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. Grantham
Q2. Saint Wulfram
The initial clues seem to place us north west of Bourne, in Lincolnshire, at 'Grimsthorpe Castle', which originates c 13th century and was remodelled for the owner, 'Robert Bertie' by the architect 'Sir John Vanbrugh' c 18th century. 'Lady Nancy Astor' died in the castle c 1964 and was the first woman MP to take up her seat in the house of commons c 1919, the first woman elected prior to that (Constance Markievicz) could not take up their seat, as they would not swear the oath of fealty. Nancy Astor was apparently a gifted practitioner in the art of banter and bandinage and one account of a verbal sparring session with Winston Churchill, made the Eastender laugh out loud when he read it...
Lady Nancy Astor : "Winston, if you were my husband, I'd poison your tea"
Churchill : "Nancy, if I were your husband, I'd drink it..."
I digress, the seventeenth century house is probably 'Belton House', which lies on the North Eastern outskirts of the town of Grantham. Some of the reference sources I checked claim that this was built for Sir John Brownlow c 1680s and subsequently altered c 1770, by the architect 'James Wyatt' (born c 1746). A clairaudient medium born in Grantham c 1920, was probably 'Doris Stokes', her autobiography was titled 'Voices in My Ear'. The mathematician Isaac Newton (born c 1642) was according to some of his biographies, educated at the 'Free Grammar School of King Edward VI', in Grantham.
The hotel which later became a shopping centre is probably 'the George', which features in a Charles Dickens book called Nicholas Nickleby, published c 1838/39. A church with a two hundred and eighty two feet high spire in Grantham, is most likely 'St Wulfram's'. St Wulfram's feast day is in some reference sources, recorded as being on the 20th March. The puzzle author is 'Handbagged' probably as a veiled reference to Mrs Thatcher, who was born in Grantham.
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured, if you have a comment or quip relating to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
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