MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Tizer]

Tripps has got the general location, High Wycombe, which has been a centre for furniture making due to the abundance of beech trees on the Chilterns. Of course, Stanley is onto it too with bodgers who made chair legs with their lathes in the woods. Any ideas on the exact location? I know where it is because my sister-in-law took the photo but I'm still trying to find out why it's there and not anywhere else in the locality. Have a look back at my clue - `The ghost of a former Prime Minister probably enjoys walking through the arch'.

[Tripps]

I had to follow this up, and all credit to the miracle that is google- Benjamin Disraeli ?

[Tizer]

Well done, Tripps. Yes, it's at Hughenden Manor in High Wycombe which is now owned by the National Trust and was once the home of Disraeli. I still haven't found any more information about the arch so I've emailed Hughenden Manor (as one does) and made a polite enquiry. I will report back in due course.

Incidentally, Wikipedia says that: `During the Second World War, Hughenden Manor was used as a secret intelligence base code-named "Hillside". The UK Air Ministry staff at the manor analysed aerial photography of Germany and created maps for bombing missions, including the famous "Dambusters" raid.' LINK

[PanBiker]

Incidentally, Wikipedia says that: `During the Second World War, Hughenden Manor was used as a secret intelligence base code-named "Hillside". The UK Air Ministry staff at the manor analysed aerial photography of Germany and created maps for bombing missions, including the famous "Dambusters" raid.

These would be the stereoscopic image interpreters no doubt. They spotted the V1 sites and the first sighting of a V2 missile ready to launch through that technique also.

[plaques]

Benjamin Disraeli, Twice Prime Minister. A double chairman?

[Stanley]

I looked at the images for Hughenden Manor in High Wycombe, there's a stereo picture viewer on there so you're right on that count Tiz but no image of the chairs.....

[Tizer]

Benjamin Disraeli, Twice Prime Minister. A double chairman?

Haha! Very good, Plaques.
I wait with bated breath (cliche alert!) for a reply from the Manor.
High Wycombe has had more than its fair share of secret war ops. When we lived there one of our friends was a senior officer at the Strategic Air Command site at Walter's Ash which had been Bomber Command HQ during WW2. RAF High Wycombe There was also the USAF site at Daws Hill. In the 1980s we knew that we wouldn't suffer if war broke out - we'd all be vaporised after 4 minutes of war!

Later...A reply from Hughenden Manor: `Thank you for your email, we have a card attached to the arch which explains the story behind the installation and on our Christmas at Hughenden page on our website it references the chair arch too. We built it ourselves as part of our Christmas decorations to celebrate Queen Victoria's visit to the Manor in 1877. The Wycombe Chair Museum website has a fascinating history of chair making in High Wycombe if you did want to find out more and you can see pictures of the original chair arch that was built by the town too.' This is on their web page: `Follow in the footsteps of Queen Victoria when she came for lunch at the Manor with her daughter Princess Beatrice. You’ll be greeted, as they were, by a giant chair arch, just like the furniture-makers of Wycombe made for the Queen’s arrival.' The Wycombe Chair Museum states: `Illustrations are displayed of the customary Chair arches built to commemorate important occasions in High Wycombe such as the visits of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and later Queen Elizabeth.'

A council web page tells us: `Visits to the town by important people were sometimes celebrated by arches of chairs which were erected across the High Street between the Guildhall and the houses opposite. The most famous of these arches which celebrated the arrival of Prince Edward in 1880 shows the sheer range of chairs that were made in the area by this time. The base of the arch consisted of Windsors but the rest was made up of a great variety of different styles.' https://www.wycombe.gov.uk/pages/Sports ... combe.aspx

There are several images of the old chair arches in the town if you search google with the words: High Wycombe history Chair arch. For example on this page: LINK

[Stanley]

Fascinating. I saw some of the arches on their site yesterday.
Now try this one....

[Cathy]

Is it a type of Stanley knife where you can hold the blade in place at certain points?

[Stanley]

You're on almost the right track Cathy but it isn't a knife.

[Stanley]

Ask yourselves why has it got a clip built in for a top pocket?

[Tizer]

Retractable tweezers/forceps?

[Stanley]

This one has evidently foxed you all. I'd better come clean.



It's a holder for sticks of hard chalk used for marking rough castings.
Next one?

[Stanley]

All right, I give in..... Try this one!



What can you tell me about this.

[Gloria]

Just a guess.....a diamond mine in Australia? Or, the entrance to Sabdem Treacle Mine?

[plaques]

Cave on the Isle of Eigg? Which and why, I can't remember.

[Stanley]

Sorry Gloria, no. Very warm P!

[Stanley]

No takers? I'll give it one more day. Concentrate on the Isle of Eigg.

[Gloria]

The massacre cave, sounds horrific.

[Stanley]

Well done Gloria! That's it. In 1577 a party of McLeod raiders from Skye found most of the population of the island hiding in the cave, lit a fire at the entrance and suffocated an unknown number of them, thought to be over 100.
Next one?

[Stanley]

A very distinctive rock formation on Eigg. What can you tell me about how it was formed and what was found underneath it. I think Tiz has to hold back on this one....

[Tizer]

I'm saying nowt!

[Stanley]

You may be called upon later. Come on the rest of you! This just calls for a bit of research, it's well documented.

[chinatyke]

The Sgurr of Eigg.

I thought using search engines was against the spirit of this thread?

spoiler

[Stanley]

This thread encourages people to learn new things....
Your spoiler is dead accurate but omits one fact. What evidence is there for the filling of the valley?