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Beth T (BethOfAus)'s avatar

Chuckle, chuckle. The Saga of the Orange Flash! By super-sleuth Rebecca Holden!! Poor ‘Tom’. Not a cheap day out at all, but hopefully mainly enjoyable. Memorable for all sorts of reasons. Thanks so much for another engrossing read. 😃🤗👍

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Thanks, Beth! I had thought about including some more advanced calculations - calculating how many minutes Tom had spent travelling against how many minutes he’d spent at the castle; cost per minute of his visit if he hadn’t lost his ticket AND with the cost of its replacement factored in - but then.... well, let’s just say that numbers aren’t my forte! 🤣

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Bryn Robinson's avatar

You might have to start calling Snaps “Watson”! 😂 A delightful post that also goes to show the rest of us that a lovely story can start from anything, including a ticket lost in the grass 💜 Also, the castle looks stunning 😍

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Thanks, Bryn! Yes, he’s not a bad sleuthing sidekick! 🤣

Actually that building isn’t actually the castle itself - it’s another building that although on the same patch of land isn’t open to the public. You can see a snap of part of the Great Tower here though - https://rebeccaholden.substack.com/p/friday-august-11

It’s a vast site with loads to explore - it’s very popular with travellers who are about to - or have just arrived from - a cruise, given its proximity to the port of Dover.

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Mark R DeLong's avatar

Our Miss Marple unpacks the story from a crumpled orange-y white clue. But she fails to find the body, alas! Rebecca, another fine piece you've gotten us into.

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Mark, you’re right - no BODY!!! #epicfail

I’m happy to confirm though that I found no evidence that Ticketless Tom had come to any harm, so we can assume that he’s alive and well. 😁

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Denise Brown's avatar

Poor Tom... I have visions of his kids trying to smuggle him through the barriers and onto the train home without anyone noticing 😊

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Ooooh Denise - yes, perhaps THAT’S how he got home! Good thinking! You’ve earned your place on the detective squad! 🙌

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Denise Brown's avatar

Why thank you! You want a mystery solved, ask a mystery writer 🤣

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

🤣

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prue batten's avatar

I've had such a good laugh. Not at you, Rebecca, not at all. It was just such a fascinating tale you invented around a lost ticket, a bit of detritus in the grass.

On the other hand there is this thing that you do - sleuthing. If you aren't related to Holmes and Enola or Watson, are you by chance otherwise employed by MI 5/6? Not that you can tell us I suppose. Official secrets and all that.

But I suspect you have a whole stash of goodies from Q or Malcolm or whoever took over at Spooks Central when they both retired.

Wonderful tale - thank you!

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

LOL - shhhh Prue, don’t tell everybody! 🤫🕵️‍♀️🤣

I’m so glad you enjoyed this post - I had such fun writing it. I’m already on the lookout for the next bit of paper to write about...!

Malcolm was my favorite character in Spooks - he always a sweetheart. And so wonderfully earnest!

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Jim Cummings's avatar

I loved the flow chart covering the multiple scenarios. I wonder if Jim will be so quick to point out these little treasures in the future, knowing that he will lose you for many hours as you conduct your forensic investigations. I really enjoyed this Rebecca.

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Thanks so much, Jim - it was great fun! My waste paper basket contains half a dozen mishits of that flowchart - and all the calculations I didn’t include in the end, because I just couldn’t do the maths!!! 🤣🙄😁

Nevertheless it was a really fun post to write, and I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the read. 😊

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Terry Freedman's avatar

I liked the flowchart too!

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Thanks, Terry! 😊

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Mark Dykeman's avatar

Clever technique, great story!

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Thanks so much, Mark! I’m enjoying not being the only thing in this newsletter to get lost - it’s really fun to write about things that have been lost, too! 😊🤣😁

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Kerry's avatar

Very entertaining

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Kerry, that’s so kind - I’m glad you enjoyed it! 😊

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Lovely post! And such classic Holden. I love how your brain works, Rebecca. I even went back to read again the teabag story and the found list story - both delightful the second time through. Happy weekend to you and to all those who love you across there.

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Awwww Sharron - ‘classic Holden’! How lovely!

I’m so pleased you went back to reread those other two found-item posts - thank you! It seems I’m on a bit of a theme here! 🤣

Thank you for your weekend wishes! We’re taking it easy for a couple of days, which makes a change. Sunshine and showers, but the latter are neither heavy nor long. I’m sitting outside with a cup of tea and enjoying fresh air and birdsong. Hugs and happy weekend to you! 😘

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Peter Moore's avatar

Tom showed up at my door last night. Said some bird was snooping on his life, and wanted to escape to America. I sympathized.

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

🤣🤣🤣 Peter, you’ve cracked me up with this comment!!! 🤣🤣🤣

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Terry Freedman's avatar

😂

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Terry Freedman's avatar

Not Ticketless Tom, but Ticketless Tel. I wondered where that ticket had disappeared to.

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

I seem to remember your ownership claim to the tea bag too, Terry! 🤣

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Terry Freedman's avatar

Indeed. And don't forget the shopping list, Rebecca. I think it's strange that every time I lose something you pick it up and then write about it. How do you explain that?

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Terry, I can’t explain it, other than by this emoji: 🤯

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Terry Freedman's avatar

😂😂

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Donna McArthur's avatar

I’m going to try that trick of quickly closing the bag, wallet, drawer when I can’t find something. According to your theory things may rearrange themselves (I love that so much!) to get found! Do you think this will work on computer files🤣

Brilliant, as always!

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Thanks, Donna! 😘

I always do that when I can’t find the thing I can SEE in my mind’s eye as being in the place that I’m looking… I try to catch it out, and get very cross when it’s STILL not there.

The only way I can find things I’ve lost at home is by buying a replacement. Think superglue, or that funny little replacement lightbulb for the cooker. Or cocktail sticks. When I’ve bought a new one, and go to put it away, THAT’S when I find the one I’ve lost.

It never fails. But I can’t ever engineer that ‘oh, I’ve found it!’ scenario WITHOUT having bought the replacement item! 🤣

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Donna McArthur's avatar

I am literally laughing out loud that your find-it strategy is to go buy a new one! That’s the best.

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

🤣🤣🤣

Well I guess it’s not a strategy as such - it’s more a ‘oh, i haven’t been able to find it, which means it doesn’t exist, so I have to buy a new one’! And lo: THAT’S when I find it! 🤣

I’m hopeless, honestly!!!!

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Olga Stewart's avatar

But what if it wasn't Tom who lost the ticket?

What if instead it was another family member?

If so, then where is tom?

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Gosh, Olga, now that opens up a whole new set of questions! It’s not Tom’s ticket that’s lost, but Tom himself…!

The answer to the mystery clearly lies deeper down this cliff top rabbit hole!

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Olga Stewart's avatar

This is what comes from reading too many NANCY DREW books as a child. *BG*

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Your Nancy-Drew-resulting suspicious nature does you resounding credit in this ticket mystery! 🙌

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Jillian Hess's avatar

That flow chart!!❤️

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Thanks, Jillian! It was such fun, honestly!!! 🤣

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Camille Prairie's avatar

Very detective-esque, Rebecca! I love it. And I love the takeaway- that even when things don’t go as planned, we still get to marvel in that adventure

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Thanks so much, Camille! I like to think that Tom had a great day in spite of his ticketless status! 😊

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Lyndsay's avatar

The flowchart is just the perfect addition here! I enjoyed thinking about all of the various permeations, I wonder where Ticketless Tom ended up 🤔

Thanks for a lovely read as always!

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Thanks, Lyndsay - it was really fun to do! 😘

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