20 August 2024

Peter Smith writes:

If you noticed groups of people wandering around Thurcaston in a confused way one Tuesday evening in August – perhaps taking down details from telegraph poles, staring towards the rooftops or peering at defibrillator instructions – there’s no need for concern: it was just the Local History Society doing something a little different to end our summer programme with a Treasure Hunt around the village.  Our member Barbara Bradley, working with Jim Matthews, had devised the fiendish clues, which required sharp observation and lateral – some might say twisted – thinking.  To keep within the aims of the Society, there were bonus points for historical knowledge.  Rarely can Danger Mouse and Hugh Latimer have featured in the same event!

All the teams managed to make it back to the Wheatsheaf before dark for the solutions to be revealed, prizes to be awarded and a convivial end to the evening.

Barbara Bradley writes:

If you thought an hour’s wander around the village answering a few questions was difficult, try setting the questions.  The original hunt (thanks Jim) being 2 years old had to be checked:  were the answers still visible, still there, still relevant?  Notices had been bleached out and garden ornaments had disappeared with former residents or been engulfed by the rewilding trend!

We checked and rechecked that each clue was unambiguous and could be seen from the path by standing and sitting hunters.  We even rechecked the route before printing the hunt sheets the day before!

The winning team was only 3 points short of perfect and most people are still speaking to me.  So “All’s well that ends well”, as someone once said.

Bonus point if you can name him!