Very tricky this week, much to research and therefore lots of fun. Near as I can figure it, the most likely answers seem to me to be:
Q1. Bridgwater
Q2. The Alfred Jewel
N.B. for question 2, this item is sometimes known as 'Alfred's Jewel'
The initial clues place us in the county of Somerset, specifically the town of Bridgwater, where a cleaning product which sounds like a city a ways to the north ie the Bath Brick, was manufactured. According to some sources, this was made from clay and was patented c1823 by William Champion and John Browne. Some of the references claim that 24 million of these were produced there. A tea merchant and museum founder, who was born in Bridgwater c1835, is most likely Frederick John Horniman. The firm W.H & F.J. Horniman was said by one source in 1891 'to be the largest tea firm in the world'.
Around four miles (ish) south east of Bridgwater lies a hamlet called Burrowbridge and it is here that a hill with a ruined church on it (St Michael's) lies, which is known variously as 'Burrow Mump', 'St Michael's Mump' or 'Michelborowe'. I found some references which claim that the mump is around 24 meters or 78 feet high. There are some references which say it may have been a fort of King Alfred c 9th century and a treasure which was found, five miles or so to the north north west in Newton Park, North Petherton c1693, is most likely to be 'The Alfred Jewel', which is believed to have been some kind of ornate pointing device used in ancient powerpoint presentations.
Four miles or so west of North Petherton, lies the 'lost garden' of Fyne Court. It is described as 'lost' because they have done something amazingly sensible and let it return to nature. The Manor house at Fyne Court is said to have burned down in 1894 and was the home of a polymath and poet called Andrew Crosse. The references I checked say that he was known locally as 'The Thunder and Lightning Man', because of his experiments involving electrical discharges from Leyden jars and Voltaic piles. Crosse does seem to have strung copper wires all over his estate in a bid to measure the polarity of the atmosphere during different weather conditions . His poetry was believed to have been inspired by an area of outstanding natural beauty called 'The Quantock Hills'. Samuel Taylor Coleridge is said to have had a cottage at Nether Stowey, which lies around five miles north north west-ish from Fyne Court.
Link to the competition
Where Was I?
Saturday, 25 May 2013
Saturday, 18 May 2013
Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Puzzle
Not much sport in it this week. The most likely answers, near as I can figure it, seem to me to be;
Q1. Bury St Edmunds
Q2. Mary Tudor
N.B for question 2, Mary Tudor was also known as Mary Rose (Henry the Eighth's sister) and Queen of France.
The initial clues place us in the town of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk and a literary character who visited and called it a 'handsome little town' was most likely Samuel Pickwick, in Charles Dicken's novel 'The Pickwick Papers'. Both Pickwick and Dickens are said to have stayed at 'The Angel' hotel in Bury St Edmunds (Dickens for real and Pickwick in prose). According to the English Heritage site, the Abbey in the settlement was built c1020, by some good ol' Normans. St Edmundsbury cathedral, which according to some references was awarded that status c 1914, stands very close to the Angel hotel, within the grounds of the ruined abbey (Henry the eighth's work, no doubt).
King Edmund, who the town is partially named after, was martyred there by some rowdy heathen Danish tourists c903 (some heathens can be a bit more dangerous than pagans, because they are known to put curses on people) on the orders of one Ivar 'The Boneless' and his brother Ubbe Ragnarsson, who had him shot full of arrows and then decapitated,with his head being thrown into the forest. Some sources claim that his supporters later found the head, because a wolf was standing beside it howling, hence his symbols being the arrow or the wolf.
It is believed that king John held a meeting with his barons in Bury St Edmunds, to discuss his tyrannical behaviour, with them making him an offer he could not understand (possibly the charter of liberties), which resulted in the signing of the Magna Carta at Runnymede c 1215. Scene I in Shakespeare's 'Henry VI', features a meeting of the parliament in the abbey at Bury St Edmunds and the quote 'Smooth runs the water, where the brook is deep' is thought to originate from this play.
St Mary's church in Bury, which appears to lie to the south south east of the hotel (not to the east), is said by some references, to be the burial site of Mary Tudor (aka Mary Rose and the Queen of France) b c 1496. The Theatre Royal in Bury was designed by an architect called William Wilkins b c 1778. Wilkins is known to have designed several colleges, among them University College in London. The pub which claims to be the smallest in Britain, is 'The Nutshell', it's dimensions are said to be 15ft x 7ft.
Link to the competition:
Where Was I?
Q1. Bury St Edmunds
Q2. Mary Tudor
N.B for question 2, Mary Tudor was also known as Mary Rose (Henry the Eighth's sister) and Queen of France.
The initial clues place us in the town of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk and a literary character who visited and called it a 'handsome little town' was most likely Samuel Pickwick, in Charles Dicken's novel 'The Pickwick Papers'. Both Pickwick and Dickens are said to have stayed at 'The Angel' hotel in Bury St Edmunds (Dickens for real and Pickwick in prose). According to the English Heritage site, the Abbey in the settlement was built c1020, by some good ol' Normans. St Edmundsbury cathedral, which according to some references was awarded that status c 1914, stands very close to the Angel hotel, within the grounds of the ruined abbey (Henry the eighth's work, no doubt).
King Edmund, who the town is partially named after, was martyred there by some rowdy heathen Danish tourists c903 (some heathens can be a bit more dangerous than pagans, because they are known to put curses on people) on the orders of one Ivar 'The Boneless' and his brother Ubbe Ragnarsson, who had him shot full of arrows and then decapitated,with his head being thrown into the forest. Some sources claim that his supporters later found the head, because a wolf was standing beside it howling, hence his symbols being the arrow or the wolf.
It is believed that king John held a meeting with his barons in Bury St Edmunds, to discuss his tyrannical behaviour, with them making him an offer he could not understand (possibly the charter of liberties), which resulted in the signing of the Magna Carta at Runnymede c 1215. Scene I in Shakespeare's 'Henry VI', features a meeting of the parliament in the abbey at Bury St Edmunds and the quote 'Smooth runs the water, where the brook is deep' is thought to originate from this play.
St Mary's church in Bury, which appears to lie to the south south east of the hotel (not to the east), is said by some references, to be the burial site of Mary Tudor (aka Mary Rose and the Queen of France) b c 1496. The Theatre Royal in Bury was designed by an architect called William Wilkins b c 1778. Wilkins is known to have designed several colleges, among them University College in London. The pub which claims to be the smallest in Britain, is 'The Nutshell', it's dimensions are said to be 15ft x 7ft.
Link to the competition:
Where Was I?
Saturday, 11 May 2013
Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition
Marvellously entertaining this week , much nacht und nebel, red herrings and misdirection to contend with but the Eastender shall Sigurd like, durch rauch und waberlohe, endeavour to persevere to find the most likely answers....which near as I can figure it this week, seem to me to be :
Q1. Gavin Maxwell
Q2. Whithorn
The initial clues place us in the Dumfries and Galloway region of Scotland, more specifically at a hamlet called Elrig, which was according to some sources, once home to an eccentric writer who kept pet otters, one Gavin Maxwell (b July 15 1914). Things become a bit tricky here as there are more castles and hill forts in this part of the world than you can shake a stick at, the puzzle writer could mean Myrton castle, which lies to the southeast of Elrig and although described as a 16th century L shaped tower house, the references say it was actually built on a 12th century motte. From the distances given, a more likely fit is Druchtag Motte, near Mochrum. This is also thought to be circa 12th century and from the photographs I looked at seems to me to be extraordinarily beautiful, puts me in mind of the mysterious mound at Silbury hill.
Travelling around three miles south as der drachen fliegt, from Druchtag motte brings us to the Barsalloch iron age hill fort, perched on top of a cliff. This is believed by some to have been a defended farmstead. Roughly six miles east of the fort lies the town of Whithorn and it is here that some sources claim a journalist called John Ramsay McCulloch was born c 1789. McCulloch was big time into economics and was an amazingly prolific writer on the subject, there are references which claim he wrote a book called 'The Literature of Political Economy' c 1845 and it is also claimed that he became editor of 'The Scotsman' newspaper c 1817.
Southeast of the town lies the cave of St.Ninian, a fifth century shaman (feast day 26th August or 16th September, depending on which sect you belong to) who was a bit like Terrence McKenna and used to smoke DMT in order to commune with self dribbling basketball creatures and therianthropes in the nether worlds, which are believed to have imparted words of great wisdom to him, that he then relayed back to the rest of the tribe from the pulpit in church on Sundays. The ordnance survey map shows a St Ninian's chapel around four miles or so, due east of the cave's location.
There appears to be a priory in Whithorn and the references say this was founded c12th century and was associated with saint Ninian. A stone, called the Latinus stone, dating back to 450 ad was found in this building, thought to be one of the oldest Christian monuments in Scotland, the inscription on it reads "We praise you the lord! Latinus descendent of Barravados, aged 35 and his daughter, aged 4, made a sign here".
Link to the competition:
Where Was I?
Q1. Gavin Maxwell
Q2. Whithorn
The initial clues place us in the Dumfries and Galloway region of Scotland, more specifically at a hamlet called Elrig, which was according to some sources, once home to an eccentric writer who kept pet otters, one Gavin Maxwell (b July 15 1914). Things become a bit tricky here as there are more castles and hill forts in this part of the world than you can shake a stick at, the puzzle writer could mean Myrton castle, which lies to the southeast of Elrig and although described as a 16th century L shaped tower house, the references say it was actually built on a 12th century motte. From the distances given, a more likely fit is Druchtag Motte, near Mochrum. This is also thought to be circa 12th century and from the photographs I looked at seems to me to be extraordinarily beautiful, puts me in mind of the mysterious mound at Silbury hill.
Travelling around three miles south as der drachen fliegt, from Druchtag motte brings us to the Barsalloch iron age hill fort, perched on top of a cliff. This is believed by some to have been a defended farmstead. Roughly six miles east of the fort lies the town of Whithorn and it is here that some sources claim a journalist called John Ramsay McCulloch was born c 1789. McCulloch was big time into economics and was an amazingly prolific writer on the subject, there are references which claim he wrote a book called 'The Literature of Political Economy' c 1845 and it is also claimed that he became editor of 'The Scotsman' newspaper c 1817.
Southeast of the town lies the cave of St.Ninian, a fifth century shaman (feast day 26th August or 16th September, depending on which sect you belong to) who was a bit like Terrence McKenna and used to smoke DMT in order to commune with self dribbling basketball creatures and therianthropes in the nether worlds, which are believed to have imparted words of great wisdom to him, that he then relayed back to the rest of the tribe from the pulpit in church on Sundays. The ordnance survey map shows a St Ninian's chapel around four miles or so, due east of the cave's location.
There appears to be a priory in Whithorn and the references say this was founded c12th century and was associated with saint Ninian. A stone, called the Latinus stone, dating back to 450 ad was found in this building, thought to be one of the oldest Christian monuments in Scotland, the inscription on it reads "We praise you the lord! Latinus descendent of Barravados, aged 35 and his daughter, aged 4, made a sign here".
Link to the competition:
Where Was I?
Saturday, 4 May 2013
Sunay Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition
Near as I can figure it, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:
Q1. Leeds
Q2. Cuthbert Brodrick
The initial clues point to the puzzle author's location being in the locale of the city of Leeds. The city's coat of arms has three owls on it and it also has an 'Owl Trail' where owls are located at various points of interest. Some sources say that the Middleton railway on the southern edge of Leeds, was the first railway to be granted powers by act of parliament c 1758. A canal in Leeds which the references claim had 91 locks, is likely to be the Leeds and Liverpool canal completed c 1816.
Ernie Wise is said to have been born in the Bramley district of Leeds c 1925 and appeared with his father in an act called 'Carson and Kid', before he joined forces with Eric Morecambe. Wellington station was built by the Leeds and Bradford railway c 1846 and Leeds town hall was, according to some references, designed by an architect called Cuthbert Brodrick (b c 1821) and completed c 1858. It is said that an international piano competition is sometimes held there.
A large stained glass roof is said to cover the Victiorian Quarter in Leeds, which is a shopping district that lies south east of the town hall. This area was designed by an architect called Frank Matcham (b c 1854) who was famous for designing theatres.
Link to the competition:
Where Was I?
Q1. Leeds
Q2. Cuthbert Brodrick
The initial clues point to the puzzle author's location being in the locale of the city of Leeds. The city's coat of arms has three owls on it and it also has an 'Owl Trail' where owls are located at various points of interest. Some sources say that the Middleton railway on the southern edge of Leeds, was the first railway to be granted powers by act of parliament c 1758. A canal in Leeds which the references claim had 91 locks, is likely to be the Leeds and Liverpool canal completed c 1816.
Ernie Wise is said to have been born in the Bramley district of Leeds c 1925 and appeared with his father in an act called 'Carson and Kid', before he joined forces with Eric Morecambe. Wellington station was built by the Leeds and Bradford railway c 1846 and Leeds town hall was, according to some references, designed by an architect called Cuthbert Brodrick (b c 1821) and completed c 1858. It is said that an international piano competition is sometimes held there.
A large stained glass roof is said to cover the Victiorian Quarter in Leeds, which is a shopping district that lies south east of the town hall. This area was designed by an architect called Frank Matcham (b c 1854) who was famous for designing theatres.
Link to the competition:
Where Was I?
Saturday, 27 April 2013
Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition
Little bit tricky this week, near as I can figure it, the most likely answers, seem to me to be:
Q1. Hythe
Q2. Colin MacInnes
The initial clues can cause some confusion as the author is not talking about optical mirrors but rather the concrete accoustic mirrors they built in various coastal areas of the UK before WWII, in an attempt to detect enemy aircraft by listening for their approach. They did work to an extent but due to the progress in aircraft engine technology and the resulting increase in speed, the warning time was short and the accoustic detection system was eventually replaced by radar. The issue is also confusing because there are concrete acccoustic mirrors in several British coastal locations and on an island on Greatstone lakes, on the edge of Greatstone on Sea, which is just down the road from Hythe but from the description, there is said to be in several references, a thirty foot concrete accoustic mirror on an area of land known as 'The Roughs' on the outskirts of the town of Hythe, in Kent.
A canal in the locale of Hythe, which was said to have been completed c1806, is most likely 'The Royal Military Canal' and a factory there which made 'Milk Stout' was Mackeson's which is reported to have ceased operations c1968. An author who lived in Hythe and penned a novel called 'The Heat of the Day' c1949, which featured characters called Stella Rodney and Robert Kellway, was Elizabeth Bowen. There is a tunnel near Sandling station north of the town but couldn't find any references relating it to a treaty, unless it has something to do with the Channel tunnel treaty, as the terminal is nearby, in Folkstone.
Francis Pettit Smith (b1808) is said by some sources to have invented the screw propellor, his father was the postmaster in Hythe and a lifeboat designer who is buried in the town is most likely Lionel Lukin. An author who wrote about a London pimp called 'Billy Whispers', in a novel called 'City of Spades' was Colin MacInnes, who is said to have lived in Hythe for a time. There is an eleventh century church in Hythe called St Leonard's and one of it's claims to fame is that it has a crypt full of bones, around 1,100 skulls and about 8000 thigh bones.
link to the competition:
Where Was I?
Q1. Hythe
Q2. Colin MacInnes
The initial clues can cause some confusion as the author is not talking about optical mirrors but rather the concrete accoustic mirrors they built in various coastal areas of the UK before WWII, in an attempt to detect enemy aircraft by listening for their approach. They did work to an extent but due to the progress in aircraft engine technology and the resulting increase in speed, the warning time was short and the accoustic detection system was eventually replaced by radar. The issue is also confusing because there are concrete acccoustic mirrors in several British coastal locations and on an island on Greatstone lakes, on the edge of Greatstone on Sea, which is just down the road from Hythe but from the description, there is said to be in several references, a thirty foot concrete accoustic mirror on an area of land known as 'The Roughs' on the outskirts of the town of Hythe, in Kent.
A canal in the locale of Hythe, which was said to have been completed c1806, is most likely 'The Royal Military Canal' and a factory there which made 'Milk Stout' was Mackeson's which is reported to have ceased operations c1968. An author who lived in Hythe and penned a novel called 'The Heat of the Day' c1949, which featured characters called Stella Rodney and Robert Kellway, was Elizabeth Bowen. There is a tunnel near Sandling station north of the town but couldn't find any references relating it to a treaty, unless it has something to do with the Channel tunnel treaty, as the terminal is nearby, in Folkstone.
Francis Pettit Smith (b1808) is said by some sources to have invented the screw propellor, his father was the postmaster in Hythe and a lifeboat designer who is buried in the town is most likely Lionel Lukin. An author who wrote about a London pimp called 'Billy Whispers', in a novel called 'City of Spades' was Colin MacInnes, who is said to have lived in Hythe for a time. There is an eleventh century church in Hythe called St Leonard's and one of it's claims to fame is that it has a crypt full of bones, around 1,100 skulls and about 8000 thigh bones.
link to the competition:
Where Was I?
Saturday, 20 April 2013
Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition
They might as well just have posted the answers up, which near as I can figure it this week, seem to me to be
Q1. The Union canal
Q2. Linlithgow
The initial clues place us in the town of Ratho, which lies on the western edge of Scotland's second city, Edinburgh. A canal which starts twenty miles away at Grangemouth and which was constructed c1790, is most likely the Forth and Clyde canal. The second canal, which from the sources I checked follows a contour of around 240 feet, is most likely the Union canal, which was constructed circa 1818 - 1822. The town of Ratho, which the canal passes through, claims to have the worlds largest indoor climbing centre and was according to some references, the birthplace of a sculptor called David Watson Stevenson, whose works included a statue called 'Highland Mary'. I found several references which claim that the Union canal had an eleven flight lock, which was demolished, possibly some time during the 1930s.....
The three aqueducts on the Union canal are Slateford aqueduct, Almond aqueduct (aka Lin's Mill aqueduct) and Avon aqueduct. The one which best fits the description is the Almond aqueduct which from the satellite picture has five arches and according to the references checked is said to be 420 feet long. A little way northeast of the aqueduct lies a railway viaduct called the 'Birds Mill Viaduct' which looks to be a good fit for the description given by the puzzle author, there is a much larger viaduct further north which crosses the Almond valley (Almond Aqueduct) but this is said to be around two kilometers long.
The second town is most likely to be Linlithgow and it was here that the battle of Linlithgow bridge was fought on sept 4th 1526. The battle is said to be the result of an attempt to bust the young king james V out of jail in Edinburgh, where he was being held captive by Archibald Douglass. The rescuer army was headed by a guy called the Earl of Lennox and consisted of around 10,000 men. He made the classic mistake of getting bottle necked trying to cross the river and Douglass's reinforcements from Edinburgh defeated them, with the loss of around 3000 men.
Linlithgow palace was said to have been renovated by James I of Scotland (mother Annabella Drummond) and the king was murdered by assassins at Blackfriars in Perth c1437. People from Linlithgow are known locally as 'Black Bitches' as this is the name of the oldest pub there and because of the legend of the black dog which swam out to an island on Linlithgow loch, to bring food to a man who was condemned to die by starvation by being chained up there. Unfortunately, the local goon squad caught the poor auld dog and chained it up on an island to starve as well.
Link to the competition:
Where Was I?
Q1. The Union canal
Q2. Linlithgow
The initial clues place us in the town of Ratho, which lies on the western edge of Scotland's second city, Edinburgh. A canal which starts twenty miles away at Grangemouth and which was constructed c1790, is most likely the Forth and Clyde canal. The second canal, which from the sources I checked follows a contour of around 240 feet, is most likely the Union canal, which was constructed circa 1818 - 1822. The town of Ratho, which the canal passes through, claims to have the worlds largest indoor climbing centre and was according to some references, the birthplace of a sculptor called David Watson Stevenson, whose works included a statue called 'Highland Mary'. I found several references which claim that the Union canal had an eleven flight lock, which was demolished, possibly some time during the 1930s.....
The three aqueducts on the Union canal are Slateford aqueduct, Almond aqueduct (aka Lin's Mill aqueduct) and Avon aqueduct. The one which best fits the description is the Almond aqueduct which from the satellite picture has five arches and according to the references checked is said to be 420 feet long. A little way northeast of the aqueduct lies a railway viaduct called the 'Birds Mill Viaduct' which looks to be a good fit for the description given by the puzzle author, there is a much larger viaduct further north which crosses the Almond valley (Almond Aqueduct) but this is said to be around two kilometers long.
The second town is most likely to be Linlithgow and it was here that the battle of Linlithgow bridge was fought on sept 4th 1526. The battle is said to be the result of an attempt to bust the young king james V out of jail in Edinburgh, where he was being held captive by Archibald Douglass. The rescuer army was headed by a guy called the Earl of Lennox and consisted of around 10,000 men. He made the classic mistake of getting bottle necked trying to cross the river and Douglass's reinforcements from Edinburgh defeated them, with the loss of around 3000 men.
Linlithgow palace was said to have been renovated by James I of Scotland (mother Annabella Drummond) and the king was murdered by assassins at Blackfriars in Perth c1437. People from Linlithgow are known locally as 'Black Bitches' as this is the name of the oldest pub there and because of the legend of the black dog which swam out to an island on Linlithgow loch, to bring food to a man who was condemned to die by starvation by being chained up there. Unfortunately, the local goon squad caught the poor auld dog and chained it up on an island to starve as well.
Link to the competition:
Where Was I?
Saturday, 13 April 2013
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.
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