, the Daykins duo 
and the Trotteville boy 
.As I say in my last post, in the first book in the series, The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage, all three families are based on Haycock Lane in Peterswood, effectively Coldmoorholme Lane in Bourne End. Let the geography investigation continue...
THE MYSTERY OF THE DISAPPEARING CAT:
In the second book, much of the action takes place at the Hiltons house and next door. The others have moved house, though. On the way back from a trip to Farring (presumably east of Bourne End given what comes later) Daisy and Larry are first to be dropped off 'at the corner of the road where they lived'. Then Fatty goes into his house (which could be on the main village street). Then Pip and Bets who 'rode home down the lane'.
It becomes clear that Pip and Bets live on the same lane as they did in the first book when they arrange to have a picnic with the inspector. 'I'll be along your lane about four o'clock' he says to them. They all go down the lane to the river. For me this is Enid keeping a toe-hold in her old stamping ground. The books will keep coming back to the big playroom at the Hiltons house, and there are many important and lovely scenes set on 'the lane that leads to the river'.
THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET ROOM:
Pip and Bets house must have three floors to it. Their big playroom is upstairs. And Fatty goes upstairs from that to do his 'unlocking a locked door' trick in one of their 'box rooms'. (Old Thatch certainly did not have three floors, being a very long cottage with an upstairs at only one end of it. But there are some larger houses down the lane, I'm sure.)
To get to Larry and Daisy's house, Pip and Bets have to go through the village. They have to pass Mr Goon's house which is on the main street in the middle of the village.
There's a curious bit when Fatty goes to Pip and Bets house, knowing they're at the Daykins place. He's there in time to see Goon run a warm iron over the sheet of paper to reveal a letter from the Find-Outers to Goon. The letter (which Fatty has switched when he was in disguise) is polite, and Mrs Hilton wonders what Goon has got to complain about! I would have to look at the book again to work out why Enid kept the other Find-Outers out of the way for that scene. Or can anyone else suggest the reason for that off the top of their head, Fatty-style?
Fatty's house has a small crowded den. Pip comes in to it excitedly after seeing the secret room in the house on Milton Street, which is descrbed as over the hill, that is to the north of Peterswood/Bourne End.
Near the climax of the book, Pip goes to Milton House, gets the note written by Fatty and takes it back to his house. Bets and he then go to Larry and Daisy's house, upstairs, where they have the bright idea of running a warm iron over the note to reveal what it really says - Fatty is in big, big trouble at Milton House.
For the first time in the Mystery series the locations of all the houses throughout Peterswood is important, with much complicated (and rewarding) moving about within and between the houses of the children, Goon's house, and Milton House up Chestnut Lane.
THE MYSTERY OF THE SPITEFUL LETTERS:
Several times in this book (pages 12, 25 and 54 of the original Methuen) the kids meet at a corner with a church. It's obviously handy for all three houses, but it's not something that's mentioned in subsequent books as far as I'm aware. Perhaps something for Viking Star and David Cook to look out for on their forthcoming visit to Bourne End?
The book is dominated by Fatty running amok as a red-haired delivery/butcher/telegraph boy, cycling here, there and everywhere about Peterswood/Bourne End.
Interesting scene in the Hiltons playroom. There is a call from Mrs Cockles, a servant there, who wants to speak to Mrs Moon, the Hiltons cook, to explain why she won't be along that day. Fatty comes downstairs to take the call (the phone's been ringing for a while) and - on finding out about another spiteful letter - arranges there and then to visit Mrs Cockles sister at 9 Willow Lane. How forward is the fat boy! He goes off, sees the new spiteful letter, humilates Goon when he arrives on the scene, and goes back to the Hiltons playroom where he soon has the others roaring with laughter. Fatty at full throttle!
Another interesting scene from a geographical perspective is the one where Fatty is locked in the box room of Goon's house. The window looks out on the High Street, confirming the location of Goon's house as stated in the previous book.
One more for now: THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING NECKLACE:
The book starts off, in a really feel-good kind of way, as so many of them do, in the Hiltons house or garden on Haycock (Coldmoorholme) Lane .
The children cross the level-crossing to get to the sideshows (including the Waxworks Hall) by the riverside, confirming all the geography of the west end of Bourne End, as first gone through by Enid in the Burnt Cottage mystery.
Quite a lot goes on in the main village street, with tramp on bench. After being at the river and having walked along 'the village street' and taken in the tramp scenario, the children part and go their different ways 'Pip and Bets down their lane, and Larry and Daisy up theirs.' Down meaning downhill towards the river. Up being uphill away from the river.
By now, generally speaking, Enid is settling down to be consistent in her Peterswood locations. Her mental map is just about finalised. She's not giving too many clues away as to where Fatty lives. (For that I'd still refer to those initial notes I made about the MIssing Man mystery for that.) Also, it's not until Hidden House that she goes up to another level of local referencing, mentioning Marlow and other real or tantalisingly half-real place names much more often.
As I say, I hope these notes are of some use to Viking Star's expedition to Bourne End. And to anyone else who happens to find themselves on those magically transporting streets. Bourne End: The Magic Faraway Village... Bourne End: The Wishing Village...
Right now I'm off for a kip on the tigerskin rug in Fatty's shed. You see, he's invited anyone from the EBS to drop in ANY TIME.
Svery comfy,
Duncan
That said, I'm also quite realistic about the possibility of not discovering anything from which one can draw any obvious conclusions.
I can feel myself losing consciousness as I type...
