Posted by Jock on March 13, 2012 at 05:29:57 user Jock.
In Reply to: Re: Belle Grange as another possible Beckfoot posted by Duncan on March 12, 2012 at 14:31:33:
The search for the 'real' Beckfoot, or 'real' Wildcat Island, or... proves the old saying, It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive. On our way we explore many delightful locations and can investigate the extent to which these places have real or imagined AR connections, but if we are determined to find a 1:1 relationship between the model and reality for every SA location, we are destined to be disappointed.
Some time ago Ed Kiser was kind enough to show me a fragment of some unpublished research he had carried out with John Nichols. I hope we may see the fruits of this one day on ATR. I don't think that I'm giving too many secrets way, if I reveal that there are some inconsistencies in AR's Beckfoot. This for me is a clincher: Beckfoot is an AR construct, taking the Amazon River and tennis courts from one location, building outline from another, internal layout maybe from a third...
But with all such constructs there is always a start, an original inspiration, something which gets the creative juices flowing. I'm not going to box myself in a corner and claim that the chronological original must be Lanehead, but I believe that Lanehead must be an important part of the final mix. Where else does AR dwell so lovingly on the location of the kitchen and larder(s)?
Oh and I nearly forgot, Duncan I agree that there's a good case for Belle Grange being part of the mix!