavated from the site, by Ballard's brother.

The OS map shows a canal section around four miles north west of Ledbury and the 13th century castle one mile to the west of this, is probably Ashperton castle, which may have been a fortified manor house built c 1292. There is not much at the site apart from what looks more like fishponds, rather than a moat. The Romans liked to build their forts near a road and the A4172 was originally a Roman road which passed a fort at Canon Frome (there does not seem to be much evidence of it now, on either the map or the satellite photographs)

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:


Q1. Islay

Q2. Loch Indaal


The initial clues seem to place us next to the ruins of Dunyvaig castle (built c 12th century), on a promontory on the western side of Lagavulin bay, on the beautiful island of Islay (approx 61956 Ha or 153096 acres according to some sources), where some of the best whisky in the world is made (while the Eastender undoubtedly favours Lagavulin, his favourites are Bowmore, Ardbeg and Smokehead). Lagavulin bay has a genius loci who looks after the place and the otters that swim there and it is this benign presence, which is also responsible for the gentle zephyrs that carry the iodine rich air, emanating from the seaweed, into the maturation barrels in the nearby Lagavulin distillery and which give that marvelous elixir its own unique flavour. The most likely candidate for richest commoner of the nineteenth century, is one James Morrison (born c 1789). Morrison was a merchant, politician and art collector according to some of his biographies, which say he owned Islay estate but not the whole island.A unitary authority which is responsible for around three thousand miles of coastline, is probably Argyll and Bute district council.

Travelling a mile or so south west from Lagavulin, would bring us to the island of Texa (approx 48Ha or 119 acres). The OS map shows a chapel on the island. Taking the road to the west from the castle, would carry us across the Kilbride river and through the hamlet of Laphroaig. You can buy a very small piece of the land at the distillery there (they give you a certificate) and as an owner, this entitles you to a dram when you go to visit the place.

Continuing west from Laphroaig, would bring us to Port Ellen and the square lighthouse of Carraig Fhada, which legend has it, was built by Walter Frederick Campbell, in memory of his wife, Lady Campbell. Motoring north north west along the road from Port Ellen takes us past Islay airport (built c 1940 to defend the western isles and to provide a landing strip for long range reconnaissance aircraft) and thence past a nature reserve called Eilean Na Muice Dubhe (not sure if this is the one that was delisted c 2010) and across the rivers Duice and Laggan, to Bowmore.

Bowmore sits next to a broad sea inlet called Loch Indaal. Voyaging four miles across the water from Bowmore, would bring us into the vicinity of a dorp called Kilchiaran, on the Rhinns of Islay. Kilchiaran or Cill Chiaran, means St Kieran's church. St Kieran was born c 512 in Connacht in Ireland and his feast day is September 9th. There does seem to be a ruined church in the vicinity.

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:


Q1. The Trans Pennine Trail


Q2. Roy Castle


The initial clues seem to place us in the town of Hadfield, which is where the railway which once navigated from Manchester, through Ashton-Under-Lyne and thence across the Peak District national park to Sheffield, terminates. The line was known as the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Line and Manchester Railway (SA&MR) and closed c 1981.

The recreational trail which tracks along the route of the disused SA&MR, passing the Bottoms, Valehouse, Rhodeswood, Torside and Woodhead resevoirs and which starts at Southport on the west coast and ends at Hornsea on the east coast, some two hundred and fifteen miles later according to their web site, is most likely the 'Trans Pennine Trail'. 

Six miles or so north east from Hadfield, lie three tunnels that the SA&MR trains once passed through. These are Woodhead one, Woodhead two and Woodhead three (three miles and sixty six yards or 5346 yards long according to some of the sources I checked). Woodhead one appears to have been mostly built by an engineer called Charles Blacker Vignoles (born c 1793). According to some of his bios, he built the Николаевский цепной мост (Nicholas Chain Bridge) over the Dnieper in Kiev, between 1846 and 1853. This elegant span built by a remarkable engineer, was blown up by the Poles c 1920. Woodhead two appears to have been built by Joseph Locke (born c 1805). Locke was made a chevalier of the legion d'honneur for his work in constructing the railway between Rouen and Le havre (c 1843) and also constructed railways in Spain and Holland. Woodhead one and two were closed c 1954 because they were too small to support electrification and it was for this reason, that Woodhead three was constructed.

Travelling five miles north north east from the Woodhead tunnels, would bring us to the birthplace (c 1932) of a talented all round entertainer, TV and film star called Roy Castle. Castle was according to some of his biographies, born in Holmfirth, West Riding of Yorkshire. He starred in the big screen productions of 'Dr Who and the Daleks', 'Carry on up the Khyber' and 'Dr Terror's House of Horrors', had a TV comedy show and c 1972 presented a children's TV show called 'Record Breakers' with Ross and Norris McWhirter. Castle broke several records on his own show, including one for tap dancing (c 1985), in which he completed one million taps in twenty three hours and forty four minutes. Holmfirth is also where some of the scenes from the TV series 'Last of the Summer Wine' were shot, with the Welly boot wearing Compo, The 'trained killer' Foggy Dewhurst and their long suffering pal Cleggy.

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:

Q1. Whitesand Bay


Q2. The Minack Theatre

внимание друзья! For question two, the theatre is also called 'The Minack Open Air Theatre' on some maps.

Quite tricky this week, I found several artists who have crafted paintings called 'A Cornish Valley' but the one who seems to fit the bill is called David Farquharson, born c 1839 at Lochside, Blairgowrie in Perthshire. According to some of his biographies, he lived for a time next to two bays, Balcary Bay in Kircudbright and Sennen Cove in Cornwall, which lies adjacent to Whitesand Bay. I couldn't find any references to a rogue and pretender to the throne or doctors' heads relating to Balcary Bay but did find rocks named Dr Syntax's Head and Doctor Johnson's head, in the vicinity of the village of Sennen Cove. Dr Syntax seems to have been a popular school teacher character, from a series of books written between 1812 and 1821 by William Coombe and Thomas Rowlandson (a caricaturist), if some of the references on this are to be believed. There is a sketch (c 1811) of the first doctor's head viewed from the second, by Joseph William Mallord Turner, in the Tate Gallery. A possible candidate for 'a rogue and claimant to the throne', who landed at Whitesand bay c seventh of September 1497, is Perkin Warbeck. Seems to have gotten himself into a bit of bother with a ruler called Henry VII, when keeping it real on a regime changing operation went a bit too far.

A lighthouse which stands a mile and a half or so offshore from Dr Johnson's head, is likely The Longship's lighthouse, which stands on the rock of Carn Bras. The first version of this appears to have been built c 1795 and was subsequently upgraded, c 1875 by one Sir James Douglass. The height of this lighthouse is given by some sources as thirty five metres or one hundred and fifteen feet, in old money. A lighthouse nine miles southwest of the Longship's light could be the Wolf Rock Lighthouse, upgraded c 1861 by James Walker, who was at one time inspector general of the lights.

A theatre in the vicinity, which was created by Rowena Cade (born c 1893) and her gardener who constructed an open air terrace facing a spectacular stage with the sea and cliffs for a backdrop c 1932 ( a very beautiful location indeed), is The Minack Theatre (aka The Minack Open Air Theatre). The venue opened that year for a performance of one of the Eastender's favourite plays by the bard, though he cannot decide whether he likes the 1956 version with Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis and Leslie Nielsen better than the c 2010 version with Helen Mirren, Russel Brand and the fiery rottweilers. The words "Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not" are from Shakespeare's play 'The Tempest', which seems to be about the struggle between the ego 'Prospero', the superego 'Ariel' and the monster from the id/Jungian shadow (Caliban, Trinculo and Stephano) played out on the mysterious island of the unconscious. The Eastender floats the theory that Prospero is possibly based upon Tycho Brahe, a celebrity mage who lived on the island of Hven, in the Oresund Strait  and was contemporaneous with Shakespeare.

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:


Q1. Percy Edgar Lambert 


Q2. Painshill park



Very tricky this week, a master stroke of misdirection, nacht and nebel, with many false leads to follow . Concorde Bravo Bravo Delta Golf has associations with Filton airfield in Bristol, Farnborough, in Hampshire and Brooklands, in Surrey, couldn't find a circa twelfth century Augustinian priory beside a river in Bristol or Farnborough, but did find one, ie 'Newark Priory', nestled on an island on the river Wey Navigation, which lies south west of Brooklands museum and disused airfield. The river Wey, according to some sources, was the second waterway in England to undergo transformation from un-navigable to navigable by barges, c 1635. The 'Tin Firework' G-BBDG, as these types of aircraft were known in the trade, was the second production Concorde, which appears to have been constructed at Brooklands c 1974, while another was manufactured in Toulouse. 

A motor racing pioneer who died at Brooklands trying to regain his speed record from a Peugot driver, who was clocked at 106.22 mph, was Percy Edgar Lambert, (aka 'Pearley', born c 5th Oct 1880 in Pimlico, according to some of his bios).

Travelling north east of the ruined priory, would bring us to the one hundred and fifty eight acre Painshill park, a grade 1 listed landscape garden, which seems to have been built c 1738, by the youngest of the fourteen children of the sixth Earl of Abercorn, one Charles Hamilton (baptised c 1704). The park appears to be managed by the Painshill Park Trust, which took it over (c 1981) and has a crystal grotto and many follys.

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

 Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:


Q1. Brading


Q2. Robin Day (aka Sir Robin Day)


The initial clues seem to place us in the town of  Ryde, on the Isle of Wight (the Eastender recalls being astonished to see London tube trains on the pier, when he visited the place around twenty years ago). Said pier, according to some of the references I checked, does seem to have been around seventeen hundred and forty feet in length, when it opened c 1814. There was another pier at Ryde 'Victoria Pier 1.0' which opened c 1854 and appears to have been destroyed five years later. 'Victoria Pier 2.0' seems to have been constructed c 1864 and was at that time said to be nine hundred and seventy feet in length. The last traces of 'Victoria Pier 2.0', were washed away c 1924.


Two stations south of Ryde, the line intersects with the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, which is according to their web site, a heritage railway. Travelling around four and a half miles south of Ryde on the more modern railway, would bring us to the town of Brading. There was once a branch line which navigated north east two and three quarter miles or so, to Bembridge but this closed c 1953. The broadcaster Sir Robin Day (born c 1923) was educated at Bembridge school. Sir Robin is reputed to have upset a guest he was interviewing on his show, one 'John Nott', by claiming that he was a 'here today and gone tomorrow politician'. A painter called Joseph Mallord William Turner (born c 1775) appears to have partially crafted a painting of the island's only remaining windmill, which was constructed c 18th century and taken over by the National Trust c 1961.

King Charles the First (mother Anne of Denmark) stayed at Nunwell house to the west of Brading, on the 18th of November 1647, which was one of his last nights of freedom, before he got lifted by the goon squad and thrown into the chokey, at Carisbrooke castle. There seems to have been some kind of settlement at Nunwell since at least the 11th century but have found no definitive source stating that Nunwell was built c 1610, seems to have been used as a family home since c 1522, though may have burned down at some point and been rebuilt c 1609/10.

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be :


Q1. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal


Q2. Burscough


внимание друзья! for question two, the Leeds and Liverpool canal has more than one branch, there is a branch at Burscough, called the Rufford branch, which goes north to the river Douglas, which then joins with the river Ribble and a Branch which appears to start at Leigh and go northwest to Wigan. The Eastender is taking  a punt on Burscough being the correct solution, as it is listed as a village whereas Leigh, is listed as a town. (Burscough is also marked as 'Burscough Bridge' on some maps).

A little bit tricky this week but the initial clues seem to place us in the city of Liverpool, specifically at the Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse building, which was according to some of the sources I checked, built by one Anthony George Lister (born c 1852). The edifice is said to be constructed from around twenty seven million bricks and thirty thousand panes of glass. Stanley dock is connected to the Leeds and Liverpool canal.

Travelling two and half miles southeast of the tobacco warehouse, would likely bring us to the site of Williamson's tunnels, at Edge Hill. Williamson, according to some of his bios was a tobacco merchant (born c 1769). No one is too sure why the tunnels were built, they were either an eccentric folly or a philanthropic venture to provide employment in the area. He became known locally as 'The Mole of Edge Hill'.

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal navigates past Aintree racecourse, which seems to have had it's foundation stone laid c Feb 7th 1829, by Mr William Lynn. The musical impressario, Brian Epstein (b 1934), is said to be buried in Long Lane Jewish Cemetery near Aintree, Liverpool (Section A, grave H12). Mr Epstein signed the Beatles c 1961, after seeing them play the Cavern club in Matthew  street (The Eastender favours their Hamburg Exis period ).

This is where things required a little more investigation, the Leeds and Liverpool canal has more than one branch, there is a branch at Burscough, the 'Rufford branch', which appears to go north until it joins with the river Douglas and a branch which goes north west from the town of Leigh to Wigan . Burscough (listed as a village) did have a naval air station called HMS Ringtail, situated around one and a half miles to the southwest of the settlement. The air station, according to some of the references I checked, did close c 1957. A beacon which lies around four miles south east of Burscough, which seems to be five hundred and sixty feet or one hundred and seventy metres high, is Ashurst's Beacon, on Ashurst hill. This was constructed c 16th century, by Sir William Ashurst.

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be :


Q1. Buckingham Palace


Q2. Goldie


The Eastender, who normally does not dip his toes into the murky waters of politics, is still somewhat bemused and disoriented after the surreal and strange events of this week and not totally sure which country he is actually in. Her majesty, god bless her, according to the Scotsman newspaper, said that she "applauded the robust democratic tradition" with which the referendum was conducted. The Eastender concurs with this wonderful example of quiet and considered British diplomatic understatement and has enjoyed hugely watching the 'debaters' robustly exchange views with clubs, fists, bricks and Buckfast bottles, in George square for the last two nights. Mind you, fighting in George square at the weekend is hardly news in this part of the world and how the police can tell the secessionists and unionists, from the happy hour crowd zombies when the pubs and clubs spill out, is anyone's guess.

I digress, the puzzle was difficult this week and required a lot of work to solve (many thanks to the author, for putting in the time and effort to craft this one). The initial clues seem to place us at Monument, in the city of London, a place the Eastender knows well from his days testing derivatives trading software, when he worked in the square mile, back in nineteen canteen. The monument is a column which was raised in memory of the great fire of London and seems to have a gilded urn on top, which represents the aforesaid conflagration.

If you travel three hundred yards or so north west from monument, this brings you to the [B]an[k] of England. The Bank of England museum seems to have a large gold ingot in a perspex case with a hand sized hole in it, which allows the visitors to reach in an pick it up but not remove it (though doubtless a few punters have tried over the years).

Travelling west from the BoE museum brings us to the HQ of the 'Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths' at Golds[m]iths' Hall on the corner of Gresham St and Foster Lane. The WCOG seems to be fifth in precedence on the list of London guilds in some of the references I looked at. West south west from Goldsmiths' Hall brings us to the vicinity of Fleet Street, where lies the church of St D[u]nst[a]n in the West. St Dunstan's feast day appears to be on the nineteenth of May. The church featured in a book called 'The Vi[c][a]r of Wakefield' which was written by Oliver Goldsmit[h] (born c 1728).

A mile or so west south west from St Dunstan's in the West, in the district of SOHO, lies Golde[n] Square and it was here that Dickens claimed in his book 'The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby' (published c 1838) that R[a]l[p]h Ni[c]kleby, the money lender lived. North west from here is the site of Re[g]ent's park zoo and it was at this location, back in 1965, that an eagle called Gold[i]e, is said to have gone over the wall to visit Tottenham Court road and Camden market, with the police, fire brigade and some looney space cadet from the BBC, who tried to lure him back by playing an Eritrean nose flute, in hot pursuit.

North of Regent's park lies number 2 Wi[l]low Road and the house of the architect Erno Goldfing[e]r (born c 1902). Erno's brother got in a bit of trouble with the Americans, when he tried to melt some of their gold with a nuclear weapon (c 1964). Now collating the results gives:

1. [B]an[k] of England Museum     B    K
2. Golds[m]iths' Hall                      M
3. St D[u]nst[a]n in the West         U   A
4. Oliver Goldsmit[h]                     H
5. The Vi[c][a]r of Wakefield         C  A
6.  Golde[n] Square                       N
7.  R[a]l[p]h Ni[c]kleby                 A  C P
8.  Re[g]ent's Park                        G
9.  Gold[i]e                                    I
10. Erno Goldfing[e]r                     E
11. Wi[l]low Road                         L


Rearranging the extracted data, can give a combination which forms BUCKINGHAM PALACE, which does seem to have started out as Buckingham House c 1702 or thereabouts and fits in with the sterling clue, as the queen's picture is on the currency.
          

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be :


Q1. Mainland (In the Orkney archipelago)


Q2. The Barrel of Butter Lighthouse (aka Carlin Skerry Lighthouse)


внимание друзья! For question one, St Magnus seems to have been buried in several places, first on Egilsay where he was slain, then in Birsay on Mainland and then interred in St Magnus's Cathedral in Kirkwall. The body seems to have been washed in Birsay. For question two, there appear to be two lighthouses situated just offshore from the writer's position, on the northern shore of Scapa Flow. These are the Calf of Cava lighthouse, which is listed in some references as being thirty six  feet high and The Barrel of Butter lighthouse/navigation beacon, whose height is variously given as six metres or around twenty feet high. The Eastender is taking a punt on 'The Barrel of Butter' being the correct answer, as the height is nearer to that given in the clues. The Barrel of Butter is also known as 'Carlin Skerry'.

The Sunday Times seem to be giving the answers from the puzzle set on the 24rd Aug 14, as the solutions to last week's puzzle but I digress. The treasure hunt is a little bit tricky this week but the initial clues seem to place us on the island of Mainland, in the Orkney archipelago. One hundred and twenty four thousand acres is around fifty thousand one hundred and eighty one hectares and this is roughly the size of mainland, which is listed as being around fifty two thousand hectares. The patron saint of the Orkney islands is St Magnus, who was born circa 1075 and murdered on the 16th April c 1115. Magnus tried to get out of the army by pretending to be mad and singing psalms during the battle of Anglesey sound, which upset the Vikings he was supposed to be raiding with. He returned to Orkney and took control of the islands, which he ruled jointly and peacefully with his cousin Hakon for a time, until their supporters fell out at the Thing parliament. A battle was narrowly averted and the two sides agreed to a further meeting on Egilsay, where they were to bring two ships apiece with an equal number of men. Hakon turned up with eight ships and a larger force and captured Magnus. Hakon's cook Lilolf struck Magnus with a hatchet and killed him. He was denied a christian burial and buried where he fell (on Egilsay). The body was later retrieved and buried in the church at Birsay (on Mainland) and subsequently transferred to Kirkwall.

There appears to be a ruined sixteenth century palace in the Birsay area and this seems to have been built for the first earl of Orkney, Robert Stewart (b c 1533). He is believed to be the illegitimate son of James V and Eupheme Elphinstone. A lighthouse situated around thirty seven miles to the west of the writer's position in Birsay, is most likely Sule Skerry, which the northern lighthouse board claim was constructed between 1892 and 1894 by David and Charles Stevenson.

Travelling south from Birsay, brings us to the village of Skara Brae, which was uncovered during a storm c 1850. Journeying twelve miles or so south east from Skara Brae, takes us to the northern shore of Scapa flow and it is here that two offshore lighthouses can possibly be seen, one on the Calf of Cava, which is said to be around thirty six feet high and one on the Barrel of Butter, which is said to be around six metres or twenty feet in height.

The puzzle compiler then most likely travels to the Covenanter's memorial, a ten metre brick obelisk which was raised c 1888, to commemorate the deaths of the Covenanter prisoners captured at the battle of Bothwell Bridge c 1679. Some two hundred and fifty of them were locked in the hold of 'The Crown of London' in Leith, for transportation to the colonies to work as slaves. During the long trip, the skipper put in to Deer sound on Orkney, to shelter from a  fierce torbellino that blew in but the ship broke anchor and was wrecked. The crew escaped and around forty eight prisoners managed to get out of the hold after a crew member freed them but the rest went down with the ship. Their bodies were turning up on the beaches there for days afterwards and they were buried at Scarva Taing. The scuttlebutt says that the ship was never meant to make it to America and may have been deliberately wrecked, in order to get rid of the political dissidents.

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be :


Q1. Wrynose Pass


Q2. Dalegarth Station

внимание друзья! For Q1, some maps show that the road also goes through Hardknott Pass but the three shire stone has Wrynose Pass marked beside it, so the Eastender is taking a punt on Wrynose Pass being the most likely answer.

The initial clues seem to place us on a Ting mound or Moot, near Fell Foot and the village of Little Langdale, in one of the most beautiful areas of England, the Lake District. Ting mounds or Moots, were in the days when the area was inhabited by nomadic entrepreneurial Scandinavians, parliaments, where the locals would gather to discuss the hot topics (and probably percussively), thrash out the issues of the day. A historian who once lived at Fox How, to the north west of the town of Ambleside (which is at the north end of lake Windermere) was most likely Thomas Arnold (b c 1795). Arnold was famous for several historical works, among them 'The History of Rome', 'Lectures on Modern History' and religious tracts of five sermons. A painter born c 1759 whose works include 'George Biggins' and who lived in Ambleside, is most probably Julius Caesar Ibbetson. He seems to have acquired his middle name due to being delivered by Caesarian section at birth. The OS map shows a waterfall called Stockghyll Force, on the eastern edge of Ambleside and some sources claim that it is seventy feet high and is V shaped.

Driving west from the Ting mound parliament, would bring us through Wrynose pass and thence to the 'Three Shire Stone' and it was here in days of yore, that the three counties of Cumberland, Lancashire and Westmorland once met. The monolith was destroyed by a car crash a one point but seems to have since been restored to its former glory, by a stonemason called Gordon Greaves.

Continuing the journey west through Wrynose pass, would likely have brought the puzzle author to the roman fort of Mediobogdum (aka Hardknott Castle), which astonishingly still seems to be standing in places, though some Victorian tinkerers have added a few stones to it, probably for the benefit of the tourist trade. The fort lies next to the river Esk and this is where some sources claim that the name Mediobogdum, meaning 'The fort next to the river bend', comes from.

Five miles or so west of the Roman fort lies Dalegarth station, which is the Eastern terminus of the 'Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway' (aka 'The Ratty') and this appears to be a fifteen inch gauge railway built c1876 as a three foot gauge, before being regauged to fifteen inch, c 1915. The railway's western terminus is in the seaside hamlet of Ravenglass,where the map shows there is also a mainline railway.

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be :

Q1. Eric Coates (aka Frank Harrison Coates)

Q2. The Major Oak

внимание друзья! Eric Coates also used the name Frank Harrison Coates, according to some of his biographies.

The initial clues seem to place us in a suburb of the city of Nottingham, called Sneinton and it was here that a horticulturalist called Harry Whe[a]tcroft was born c 24th of August 1898, at 23 Handel street. Some of the biographies claim that he was responsible for contacting Francois Meilland of Lyons, for permission to introduce his rose 'Peace', to the UK c 1948. He is also credited with introducing a variety called 'Fragrant Cloud', at the autumn show of the National Rose Society, c 1963 to the public. Wheatcroft was a bit eccentric and was court martialled and subsequently thrown out of the army, for telling them that he didn't want to fight.

The second clue takes us to Huc[k]nall airfield, where the first free (untethered) flight of the flying bedstead or TMA (Thrust Measuring Rig) as it was known in the trade, took place c 3rd August 1954. A composer called Eric Co[a]tes (aka Frank Harrison Coates) was born in the nearby town of Hucknall, c 1886 at Watnall Road. Among his many works, was a march called 'Knightsbridge' from his London suite, which was apparently used as the theme for a radio show called, 'In Town Tonight' c 1933. 

Travelling east south east from Hucknall would bring us to the village of Asl[o]ckton, where c 1489, a child who was later to become the archbishop of Canterbury, one Thomas Cran[m]er, was born. Some of Cranmer's biographies state that he was famous for writing between thirty nine and forty two religious articles of belief, depending on which one you read.

Six miles or so north of Aslockton, lies the village of East Stoke and it was here, c 16th June 1487 that the battle of St[o]ke Field, was fought. This seems to have been one of the final battles in the wars of the Roses, between the Lancastrians and Yorkists. Henry VII's army seem to have won this encounter for the house of Lancaster.

A one thousand and forty seven acre or four hundred and twenty three hectare national nature reserve, in the vicinity of Nottingham, is She[r]wood Forest . Listing out the letters acquired so far and adding the letter J, gives:

[A]  (fourth letter of 'Wheatcroft)

[K]  (fourth letter of 'Hucknall)

[A]  (third letter of Coates)

[O] (fourth letter of Aslockton)

[M] (fifth letter of Cranmer)

[O] (third letter of Stoke Field)

[R] (fourth letter of Sherwood Forest)

MAJOR OAK, which appears to be an eight hundred to one thousand year old oak tree in Sherwood forest, where Robin Hood himself used to hide out. There is a railway line marked on the OS map, just to the south of the ancient arboreal landmark.

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

 Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be :


Q1. Thomas Hardy


Q2. Bossiney


The initial clues seem to place us in Cornwall, specifically at the church of St Juliot, just to the north of the river Valency, about one click south of the B3263 and about one point three clicks, south west of Tresparret. The church featured as 'St Agnes', in a story by Thomas Hardy (born circa 1840), called 'A pair of Blue Eyes', which appears to have been published c 1873. As well as being a novelist and poet, Hardy's day job was that of architect and he was sent to recce the church, with a view to reconstructing it. Some of his bios claim that he married the rector's sister in law, Emma Lavinia Gifford, circa 1874.

Driving west from the church would bring us to the village of Boscastle and this featured in a novel by H.G.Wells called "When The Sleeper Wakes", "One afternoon, at low water, Mr Isbister, a young artist lodging at Boscastle, walked from that place, to the picturesque cove of Pentargen".

Travelling three and a half miles or so from Boscastle, would likely take us to Tintagel and through a hamlet called Bossiney, on its eastern edge. Bossiney returned an mp called Francis Bacon (b 1561) c 1581 (Bacon became attorney general c 1613) and an mp called Sir Francis Drake c 1584.

Tintagel's most famous building, according to the National Trust website, is the post office, which they acquired c 1903. The building is a c 14th century yeoman's farmhouse and was the letter receiving station for the district, when it was given a licence during the Victorian period.

The island castle at Tintagel, was declared by Geoffrey of Monmouth, to be the site where king Arthur was conceived and because of the association with the Arthurian legend, Richard Earl of Cornwall (b 1209) and brother of Henry III, is believed to have built his fortress there, c 1230s

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:


Q1. Settle


Q2. Wallace and Gromit


The initial clues seem to place us in the town of Settle, in a very beautiful part of the world, the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The celebration of twenty five years of 'something not happening', is most probably the government's decision, on the 11th April 1989, to save the Carlisle to Settle railway, (which the puzzle author claims to be driving alongside, likely on the B6479) and from which around one point two million passengers annually, enjoy the scenery in the dales.

According to some of his biographies, a polymath called George Birkbeck (born in Settle c 1776), founded the London Mechanics Institution (c 1823), which was later renamed 'Birkbeck College' (c 1907). A social reformer also born in Settle (c 1839), was Benjamin Waugh. His biographies state that he founded a society for prevention of cruelty to children, which was incorporated by royal charter (c 1895) as the NSPCC.

Travelling north (though it doesn't look as much as eight miles on some of the maps), the puzzle writer most probably crosses the Pennine Way (opened c 1965),  at Horton in Ribblesdale ( a very nice place indeed to have pie and chips, followed by several pints of Theakston's Old Peculiar, after completing the grueling Yorkshire three peaks challenge). The two thousand and seventy seven or six hundred and ninety four metre eminence, that is described in the clues, is most likely Pen-y-Gent (one of the three peaks), which lies around two miles east north east of Horton-in-Ribblesdale. The second peak seems to be Ingleborough, at around two thousand three hundred and seventy five feet or seven hundred and twenty four metres.

Following the B6479 north west past Ingleborough, would lead you to a junction with the B6255, where lies the Ribblehead viaduct. Some of the references for this structure, claim that it is around four hundred and forty yards long or four hundred metres and one hundred and four feet or thirty two metres high.

Turning right at the junction and heading north east on the B6255, would lead you eventually to Wensleydale, which is famous for among other things, its cheeses. A fictional inventor who is known to love this type of cheese, is Wallace, his canine side kick, is known as Gromit. They starred in an animated film called 'The Wrong Trousers' (c 1993).

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:


Q1. Ilkley


Q2. The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway


The initial clues seem to place us in the town of Ilkley, in west Yorkshire. Badger, pancake and swastika, most likely refer to the strange carved stones on Ilkley moor. The Swastika stone, from the pictures I've seen of it, does seem to have a flyflot cross carved on it, though the Badger stone looks more like a mini version of Uluru, than a badger.  Some of the carvings are believed to have been the work of Roman legionaires, who were stationed at the fort in Ilkley but the designs, to my eye at least, look more shamanic in origin and may be the work of a cattle and psilocybin mushroom cult.....

According  to some of his biographies, an architect called Sir Edward Brantwood Maufe, was born in the Sunny Bank district of Ilkley, c 1882. Maufe appears to have designed Guildford cathedral, which was dedicated c 1961. The Roman fort which the stone carving squaddies may have been stationed at, was thought at one time to have been called Olicana but it may actually have been called after the goddess of the river Wharfe, who went by the name of Verbeia.

There does seem to be a plunge pool at White Wells, on Ilkley moor and Ilkley is described as being a spa town in some references. One source I looked at, suggests that Ilkley Pool and Lido was opened c 1936. The second town referred to in the clues, is most probably Keighly. From looking at the OS map, there does not seem to be a road which goes all the way across Ilkley moor (highest point four hundred and two metres, or one thousand three hundred and eighteen feet), south west to Keighly , so the author may have had to take the road through Silsden, which would have taken him across the Leeds and Liverpool canal (one hundred and twenty seven miles long and completed c 1816).

The national trust website, indicates that there is a circa seventeenth century manor house on the north eastern edge of Keighley, called East Riddlesden Hall and a five mile railway, which was one of many that featured in the nineteen seventies film, 'The Railway Children' (directed by a wonderful old British actor, called Lionel Jeffries), is likely to be the 'Keighley and Worth Valley Railway' . This appears to have opened for business c 13th April 1867, closed in 1962 and re-opened again as a heritage railway, c 1968.

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:


Q1. Folkestone


Q2. Walter Tull


внимание друзья! Confusingly, there appear to be two William Cubitts, one born c 1785 who allegedly built the Foord viaduct, in Folkestone and one born c 1791, who had Cubitt town in the Isle of Dogs named after him. The c 1791 Cubitt, does not seem to have built the Foord viaduct.

The initial clues seem to place us in the town of Folkestone, in the county of Kent. The town does appear to have a one hundred foot high viaduct (The Foord viaduct) which was built by a Sir William Cubitt. There seem to be two William Cubitts, one (born 1785 - died 1861) who was an engineer and according to some of his biographies, was in charge of constructing the South Eastern Railway and built the Foord viaduct at Folkestone c 1843 and one who was a politician (born 1791 - died 1863, mp for Andover and lord mayor of London). According to some of his biographies, it was the Cubitt born c 1791 who had Cubitt town, in the Isle of Dogs named after him but he does not seem to have built the Foord viaduct and did not work for the SER (South Eastern Railway).

Folkestone has an arch called 'The Step Short' arch, which is being opened by prince Harry on the 4th of August 2014, to commemorate the millions of troops who departed from the port to take part in the madness of the first world war. They seem to have planted rosemary near the structure.

A wicket keeper who scored one hundred first class centuries and who was schooled in the town, at Harvey Grammar, was most likely Leslie Ethelbert George Ames (b c 1905). The writer Charles Dickens, is believed to have worked on his novel 'Little Dorrit', while staying in the town. This contains a description of the 'Circumlocution Office', a satire on the British treasury. A footballer who was born in the town c 1888, who also played for Tottenham c1909 and was killed in the trenches c 1918, is most likely Walter (Daniel John) Tull. The OS map shows three Martello towers (constructed c 1805) and a Roman villa, at the eastern end of the town, on the cliffs.

Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:


Q1. Strontian


Q2. Eilean Shona (aka Eilean Seona)


The initial clues seem to place us in the area of Ballachullish, specifically at a cairn which was raised in memory of an infamous upstart Hanoverian sympathising carpet bagger scoundrel called 'Colin Campbell of Glenure' (aka 'the Red Fox'), who specialised in extracting taxes from evicted Jacobite families who had been declared 'attainted' and had their land stolen, after the 1745 rebellion. On the 14th May, 1752, someone of that ilk, decided to alter his parameters of absolute reality, by shooting him in the back with a musket, in the Lettermore woods (seems to have been a double tap, the arquebus was loaded with two balls but the guy was a piece of work, he allegedly shot a Mrs McColl in the chest while she was trying to protect her son and had many enemies in the area and this assassination subsequently became known as 'The Appin Murder'). The local  Stewart clan were blamed, the chief suspect being Alan Breck Stewart and when they failed to apprehend him, they grabbed another Stewart, Seumas a' Ghlinne (James of the Glen) who liked a guid bucket and was prone to bad mouthing the Red Fox, when smashed. They swiftly convicted him, without any real evidence, through a kangaroo court which had a jury consisting mostly of Campbells. They hanged him at the south end of the Ballachullish bridge. Alan Breck Stewart, went on to feature in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel 'Kidnapped', c1886.

The puzzle author then most likely drives north across Ballachullish bridge, which spans Loch Leven and then drives west, then north to the ferry at the Corran Narrows,  which lie at the top end of Loch Linnhe. There does seem to be a lighthouse there , which according to the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, was built by D&T Stevenson, c 1860.

A chemical element with atomic number 38, is Strontium, this seems to have been discovered by Adair Crawford c 1790, near the village of Strontian, which lies at the eastern end of Loch Sunart. Crawford discovered the mineral Strontianite and suspected that it contained a new element, this was subsequently isolated by Sir Humphrey Davy. Strontian lies to the west of the Corran Narrows.

An island which lies around twelve miles north west of Strontian, is likely to be Eilean Shona. Some sources claim this is between thirteen hundred, thirteen hundred and forty two and up to two thousand acres in area and was rented by J.M Barrie (born c 1860), while he wrote 'Peter Pan'. Barrie also wrote a play called 'Richard Savage'. The seven wooden characters are possibly 'The Seven Men of Moidart', which were seven beech trees planted in memory of the four Scots, two Irishmen and one Englishman, who accompanied the rightful king on his voyage to reclaim the throne of Scotland. Only three of the original trees remain on the site. The three old maids, according to the OS map, seem to be three rocks, which lie on the hill above Kinlochmoidart house.