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. Gravesend
Q2. Heart of Darkness
The initial clues appear to place us in the town of Rochester, in the county of Kent, next to the river Medway and possibly at Strood station. The railway line here tracks north east before turning northwest and entering the two thousand three hundred and twenty nine yard 'Strood Tunnel', which some of the reference sources I checked, claim was opened c 1844/45. The Strood tunnel is separated from the one thousand five hundred and thirty one yard 'Higham tunnel', by a fifty yard gap known as 'The Bombhole', which was put in place to allow barges to pass each other, when the tunnels carried both canal and railway. The canal was eventually filled in, to allow a second track to be installed.
Two stops later would take us past Higham station and thence to Gravesend. The line runs parallel to the now disused Thames & Medway canal before entering the second town. A princess called Pocahontas (born c 1596 in the Algonquian nation in Virginia) was according to some of her biographies, buried in the chancel of St George's church, likely expiring from Tuberculosis or Pneumonia c 1617, after being put ashore from a ship bound for Virginia. I found a couple of sources which claim that Gravesend pier is two hundred and sixty feet in length, was opened c 1834 and that it is the oldest cast iron pier in the world.
The author is probably Joseph Conrad (born c 1857). His book 'Heart of Darkness' (published c 1902) starts off with a character called Marlow, aboard a ship called 'The Nellie', which was anchored near Gravesend, telling the story of his search for the mysterious colonel Kurtz, who had gone completely 'Troppo' in the Belgian Congo, due to the heat. By his account, the journey was more like a trip up the rivers Styx or Acheron, rather than a pleasure cruise.
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured, if you have a non abusive comment or quip relating to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Saturday, 23 April 2016
Saturday, 9 April 2016
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 Battle of Naseby
Q2. Sir Everard Digby
The initial clue of SK/TF/SP/TL seems to relate to the Ordnance Survey's 100km square grid designation system, with these particular ones relating to areas in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire respectively. The puzzle author is most likely at the site of the monument commemorating the battle of Naseby, which occurred during the first English Civil War c June 14th 1645. Travelling east north east from the monument, would probably take us across the two hundred and twenty five mile long Midshires Way walking trail (which some of the reference sources I checked claim starts at Bledlow, near Aylesbury and ends in Stockport) and thence to the 'Triangular Lodge', near Rushton. This seems to be have been built by Sir Thomas Tresham c 1593 - 1597. Tresham was the father of one of the gunpowder plot jihadists and the fact that the house is triangular, has trefoil windows with triangles in them and has three floors was said to be because Tresham was a staunch Catholic obsessed with the holy trinity, though it being a lodge covered with triangles may point to him being a member of a very different sect.To keep in with his 'three is a magic number' fixation, his wife called him 'Good Tres'.
North North East of Tresham's triangles, lies the Lyddington Bede House, which once belonged to the bishops of Lincoln and this seems to have come under the ownership of a courtier and squaddie called Sir Cecil Thomas, first earl of Exeter (born c 1542). Some of his biographies claim that he was Lord President of York,which is the same thing as President of the Council of the North. By all accounts, the lad was a bit of a rake during his gap year, when he went inter-railing round Europe but eventually calmed down and turned Lyddington Bede into an alms house.
About a mile west of Lyddington Bede, lies the one horse dorp of 'Stoke Dry' and this appears to be where one of the gunpowder plot conspirators, one Sir Everard Digby was born, c 1578. Prior to reading his biographies, the Eastender had formed the opinion that 'Everard' was a joke name made up by a seventies game show host, who used it as a running gag from his selection of catch phrases and double entendres. The unfortunate Digby had his request to be dispatched by the axe man refused and was subsequently hung drawn and quartered c 30th of January 1606.
The viaduct is likely to be the 'Welland Viaduct', which looks to be a good fit for the location given in the clues. Some of the sources I checked claim that it does have eighty two arches and was constructed c 1879. The village that the puzzle writer stops at, could be Duddington, for about a mile south east, in a forest, is where the corners of the four one hundred km national grid squares SK/TF/SP/TL meet. This point is also around three miles south west of RAF Wittering ( motto "Strength is Freedom") .
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured, if you have a non abusive comment or quip relating to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Q1. The Battle of Naseby
Q2. Sir Everard Digby
The initial clue of SK/TF/SP/TL seems to relate to the Ordnance Survey's 100km square grid designation system, with these particular ones relating to areas in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire respectively. The puzzle author is most likely at the site of the monument commemorating the battle of Naseby, which occurred during the first English Civil War c June 14th 1645. Travelling east north east from the monument, would probably take us across the two hundred and twenty five mile long Midshires Way walking trail (which some of the reference sources I checked claim starts at Bledlow, near Aylesbury and ends in Stockport) and thence to the 'Triangular Lodge', near Rushton. This seems to be have been built by Sir Thomas Tresham c 1593 - 1597. Tresham was the father of one of the gunpowder plot jihadists and the fact that the house is triangular, has trefoil windows with triangles in them and has three floors was said to be because Tresham was a staunch Catholic obsessed with the holy trinity, though it being a lodge covered with triangles may point to him being a member of a very different sect.To keep in with his 'three is a magic number' fixation, his wife called him 'Good Tres'.
North North East of Tresham's triangles, lies the Lyddington Bede House, which once belonged to the bishops of Lincoln and this seems to have come under the ownership of a courtier and squaddie called Sir Cecil Thomas, first earl of Exeter (born c 1542). Some of his biographies claim that he was Lord President of York,which is the same thing as President of the Council of the North. By all accounts, the lad was a bit of a rake during his gap year, when he went inter-railing round Europe but eventually calmed down and turned Lyddington Bede into an alms house.
About a mile west of Lyddington Bede, lies the one horse dorp of 'Stoke Dry' and this appears to be where one of the gunpowder plot conspirators, one Sir Everard Digby was born, c 1578. Prior to reading his biographies, the Eastender had formed the opinion that 'Everard' was a joke name made up by a seventies game show host, who used it as a running gag from his selection of catch phrases and double entendres. The unfortunate Digby had his request to be dispatched by the axe man refused and was subsequently hung drawn and quartered c 30th of January 1606.
The viaduct is likely to be the 'Welland Viaduct', which looks to be a good fit for the location given in the clues. Some of the sources I checked claim that it does have eighty two arches and was constructed c 1879. The village that the puzzle writer stops at, could be Duddington, for about a mile south east, in a forest, is where the corners of the four one hundred km national grid squares SK/TF/SP/TL meet. This point is also around three miles south west of RAF Wittering ( motto "Strength is Freedom") .
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured, if you have a non abusive comment or quip relating to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Saturday, 2 April 2016
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. York
Q2. W.H.Auden (aka Wystan Hugh Auden)
The initial clues appear to place us in Eboracum, 'The Place of Yews', which some of the sources I checked, claim is of Celtic origin and was appropriated by the Romans to designate the beautiful city of York. There seems to be a Saxon burial mound called 'Siwards How', just to the North of the university.
One of the airfields that 77 Squadron were based at, was Elvington Airfield and at this point in their history (c 1942), they were flying Handley Page Halifax bombers. I found several references to the last Luftwaffe aircraft to crash on British soil, which claim that it was a Junkers 88 night fighter, flown by a very sneaky pilot called Johann Dreher. The Junkers 88 night fighters were at this point in the war (c 3rd of March, 1945), being used to hit the allied bombers when they were at their most vulnerable, ie returning from a raid, on approach to their own airfields (operation Gisela). Hauptman Dreher had already shot down two bombers that night (they used to fly underneath them and fire their cannons into the bomb bays and fuel tanks) and was lined up nicely to take down a French Halifax (piloted by Capitaine Notelle) waiting to land at Elvington, when his plane was hit by ground fire from the guns of a bored British squaddie ( called Corporal George Wetherill) and three of his mates. The Junkers crashed into a farmhouse near Elvington, killing all four of the crew and three people in the house. The corporal later came to regret his actions that night, as he knew the people who lived in the farmhouse.
The footpath that the puzzle author claimed to be standing on, is probably the 'Wilberforce Way' (named after William Wilberforce, the politician and anti slavery campaigner ( born York c 1759), which seems to be around sixty miles long and runs from Hull to York. The other trails mentioned are most likely the 'Minster Way' (fifty miles long) and the 'Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail' (seventy six to seventy nine miles long, depending on which reference you check).
The old station in York, built by the York & North Midlands Railway, does appear to have been built c 1840.
The emperors who died in York c 211 ad and 306 ad, were probably 'Septimus Servus' and 'Constantius I' respectively. By all accounts, Septimus Servus was more like a gangster in the film 'Goodfellas', than a benign ruler. King Edwin seems to have been baptized in York c 627 ad and a nasty old fascist called Edward III, was married there c 1328. Saint Margaret was executed in York c 1586 and the people who carried out the murder were by any measure, vicious savages as they put sharp rock under the poor woman and then dropped weights on her, absolutely appalling behavior.
A poet born in York c 1907 and who wrote some verse for a documentary film about a nocturnal train, called 'Night Mail', is probably Wystan Hugh Auden (W.H.Auden).
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured, if you have a non abusive comment or quip relating to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Q1. York
Q2. W.H.Auden (aka Wystan Hugh Auden)
The initial clues appear to place us in Eboracum, 'The Place of Yews', which some of the sources I checked, claim is of Celtic origin and was appropriated by the Romans to designate the beautiful city of York. There seems to be a Saxon burial mound called 'Siwards How', just to the North of the university.
One of the airfields that 77 Squadron were based at, was Elvington Airfield and at this point in their history (c 1942), they were flying Handley Page Halifax bombers. I found several references to the last Luftwaffe aircraft to crash on British soil, which claim that it was a Junkers 88 night fighter, flown by a very sneaky pilot called Johann Dreher. The Junkers 88 night fighters were at this point in the war (c 3rd of March, 1945), being used to hit the allied bombers when they were at their most vulnerable, ie returning from a raid, on approach to their own airfields (operation Gisela). Hauptman Dreher had already shot down two bombers that night (they used to fly underneath them and fire their cannons into the bomb bays and fuel tanks) and was lined up nicely to take down a French Halifax (piloted by Capitaine Notelle) waiting to land at Elvington, when his plane was hit by ground fire from the guns of a bored British squaddie ( called Corporal George Wetherill) and three of his mates. The Junkers crashed into a farmhouse near Elvington, killing all four of the crew and three people in the house. The corporal later came to regret his actions that night, as he knew the people who lived in the farmhouse.
The footpath that the puzzle author claimed to be standing on, is probably the 'Wilberforce Way' (named after William Wilberforce, the politician and anti slavery campaigner ( born York c 1759), which seems to be around sixty miles long and runs from Hull to York. The other trails mentioned are most likely the 'Minster Way' (fifty miles long) and the 'Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail' (seventy six to seventy nine miles long, depending on which reference you check).
The old station in York, built by the York & North Midlands Railway, does appear to have been built c 1840.
The emperors who died in York c 211 ad and 306 ad, were probably 'Septimus Servus' and 'Constantius I' respectively. By all accounts, Septimus Servus was more like a gangster in the film 'Goodfellas', than a benign ruler. King Edwin seems to have been baptized in York c 627 ad and a nasty old fascist called Edward III, was married there c 1328. Saint Margaret was executed in York c 1586 and the people who carried out the murder were by any measure, vicious savages as they put sharp rock under the poor woman and then dropped weights on her, absolutely appalling behavior.
A poet born in York c 1907 and who wrote some verse for a documentary film about a nocturnal train, called 'Night Mail', is probably Wystan Hugh Auden (W.H.Auden).
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured, if you have a non abusive comment or quip relating to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
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