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).
Hi East Ender, Excellent summary of today's Where Was I? puzzle. One quibble though, I think the author finished his journey at Hawes where the Wensleydale Creamery and Cheese factory stands. It was closed in May 1992 but re-opened in November of that year after a worker's buy-out. Cheers, David, Salisbury.
ReplyDeleteI saw the Wensleydale creamery on the map David and you are probably correct that he finished the journey at Hawes but I think the entire valley is called Wensley Dale so would as you say, possibly be more accurate to indicate that he stopped at Hawes, at the head of the Wensley Dale....
ReplyDeleteSome sources suggest that when travelling by road, north from Settle along the B6479, a point may be reached after approx 8 miles where the Pennine Bridleway, (part of the National Trail), crosses ("meets") that road. It appears that the construction of Far Moor Bridge over the River Ribble, slightly to the north east, completed the link that enabled the whole of the Bridleway to be declared officially open in 2012.
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