Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, the most likely answers this week seem to me to be :

Q1. Liverpool

Q2. Harvey Lonsdale Elmes

The three graces clue is a bit of a give away, this is what they call the three buildings which stand at a place called Pier Head in the magical and marvelous city of Liverpool, which spawned the 'Quarrymen' (gawd bless 'em) who later evolved into the Beatles, who ye all know and ken. The buildings are 'The Royal Liver Building' built circa 1908 - 1911 (295ft high with some sculpted liver birds on top) and 102 years old, the 'Cunard building' built circa 1914 - 1916 and the 'Port of Liverpool building' built circa 1903 - 1907. The author is probably referring to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, which claims to be one of the oldest surviving in the UK (founded c 1840). The city was nearly destroyed by a wicked auld witch and an army of blue meanies back in the nineteen eighties but she fell off her broomstick after swooping a bit too low and being hit by groundfire from a flak tower over near Paddy's Wigwam and won't ever be coming back. Die hexe was last seen being carried back to London by her meanies, trailing smoke and screeching like a demented banshee.

An actor who some sources say was born in the Dingle, in Liverpool c1900 and who starred in a radio show called 'Band Waggon', is most likely Arthur Askey. An artist who is famous for painting horses and born in Liverpool c1724 was George Stubbs. A cathedral south east of Pier Head is Liverpool Anglican cathedral which the sources I checked, claim has a tower which is 331 feet high. It is also reported to have an organ and a sculpture unveiled in 1993 called 'The Risen Christ' by Elisabeth Frink, who unfortunately died from cancer shortly after completing it.

A neo classical building around three quarters of a mile north west of the cathedral and beside Lime street station, is St George's Hall. The references I checked for this claim that the main hall is around 169 feet long, that it has an organ and that two architects worked on its construction,from 1841 - 1854. They were Harvey Lonsdale Elmes (b 1814 - 1847) who died before it was completed and Sir Charles Cockerell (1788 - 1863) who took over the project when Elmes passed away. Frank Hornby a manufacturer of toy trains and railway stations, is said to have been born in Liverpool.

Where Was I?