It was early in July in the year '08 that we found ourselves attached to a most singular quest the like of which has baffled many an Inspector of Scotland Yard. Mr Justice contacted me via telegram and, thus despatched, we conjoined the others that had been marked out from the crowd as to attack this insidious case.

There I stood, Dr Haswell, a man who has flung himself to the vagaries of fate in the career of a newfangled Photographer having sold my Mechanical Calculating practise for a pretty sum. Joining us was Kev, an enigmatic figure in black who stood apart from the madding crowd by virtue of his quick intellect and faster photographic trigger. Slipping into our gathering was also a beautiful lady, such as you may see when enjoying the French vice of absinthe, who remarked that she preferred to hide under the nom-de-plume of Jack. Her beau stood behind her armed with only his quick wits and fists in order to protect us from the nefarious scum that crawled the dark streets of London.

Mr Justice spoke at once about what had brought us all together.

"It seems that two young ladies have a challenge for us that we may compete. Now, when young ladies wander about the metropolis at this hour of the morning, and knock sleepy people up out of their beds, I presume that it is something very pressing which they have to communicate. Should it prove to be an interesting case, you would, I am sure, wish to follow it from the outset. I thought, at any rate, that I should call you and give you the chance."

"My dear fellow, I would not miss it for anything", I exclaimed.


The challenges were presented by two elegant ladies who impressed upon us the short timespan we had to solve the case.

We set off post-haste for the game was afoot!

At first we came across a vagabond seeking alms for the poor. Mr Justice, who would normally not stoop to beggar's tricks, paid the silver demanded and we paused briefly while our likeness was captured with the outcast.



We chanced upon a scene in the strand that reminded us of a picture we had all once seen. Our minds drifted to far off days and places before being brought back to ground by the task ahead.

The First Clue (or how we came to be involved with the Knights Templar).
"a *cab*in with a difference near a sacred station"


The first clue was party solved in an instant due to the second half of the riddle. We made a quick walk to Temple Station and thereupon set forth into the local vicinity. Soon we came upon a most ripe structure that served as a Cabmen's Shelter which had been erected by charitable donations.

Whilst observing the structure we discovered a London Cabbie in his most natural environs. Asleep with a copy of the local news-rag and a cup of builder's char sitting cold and dejected nearby.



The Tenth Clue (or how we were regaled with a song and it's location).
"where Terry and Julie cross over the river"


Our cultural knowledge was augmented by the redoubtable Jack who informed us that a common music-hall song called "Waterloo Sunset" by "The Kinks" described the two fictional protagonists perambulating over the Waterloo Bridge.



The Eleventh and Eighth Clue (or how we captured the clue on the way past)
"*sounds like* they're looking closely at the riverside"


After peering down the river bank we happened upon a group of ferry navies and their customers and after turning down the offer of a bit of chewing tobacco we forthwith headed on to our destination slowing only to answer the Eighth riddle of "the back of Waterloo Station".


Pausing only to let the silver nitrate settle after the conflagaration of the photographic gear required we persisted in heading to Embankment in order to try our mettle on the next clue.


The Seventh Clue (or how we had a bracing sit down)
"this station is behind the riverside bandstand"


We passed quickly through the hustle and bustle of life at Embankment to check the bandstand and deckchairs for clues before deciding that Embankment was definitely the place in hand.



The Ninth Clue (or how we were delayed by the masses in Piccadilly)
"an underground circle in a square. oysters love this place!"

Deciding to use public transportation we entered the driverless carriage of the new Underground Tubes, Northern Line Branch. Passing quickly but noisily to Charing Cross and Piccadilly we ventured out to discover that Piccadilly is indeed a circle but one underneath a circus rather than any rectangular mountebank. Pushing our way through London's grimy pedestrians we fought our way North by foot into the Leicester Square and explored for a fish bar that would sell us oysters like Grand Central Station has within it's American confines. However the oysters involved were mere plastic representations in card form that we eventually settled on.


The Fourth Clue (or how we tracked down the missing bank)

"once you could alight here for treasures of the empire, now you can only open an account nationwide"



No plaques to it's ruined location existed for this long forgotten station and as it is surprisingly far from the British Museum then we had doubts but eventually discovered the location with the aid mémoire of a newspaper called Wikipedia and GPS co-ordinates.


The Sixth Clue (or how we were tricked in a most cruel manner)
"roses are red, violets are blue, holden loved this station, so should you!"

Alas at this point we were tricked into imagining that this referred to a romantic daliance and thus the popular misconception that the statue in Piccadilly is Eros considering his small cherubic bow and arrow. It is, of course, the Christian Angel of Charity. Thus we missed out on the answer to this clue in favour of Piccadilly Circus however we did take a photograph of the station in question anyway.

Holborn station; where the (red) Central Line intersects with the (blue) Piccadilly Line.

The Fifth Clue (or how we had a correct answer but no photographic evidence of said answer)
"the tracks lead to a secret underground tram world in southhampton"



Desperate to make up time we headed postehaste to Kingsway and decided that the tunnel must have been part of the tram system that has so cruelly been excised from the very streets themselves leaving almost no marks upon the road. However we did not realise that further up the Kingsway there were some old disused tramlines still evident to the passerby.



The Third Clue (or how we had been here before)
"a tiled sign where Neal and James meet on a long piece of land"


Time was not on our side as we rushed back towards Covent Garden dodging peddlers and vagabonds. We paused to admire the tiled sign of Covent Garden Tube Station upon the street corners of Longacre, Neal and James Street.


The Second Clue (or how everything is circular in notion)
"eliza doolittle moved out in 1974 only to be replaced with Frank Pick and Harry Beck"


We careered around the corner and raced for the home straight pausing only to briefly snatch a photograph of the London Transport Museum that now occupies the space that, by and by, used to be the Covent Garden Flower Market that the fictional character Eliza Doolittle was found to frequent for her occupation of flower girl.



The final piece of the puzzle was to discover the amazing amount of Modal Roundels that we had, perchance, happened upon in our travels which was best summed up by Mr Justice in his collected works of Modal Roundels (numbering 56 and with some similar shapes).


We entered the final room upon our quest and made merry with the potable drinks and artful foodstuffs arrayed. Although we have not won the main round we await the call to a new mystery with bated breath and no little anticipation!

Hurrah!