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. Pocklington
Q2. Carlton Towers
The initial clues seem to place us in the town of P[o][c]klington, in one of the Eastender's favourite parts of the big British island, namely the East Riding of Yorkshire. An anti slavery campaigner, who was born c 1759, is probably William Wilberforce. According to some of his biographies, he was educated at Hull Grammar School, Mr Chalmer's school in Putney (London) and c 1771 to 1776, he was a boarder at Pocklington school. Pocklington canal, from some of the sources I checked, appears to have opened for business c 1818 and joins the river Derwent, to the south west of the settlement.
The garden with over one hundred varieties of Water Lily is known variously as 'Stewart's Burnby Hall Gardens & Museum' or 'Bu[r]nby Hall Gardens' and it looks like a good ol' Norman boy called Henry I was the king who was born in Se[l]by c 1068.
This is where things now become a little tricky, for the abbey at Selby has two 14th century windows and a twentieth century window with some glass that originates from the medieval period. The windows listed on the abbey's web page are: 'The Je[s]se [W]indow' (c 14th Century), 'The Washington Window' (14th century glass but thought to have been constructed c 15th century and is a depiction of the coat of arms of the family of the first president of the United States of America, George Washington) and the 'St Germain' window which was trashed by 'ooligans during the commonwealth period, when a temporary republic was declared by the Roundheads. This window contains some of the original glass from the medieval period but a lot of it is newer as it was rebuilt later (c 20th century) by a Miss Standering, so the one which is the best fit for the given clues, is the Jesse Window.
A two hundred and fifteen mile long path which passes through Selby, is probably the [T]rans Pennine Trail and a village (not a town) where a battle was fought c 1645 to the west of Selby is most likely 'Sh[e]rbur[n] in Elmet', which again looks like a fraicas involving both cavalry and infantry, which occurred during the English civil war, an encounter in which the Parliamentarians were only just victorious.
South South East from Sherburn In Elmet, would bring us to the town of 'Kn[o][t]tingly' (which fits with the tangle hint) where the Aire and Calder navigation seems also to be named the 'Knottingly & Goole canal'.
James Bond's enemy in this case is not Blofeld, Largo, Goldfinger or Scaramanga but the malevolent eugenecist Hugo Drax ( as played by Michael Lonsdale) in the film Moonraker (c 1979). The 'D[r][a]x' power station (opened c 1974) lies around six miles or so north east of where the canal has two names on the OS map. Now assembling the clues and trying to match them to a Gothic stately home which originates to c 1614, gives:
1. P[o][c]klington O C
2. Bu[r]nby Hall R
3. Se[l]by L
4. Je[s]se [W]indow S W
5. [T]rans Pennine Trail T
6. Sh[e]rbur[n] in Elmet E N
7. Kn[o][t]ingly O T
8. D[r][a]x R A
A stately home which lies around a mile or so south of the Drax power station and which fits the description of Gothic dating back to c 1614, is 'Carlton Towers' and the letters extracted from the clues, when re-arranged, fit with the name of this house.
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, 16 July 2016
Saturday, 9 July 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 Gloucester and Sharpness Canal
Q2. Sir Peter Scott
The initial clues seem to place us near the city of Gloucester, which is at the northern end of the sixteen mile long Gloucester and Sharpness canal. Some of the reference sources I checked claim that this was opened c 1827 and was once one of the broadest and deepest navigations in the world.
The architect born c 1780 who designed the Royal Mint (c 1809), is probably Sir Robert Smirke. Smirke designed Hardwicke Court, an elegant Georgian house near the village of Hardwicke, which was completed c 1816-17 and this looks to be a good fit direction and distance wise from Gloucester, for the hints given.
Travelling south from Hardwicke would bring us into proximity with the remains of the Stroudwater navigation (closed c 1954), which used to have a junction with the Gloucester and Sharpness canal, prior to joining the river Severn.
The wildfowl centre is most likely Slimbridge, which is in the correct location for the given clues and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust there, was founded by the son of the explorer Captain Scott of the Antarctic, Sir Peter Scott c 1946. The remains of the Severn railway bridge can be seen near Sharpness. This collapsed c 1960 after being hit by a barge.
The two hundred and twenty four mile path is probably the Severn way and the docks at Sharpness appear to have opened c 1874. The puzzle author is not joking about the tides there, some reference sources claim that a tsunami travelled up the river Severn c 1607, which was caused by a geological fault line lying off the southern coast of Ireland. Die flutwelle katastrophe reportedly killed around two thousand people living along the Severn and was exacerbated by the same narrowing of the river that produces the Severn bore. The fault is still active and there may not be any tsunami warning systems in place to alert the local residents, should the fault slip again..
Q1. The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal
Q2. Sir Peter Scott
The initial clues seem to place us near the city of Gloucester, which is at the northern end of the sixteen mile long Gloucester and Sharpness canal. Some of the reference sources I checked claim that this was opened c 1827 and was once one of the broadest and deepest navigations in the world.
The architect born c 1780 who designed the Royal Mint (c 1809), is probably Sir Robert Smirke. Smirke designed Hardwicke Court, an elegant Georgian house near the village of Hardwicke, which was completed c 1816-17 and this looks to be a good fit direction and distance wise from Gloucester, for the hints given.
Travelling south from Hardwicke would bring us into proximity with the remains of the Stroudwater navigation (closed c 1954), which used to have a junction with the Gloucester and Sharpness canal, prior to joining the river Severn.
The wildfowl centre is most likely Slimbridge, which is in the correct location for the given clues and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust there, was founded by the son of the explorer Captain Scott of the Antarctic, Sir Peter Scott c 1946. The remains of the Severn railway bridge can be seen near Sharpness. This collapsed c 1960 after being hit by a barge.
The two hundred and twenty four mile path is probably the Severn way and the docks at Sharpness appear to have opened c 1874. The puzzle author is not joking about the tides there, some reference sources claim that a tsunami travelled up the river Severn c 1607, which was caused by a geological fault line lying off the southern coast of Ireland. Die flutwelle katastrophe reportedly killed around two thousand people living along the Severn and was exacerbated by the same narrowing of the river that produces the Severn bore. The fault is still active and there may not be any tsunami warning systems in place to alert the local residents, should the fault slip again..
Saturday, 2 July 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 River Wandle
Q2. Merton
The initial clues seem to place us at one of the sources of the eleven mile long river Wandle, possibly at Waddon ponds, Croydon, in the county of Surrey. I couldn't find any references to a king dying c 984 AD in the area but a bishop called Aethelwold, according to some of his biographies, died in the adjacent suburb of Beddington, c 984 AD. From looking at the OS map, the remains of a Roman villa and bath house lie near the sewage farm at Beddington . The villa and bath house survived mostly intact until c 1898 when it was accidentally vaporised by a shot away Martian fighting machine en route back to its base at Horsell Common, when the operator, being somewhat unused to Earth germs, sneezed and pulled the trigger on the craft's heat ray. Sir Francis Carew, according to some of his biographies, was one of the first people to grow oranges on his land at Beddington. He is thought to have been given the seeds by Sir Walter Raleigh.
The other main source of the Wandle, appears to be the Carshalton ponds and this is the area where an author called William Hale White (born c 1831) lived for a time. Hale White used the nom de plume 'Mark Rutherford' and published a work called 'Catharine Furze' c 1893.
Travelling three miles or so North North West of Carshalton, would bring us to the district of Merton. Merton seems to have had an Augustinian priory, which according to some sources was founded c 1114 by Gilbert Norman and was as usual, destroyed by Henry VIII. A parliament was held at Merton Priory c 1236 and this produced the 'First Statute of Merton'. The king who held his coronation ceremony at Merton Priory c 1437 was probably Henry VI. A writer born c 1873 at 5 Fair Lawn Villas, Merton, Surrey was Ford Madox Ford. Madox Ford published a tetralogy called 'Parade's End' c 1924 - 1928, which was about a suffragette called Valentine Wannop. Admiral Horatio Nelson appears to have shared a house in Merton with Emma Hamilton.
I found some reference sources which claim that there were around 100 mills operating on the Wandle at one time and an 'Edmund Littler' purchased Merton Abbey print works c 1875. A printer and socialist called William Morris also had a workshop there and both these outfits used to produce items for the store Liberty.
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 that related to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Q1. The River Wandle
Q2. Merton
The initial clues seem to place us at one of the sources of the eleven mile long river Wandle, possibly at Waddon ponds, Croydon, in the county of Surrey. I couldn't find any references to a king dying c 984 AD in the area but a bishop called Aethelwold, according to some of his biographies, died in the adjacent suburb of Beddington, c 984 AD. From looking at the OS map, the remains of a Roman villa and bath house lie near the sewage farm at Beddington . The villa and bath house survived mostly intact until c 1898 when it was accidentally vaporised by a shot away Martian fighting machine en route back to its base at Horsell Common, when the operator, being somewhat unused to Earth germs, sneezed and pulled the trigger on the craft's heat ray. Sir Francis Carew, according to some of his biographies, was one of the first people to grow oranges on his land at Beddington. He is thought to have been given the seeds by Sir Walter Raleigh.
The other main source of the Wandle, appears to be the Carshalton ponds and this is the area where an author called William Hale White (born c 1831) lived for a time. Hale White used the nom de plume 'Mark Rutherford' and published a work called 'Catharine Furze' c 1893.
Travelling three miles or so North North West of Carshalton, would bring us to the district of Merton. Merton seems to have had an Augustinian priory, which according to some sources was founded c 1114 by Gilbert Norman and was as usual, destroyed by Henry VIII. A parliament was held at Merton Priory c 1236 and this produced the 'First Statute of Merton'. The king who held his coronation ceremony at Merton Priory c 1437 was probably Henry VI. A writer born c 1873 at 5 Fair Lawn Villas, Merton, Surrey was Ford Madox Ford. Madox Ford published a tetralogy called 'Parade's End' c 1924 - 1928, which was about a suffragette called Valentine Wannop. Admiral Horatio Nelson appears to have shared a house in Merton with Emma Hamilton.
I found some reference sources which claim that there were around 100 mills operating on the Wandle at one time and an 'Edmund Littler' purchased Merton Abbey print works c 1875. A printer and socialist called William Morris also had a workshop there and both these outfits used to produce items for the store Liberty.
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 that related to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Saturday, 25 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. 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.....
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, 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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