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. Glenluce Abbey
Q2. Stranraer
The initial clues seem to place us in Wigtownshire, probably on the disused railway bridge which spans the Tarf Water (couldn't find a reference source which gave the length of this river but it looks to be around seventeen miles, on the maps I checked). The line used to be operated by the Portpatrick & Wigtownshire Joint Railway and appears to have closed c 1965.
Three miles south of the bridge brings us to Castle Loch and this seems to have an island with a ruined castle on it. Six miles west south west of the bridge lies the village of Glenluce and the Cistercian Abbey, which according to some of the reference sources I checked, was founded c 1192 by Roland, Earl of Galloway. The beach which is marked as a danger area, is probably 'Luce Sands', which is sometimes used by the scientists at QuineticiQ to test weapons and munitions. They took over RAF West Freugh airfield (opened c 1936/37) c 2001 and also have ranges on Torrs Warren.
It seems that on the fourth of April 1957, the multiple mobile radar units which had been deployed to assist with the testing at Luce Sands and fixed radars in several locations, detected a very large stationary object out over the Irish sea, initially at a height of fifty thousand feet which subsequently very rapidly moved to a height of seventy thousand feet. The unidentified aircraft was reportedly moving at speeds of several thousand miles per hour and performing manoeuvres which were not possible in the aircraft of the period. The story only got out because some of the operators at the civilian radar stations, talked to the press.
Travelling six miles north west of West Freugh airfield would take us to the town of Stranraer and the former home of the Arctic explorer, Sir John Ross (born c 1777). Ross lived for a time at the North West Castle, which is now a hotel. The ferries to Ireland now operate out of Cairnryan, a small dorp, four miles or so north of Stranraer, on the eastern shore of Loch Ryan and the OS map does show a lighthouse at that position.
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has now 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, 25 June 2016
Saturday, 18 June 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. North Ronaldsay
Q2. Knap of Howar (aka Knap o' Howar, aka Barrow or Mound houses)
N.B. for question two, the name of the houses seems to be derived from the Norse word 'haugr' meaning 'mound' or 'barrow', so they could be looking for this as the answer but a trawl through some of the archaeological pages on the subject, didn't throw up any other specialised name for this type of house. They don't seem to be 'Brochs' (which are a type of double walled, complex Atlantic roundhouse, which are more like fortified towers than farmhouses).
The initial clues seem to place us on the island of North Ronaldsay, in the Orkney archipelago. The OS map shows a trig point there that is marked at twenty metres or around sixty six feet in old money. I found some reference sources which claim that Halfdan Longleg was the son of King Harald Fairhair and that he was involved in a bit of power struggle shenanigans with his brother Gudrod, which resulted in them burning alive sixty of the opposition and their leader Rognvald Eysteinsson, inside a building. King Harald got a bit upset at this and ordered Halfdan Longleg sacrificed to Odin by Rognvald's son, in a mysterious ritual called the 'Blood Eagle', on North Ronaldsay (no doubt involved smoking herbs, glugging whisky infused with fly agaric, drumming, chanting and incantations/casting of runes by a potty shaman and pulling the lungs of the hapless victim through the skin so that they appeared to have wings). These events appear to have been chronicled in a book called 'The Orkneyinga Saga' (c 13th century).
The map shows an 'Old Beacon' on the north east of the island. This seems to have been built by Thomas Smith (born c 1752) around 1787, with the new one hundred and thirty nine foot, red brick lighthouse being built by Alan Stevenson (born c 1807), to the north west of the old beacon.
Travelling west from North Ronaldsay would bring us to Papa Westray and this is where an Earl called Rognvald Brusason was buried c 1046. Rognvald was according to some of his biographies, the son of Brusi Sigurdsson. About half a click west of the airfield on Papa Westray, lie the 'barrow' or 'mound' houses of Knap of Hower. These puport to be the oldest stone houses in Europe, with some of the archaeological pages claiming they have been dated to c 3700 BC. I couldn't find a specialised archaeological name for this type of house and they do not fit the description for brochs, think they are just called the farmhouse at Knap of Hower. The flight from Papa Westray to Westray, according to some of the reference sources I checked, does appear to be about two minutes in duration.
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 comment or quip related to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Q1. North Ronaldsay
Q2. Knap of Howar (aka Knap o' Howar, aka Barrow or Mound houses)
N.B. for question two, the name of the houses seems to be derived from the Norse word 'haugr' meaning 'mound' or 'barrow', so they could be looking for this as the answer but a trawl through some of the archaeological pages on the subject, didn't throw up any other specialised name for this type of house. They don't seem to be 'Brochs' (which are a type of double walled, complex Atlantic roundhouse, which are more like fortified towers than farmhouses).
The initial clues seem to place us on the island of North Ronaldsay, in the Orkney archipelago. The OS map shows a trig point there that is marked at twenty metres or around sixty six feet in old money. I found some reference sources which claim that Halfdan Longleg was the son of King Harald Fairhair and that he was involved in a bit of power struggle shenanigans with his brother Gudrod, which resulted in them burning alive sixty of the opposition and their leader Rognvald Eysteinsson, inside a building. King Harald got a bit upset at this and ordered Halfdan Longleg sacrificed to Odin by Rognvald's son, in a mysterious ritual called the 'Blood Eagle', on North Ronaldsay (no doubt involved smoking herbs, glugging whisky infused with fly agaric, drumming, chanting and incantations/casting of runes by a potty shaman and pulling the lungs of the hapless victim through the skin so that they appeared to have wings). These events appear to have been chronicled in a book called 'The Orkneyinga Saga' (c 13th century).
The map shows an 'Old Beacon' on the north east of the island. This seems to have been built by Thomas Smith (born c 1752) around 1787, with the new one hundred and thirty nine foot, red brick lighthouse being built by Alan Stevenson (born c 1807), to the north west of the old beacon.
Travelling west from North Ronaldsay would bring us to Papa Westray and this is where an Earl called Rognvald Brusason was buried c 1046. Rognvald was according to some of his biographies, the son of Brusi Sigurdsson. About half a click west of the airfield on Papa Westray, lie the 'barrow' or 'mound' houses of Knap of Hower. These puport to be the oldest stone houses in Europe, with some of the archaeological pages claiming they have been dated to c 3700 BC. I couldn't find a specialised archaeological name for this type of house and they do not fit the description for brochs, think they are just called the farmhouse at Knap of Hower. The flight from Papa Westray to Westray, according to some of the reference sources I checked, does appear to be about two minutes in duration.
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 comment or quip related to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Saturday, 11 June 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. Fowey
Q2. Arthur Quiller-Couch (aka Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch)
The initial clues appear to place us at the Iron age fort of 'Castle Dore', which is around a click or so to the south west of the thirty mile long 'Saints Way' hiking trail, in one of the most beautiful countries of the big British island, which is known as Cornwall. The fort was originally thought to have been constructed post Roman period but according to some references sources I checked, has now been dated to around 4th or 5th century B.C. and like many such fortifications, is associated with king Arthur. The Parliamentarians used it as a gun emplacement c 1644 but lost the position to the Royalists, when some of their men deserted.
The puzzle author is likely walking south on the west bank of the river Fowey, towards the small town of the same name. The railway there looks like it is still used to transport China clay to the docks and seems to have stopped carrying passengers c 1965. The line opened c 1869 and used to have a branch which passed through the one thousand, one hundred and seventy three yard long 'Pinnock Tunnel' and probably terminated at Par or the docks in Biscovery.
'Q', does not in this case, stand for 'Quartermaster' but is the nom de plume of Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch (born c 1863). A prolific writer and scholar, he seems to be most well known for a work called 'The Oxford Book of English Verse'. Q was friends with the author of one of the Eastender's favourite books ie 'The Wind in The Willows', which featured a proto-road rager called 'Toad of Toad Hall' (the 'Poop! Poop!' reference). Kenneth Grahame (born c 1859) was also secretary of the bank of England for a time and a disgruntled customer, according to some of his biographies, may have taken a pot shot at him with a revolver while he was working there one day. The titles and themes of some of his works, suggest that he may also have been a bit of a dabbler in the 'esoteric arts'. Grahame married Elspeth Thomson at St Fimbarrus's church in Fowey, c1899.
The third author referred to in the hints, is probably Daphne Du Maurier, who from some of the photographs I saw in her biographies, was a strikingly beautiful woman. Du Maurier lived in a house called 'Ferryside' at Bodinnick, on the east bank of the Fowey and her first novel appears to have been called 'The Loving Spirit' (published c 1931). She is also responsible for the story behind a marvellous old Hitchcock film called 'The Birds'.
The OS map shows a castle (St Catherine's) to the south west of Fowey and English Heritage claim that this was constructed by old 'Enry the Eighth oi am', c 1530s, to defend Fowey harbour. They installed some more guns there during the Crimean war and a triple A battery during world war II.
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. Fowey
Q2. Arthur Quiller-Couch (aka Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch)
The initial clues appear to place us at the Iron age fort of 'Castle Dore', which is around a click or so to the south west of the thirty mile long 'Saints Way' hiking trail, in one of the most beautiful countries of the big British island, which is known as Cornwall. The fort was originally thought to have been constructed post Roman period but according to some references sources I checked, has now been dated to around 4th or 5th century B.C. and like many such fortifications, is associated with king Arthur. The Parliamentarians used it as a gun emplacement c 1644 but lost the position to the Royalists, when some of their men deserted.
The puzzle author is likely walking south on the west bank of the river Fowey, towards the small town of the same name. The railway there looks like it is still used to transport China clay to the docks and seems to have stopped carrying passengers c 1965. The line opened c 1869 and used to have a branch which passed through the one thousand, one hundred and seventy three yard long 'Pinnock Tunnel' and probably terminated at Par or the docks in Biscovery.
'Q', does not in this case, stand for 'Quartermaster' but is the nom de plume of Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch (born c 1863). A prolific writer and scholar, he seems to be most well known for a work called 'The Oxford Book of English Verse'. Q was friends with the author of one of the Eastender's favourite books ie 'The Wind in The Willows', which featured a proto-road rager called 'Toad of Toad Hall' (the 'Poop! Poop!' reference). Kenneth Grahame (born c 1859) was also secretary of the bank of England for a time and a disgruntled customer, according to some of his biographies, may have taken a pot shot at him with a revolver while he was working there one day. The titles and themes of some of his works, suggest that he may also have been a bit of a dabbler in the 'esoteric arts'. Grahame married Elspeth Thomson at St Fimbarrus's church in Fowey, c1899.
The third author referred to in the hints, is probably Daphne Du Maurier, who from some of the photographs I saw in her biographies, was a strikingly beautiful woman. Du Maurier lived in a house called 'Ferryside' at Bodinnick, on the east bank of the Fowey and her first novel appears to have been called 'The Loving Spirit' (published c 1931). She is also responsible for the story behind a marvellous old Hitchcock film called 'The Birds'.
The OS map shows a castle (St Catherine's) to the south west of Fowey and English Heritage claim that this was constructed by old 'Enry the Eighth oi am', c 1530s, to defend Fowey harbour. They installed some more guns there during the Crimean war and a triple A battery during world war II.
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....
Sunday, 5 June 2016
Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competion
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. Kirkcudbright
Q2. E.A.Hornel (Edward Atkinson Hornel)
The initial clues seem to place us in the vicinity of Kirkcudbright, in the county of Dumfries and Galloway. The island mentioned in the hints, is probably Ross Island, as this sits just off the tip of the western side of Kirkcudbright bay. A lighthouse keeper (Robert Dickson) was convicted and hanged after being accused of the murder of one of his colleagues (Hugh Clark), c 1960.
The author who claimed that Kirkcudbright was "The sort of place where you either fish or paint", is most likely 'Dorothy L Sayers'. She published a novel (c 1931) called 'Five Red herrings', which featured an inspector MacPherson. An artist who was a member of a group called 'The Glasgow Boys' and who according to some of his biographies, had his home at Broughton house in Kirkcudbright, is probably E. A. Hornel (born c 1864). His painting titled 'Autumn' appears to be in the Tate gallery.
The castle in Kirkcudbright is not thought to be medieval but seems to gave been built c 1570, not long after the time Mary Queen of Scots was noising people up in Langside and losing. One of the town's art galleries is called 'Kirkcudbright Tolbooth and Tolbooth Art Centre' . Formerly a jail, it once housed the famous Admiral of the Russian and American fleets, John Paul Jones (born c 1747) aka 'Father of the American Navy', who was incarcerated there for killing a ship's carpenter. The jail may also have been the model for the prison in Sir Walter Scott's novel, 'Guy Mannering', published c 1815.
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 related to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it....
Q1. Kirkcudbright
Q2. E.A.Hornel (Edward Atkinson Hornel)
The initial clues seem to place us in the vicinity of Kirkcudbright, in the county of Dumfries and Galloway. The island mentioned in the hints, is probably Ross Island, as this sits just off the tip of the western side of Kirkcudbright bay. A lighthouse keeper (Robert Dickson) was convicted and hanged after being accused of the murder of one of his colleagues (Hugh Clark), c 1960.
The author who claimed that Kirkcudbright was "The sort of place where you either fish or paint", is most likely 'Dorothy L Sayers'. She published a novel (c 1931) called 'Five Red herrings', which featured an inspector MacPherson. An artist who was a member of a group called 'The Glasgow Boys' and who according to some of his biographies, had his home at Broughton house in Kirkcudbright, is probably E. A. Hornel (born c 1864). His painting titled 'Autumn' appears to be in the Tate gallery.
The castle in Kirkcudbright is not thought to be medieval but seems to gave been built c 1570, not long after the time Mary Queen of Scots was noising people up in Langside and losing. One of the town's art galleries is called 'Kirkcudbright Tolbooth and Tolbooth Art Centre' . Formerly a jail, it once housed the famous Admiral of the Russian and American fleets, John Paul Jones (born c 1747) aka 'Father of the American Navy', who was incarcerated there for killing a ship's carpenter. The jail may also have been the model for the prison in Sir Walter Scott's novel, 'Guy Mannering', published c 1815.
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 related to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it....
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