Winslow History | Puzzle for the Boy Scouts, 1913

Puzzle for the Boy Scouts, 1913

Buckingham Advertiser, 19 April

Notes have been added in italics to identify the places, but the interpretation of the first four lines is uncertain.

BOY SCOUTS.

On Thursday evening, 10th April, the Winslow Troop of Boy Souts [sic] were set the task of unravelling a trail in verse, written specially for them by Mr. William Turnham, of this town. On assembling at their headquarters, the lines comprising the first stage were read to them, and copies handed to the two Patrol Leaders, as follows:-

“To reach your goal, begin by starting fair;
So this is my first word – act on the square.
My next, a hint as plain as mark of chalk,
Run if you like, but I advise a walk
To three broad roads: the left will prove the right; This appears to mean Western Lane
A paled gate then soon appears in sight,
Climb it, or if ‘twill open, through it pass,
And make your westward way across the grass.
Hug close the right-hand fence in the next field,
When soon to you a road will be revealed;
Cross it, and now your way lies up the hill,
To foreign land which many tenants till; Van Diemen's Land, south of Verney Road
The road at top is rough, but you will gain
Its end, and reach a road or country lane;
Dig at the nearest pole for hints, and they
Will guide you further on your devious way.”

The Troop then started off, and quickly made the first two points; but on arriving at the broad roads, the Fox Patrol were at fault, travelling the wrong road. However, they soon discovered their mistake, and without any further serious difficulty all arrived at the intended point on the Verney Road. Here they immediately set to work to obtain the further hints, and were successful in unearthing near the telegraph pole the following message, neatly enclosed in a bottle, which formerly had contained liver pills. The lines of the second stage were:-

“I hope no danger lie before you, for
Beyond the ford you enter fields of war;             Addington Park had been used in the recent army manoeuvres
A short way north, then tread the sodden plank,     The Planks bridge, Verney Road
Which fails to reach across from bank to bank;
North-east then steer, through whitened gates you pass,     Addington Lodge
And climb the hill by left-hand strip of grass.
The broad high-road you reach: right turn, quick march,
Or double if you like, to triple arch;      Railway bridge on A413
Then fields again, full south: a short half mile;     Footpath from railway embankment to Vicarage Road
Search carefully about the furthest stile;
What you find there, read thoughtfully, ‘twill show
What more you have to do, and where to go.”

Off again, each patrol anxious to lead the other: and “trouble” came, though not of a serious nature. Few indeed crossed by the sodden plank, but after crossing the railway, the patrols took diverse ways, the Pigeons here being the “defaulters”. They soon got back again to the right track along the highway, and together with the Foxes journeyed very leisurely the remainder of the second stage, to enable the stragglers to get up again. Upon arrival at the stile near the Vicarage another search – this time a very short one – revealed the final stage pasted inside a piece of folded brown paper, and adhering to the fence close by:

“To backsmith’s [sic] mill; then travel south to where          The Windmill
A pillar red is set upon the square;     Pillar box on Market Square
Full south from it, a house with rounded front,     14C Market Square
At foot of that, a line, within which, hunt:
And there the Scout who has the sharpest eyes,
Will find the thread that brings to him the prize.”

The Scouts soon fathomed this out, and were seen swarming round the house in the Market Square, full intent on the thread to which was attached the reward. It was, however, now getting quite dusk, and this, coupled with the ingenious device to disguise the prize – which in appearance closely resembled a match that had been lighted – made their task far from easy, and it was not until several minutes had elapsed that it was picked up by George Knight, a probationer, and on investigation proved to be a voucher entitling the finder to half-a-dozen photographs free, to be taken by Mr. J. H. Turnham, the well-known photographer. This concluded a very instructive and interesting evening, and it must have been a real pleasure to the author to see how thoroughly the Scouts had enjoyed their task. This best thanks are due to him for providing such a splendid meeting.

Notes

The Standard Theatre company toured the country: they were in Ross-on-Wye in February-March, Glastonbury in June, Droitwich in July, Southam in September. They set up at Ford Meadow at the end of September, and continued there until moving to Winslow on 23 Nov. The performances took place in a "large building".

The Swan Field later became the Sports Club, then the site of Winslow County Secondary School.