22nd October,2010 James is 33 today.
I will start collecting material for this blog which,hopefully, will start to accumulate the information I need. I am still not satisfied with this title but it will do as a working hypothesis. The accumulation of books and the re-reading of some of them will help me get around the coast. I am not sure where to start but let us consider some of the big names. 'Holiday at Arnriggs' by Mabel Esther Allan is probably the best jumping off place that I can think of. This pitches me straight into Robin Hood's Bay in North East Yorkshire. That leads us into Whitby and Malcolm Saville. 'Mystery Mine' and 'The Buckinghams at Ravenswyke' are the obvious ones. Percy F. Westerman and Standish take us on to the cliffs at Ravenscar. There is also the interesting Theresa Tomlinson to start me thinking again. 'The Blackspit Smigglers' by Lennox Kerr starts us on a journey that takes us back to Peter Dawlish and the 'Dauntless' stories. Dawlish is in Devon/Cornwall,
I have ordered 'Mystery at Blackgang' and hope that it turns up so that I can tackle the Isle of Wight which takes me back to Percy Westerman and John Westerman again. 'The Key of England' and David Divine also takes me on to 'Three Red Flares' and Chicester. Lois Lamplugh takes me round to the coast of North Devon and I should not forget the story about Lundy. What about that Pigeongramme Puzzle? There is also that story about Llandudno and the Great Orme. JUst where is 'Last Horse on the Sands'set by Catherall. Rooskie and the Solway also cross my mind. Of great ports there is Liverpool,Carlisle,Chester and those islands in the Dee. What about those stories on Anglesey and Percy emerges again. Didn't Percy also take Alan Carr to Dundee and the Tay.