Warning: potential plot spoilers in the comments below, so you may wish to listen before reading! Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction and background notes, written and read by Simon Stanhope 00:03:38 The Story begins 00:54:16 Credits and thanks
Thank you for the warning ⚠️ I sincerely appreciate it. Your storytelling takes me to another world, so it would spoil everything and yank me right out of that world to get to the part where I go "wait, I know what happens here". Also, I don't watch movies if I know what's going to happen or if I've missed the beginning; I don't even watch previews.
@@ladyabstinencelevain8696 I will be 60 in August. My grandparents was born in 1891 and 1892. I spent a lot of time with them. They were victorian people in every way.
What a great day! The cat got a new box to sit in, the dog got a swim plus half my sandwich, and i get a new story from Simon to listen to tonight. What else can a person ask for?!
@@judeirwin2222 The cat doesn't like sandwiches, or anything else! When she does like something, she only likes it once. I have stacks of canned food she liked a lot, until I bought it the second time. Ditto with cat treats. She's a doozy!
You are unquestionably number One in your field ! I sincerely hope that your work on this channel has boosted your acting career as well. Many thanks once more !
Enjoy hearing about the author's history, really appreciate it. Thank You for another tale from the past, your reading gives any piece read atmosphere, you can almost visualize yourself there witnessing the event's, brilliant as ever
@@cruisepaige Not altogether. A 'dog cart' got it's name (there were both two and four wheeled versions) for having a ventilated box within the bodywork, in which hunting dogs could be transported, separated from the passengers. A trap was a light two wheeled passenger car, a multi purpose vehicle, a sort of horse drawn equivalent to a modern hatchback, but without the box.
This was wonderful Simon. Thank you! This reminded me of a place I went once called the Road to Nowhere. It's in North Carolina and it's a very large and long tunnel that you can walk through and when you reach the end you come out to a unfinished road that just ends and you surrounded by nothing but woods. It's very creepy but also beautiful.
I must say, I spent the time from Dr.Bell's first narration that he was "unusually sleepy" up to the resoloution in a state of aghast apprehension for the Inspector, especially when Bell left him on the floor. What a tragic coincidence that the three men in Wales that wouldn't know at once what they were dealing with were next on the scene after the initial victim, who clearly realised as soon as he encountered it, too late for himself. It's a tribute to your skill that you managed multiple distinct Welsh villagers, of different classes and occasionally talking to each other - well done.
An excellent tale and some charming Welsh accents - not overdone, just a pleasing lilt. I'm proud to say I guessed the solution and even spoke aloud the antiquated name they used in the story. Funny what parts of secondary school history still stick with you at 40! And the tale, like a good and fair mystery, was no less enjoyable for having deduced the killer's identity.
Lovely, just lovely Simon! Initially, I thought I had heard this story before but I had not! I was carried along by your wonderful voice to an ending I did not expect! How delightful! Thank you so much!
Just found your channel by accident. All I can say is, seriously, why has this story never, to my knowledge, been anthologised in one of the collected books of railway stories? I have never come across it, and it doesn't deserve to be forgotten. As the tale progressed I began to suspect it would be something to do with an accumulation of gas of some sort, and turned out to be right. For one thing, both signalmen had to have been alive at around 6.20 or so, to let the morning train through. My late father was a railway signalman, and although her description of the block system is somewhat less than adequate, someone had to accept the local. 'peg' it through and hand it on to the next section. The box only having three levers also seems a tadge unlikely (that is more typical of a level crossing box) but that's being over critical on the basis of inside knowledge! Did anyone else sense the homage to Charles Dickens' story, 'The Signalman'? I'd never heard of the lady before - As a compliment to her, John Bell is a more believable character than Thorpe Hazell, Canon Victor Whitechurch's 'railway detective.' Well done, and I'll visit you again.
Thanks for listening John, glad you enjoyed it especially given your specialist knowledge. I've done a few of the Thorpe Hazell stories on the channel as well, and have more on the list (as well as more from John Bell, although this is his only railway-related case). Best wishes
Well done, as always. Thank you, Simon for all your work in providing the BEST entertainment on the web. Or anywhere else for that matter. Blessings on you and your house.
I just love these old Victorian era mysteries. I prefer hearing your narrations of Victorian era ghost stories since that's my preference of the two genres, but these are still very enjoyable. Great narration, as always.
Thank you so much. Point noted re the ghost stories, the next couple of stories currently in the pipeline are in the mystery genre but I've got more supernatural tales on my list for the months ahead
Bravo Sir Simon! I learn quite a bit from your videos..you give the best bio about the writer(s) plus brilliant bits in the plot. You really choose great stories that entertain and educate.
Thanks gohboy56. I wonder if you'd mind making a little edit to the start of your comment just to warn of potential spoilers, as I know some people read the comments before (or while) listening to the story. Glad to know you enjoyed it, more to come! Best wishes
Really love the notes on the authors Simon! I am so happy that these wonderfully read stories keep coming-they are such a very great pleasure. Thank you so much.
Great story and using science to solve the mystery. I remember reading Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management from 1861 and becomig familiar with the terms of Victorian compared to modern terms such as carbonic oxide gas aka carbon monoxide. I love that book. Read it many times. Probably why I'm drawn to the Victorian Era in all aspects. That from a man born in Tennessee. Lol
Great stories and Simon I just love listening to you, I know it's not easy, But what we need is more more more 😀 You're so good, I can picture myself there!
I was still in hospital when this came out. What a treat to find it now. This developed at a perfect pace and the suspense was maintained so well. I love everything railroad and to have a great railroad mystery narrated by Simon is something hard to top.
I now have two Victorian 'Signalman' stories to love. Thank you! Dickens was more creepy but the thought of staying out all night in an isolated signal box would give me the horrors, regardless...
Just found your channel, completely hooked! Excellent audio, lovely clear voice. Thank you for a piece of the history as well. Coffee coming up Simon. Thank you
Dear Simon, I love the ghost stories of Algernon Blackwood (who I think is one of the finest writers of the genre) - may I ask for more from him? That would be a magical combination! Xx
Thanks for the suggestion Liz. Yes indeed, I do have several more Algernon Blackwoods on my list - the only reason I've not done more of his so far is that he's only just come into the public domain (in the UK) recently, so I couldn't cover him earlier without breaching copyright. I'm looking forward to returning to his work.
Thank you bite sized little man inside my phone! Beautiful narration. I love this more detailed bio, particularly love to hear about related authors and inspirations.
I really like LT Meade and her Bell stories! Thanks for the preface and I think you must be right regarding the “Robert Eustace” pen name; it sounds like “Patrick Quentin”, or “Ellery Queen” in that more than one person ghostwrote under that pseudo name. I’m getting familiar with bandcamp and am enjoying the midsummer tales!
Excellent, glad to know that. Yes, I think Robert Eustace must be at least two, perhaps three different people. Whether this Robert Eustace is the same one who collaborated with Dorothy L. Sayers over 30 years later is open to debate...
Excellent narrator, thank you so much, sick in bed at the moment, so lots of time to listen, you wont believe how bad some is, God knows why they get used so thank you again
Mysterious stories are my favourites I'm honestly thankful you for this video but I'm expecting to listen to a ghost story from your channel next time.
There will be more ghost stories, but next in the pipeline is another Max Carrados adventure - although with something of a supernatural theme about it
Dear Simon, I truly enjoy listening to you read these stories. May I ask a favor of you? One of my favorite books of this type is Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M.R. James. Can you do a reading of that book?
Thank you for your comments Nelida. I've done a few M. R. James already, most recently 'Oh Whistle...' from that volume (th-cam.com/video/oApA4A1KPbs/w-d-xo.html ) and I have some more planned for the coming months. I hope to get round to all of them eventually!
'John Bell', if I remember correctly was a doctor, (?) from whom Sir Arthur Conan Doyle drew inspiration for the Sherlock Holmes stories. And in particular - Holmes' methods of logic and deductive reasoning. Always a pleasure to hear you, Simon. Cheers from New Orleans as I fix lunch.... You are the perfect mealtime companion...
Thanks Cynthia! Yes, it was Dr. Joseph Bell who was Conan Doyle's teacher at medical school, and acknowledged by him as an inspiration for Holmes. So not quite the same name, but I also wondered whether the similarity was deliberate or accidental on the part of these authors
This idea of history on the author makes me think of my father who was a well known DJ here in Australia. They used to have to do the same thing when he first began & would have to research various artists. ♥️♥️♥️😎🇦🇺✌️
I just listened to this again. A spoiler follows below. Imagine what a story like this would be like, if the fissure had released an explosive gas rather than an inert one. They would have imagined a dragon lived inside the tunnel. It makes my mind whirr in pleasant ways to fashion the various folk tales of a lonely spot that causes doom to an unwary traveller, safely removed from the actuality of such an unfortunate occurrence. We have so many stories like this that were never understood that a well thought out explanation like this one is a great blessing. 👍
I had to laugh about the co-author having multiple dates for his birth and death. My father had three birthdays! He had been born at home, so there were no hospital records. The family had always celebrated his birthday on a certain date. But when Dad got a copy of his birth certificate so he could get his driver's license, it had a different birth date. When he told his mother, she said that checking the family Bible would settle the matter. Instead, he got a third birthday! I never heard of this happening to anyone else, but I imagined it had.
My mother was born in 1922, or so she thought before she had to get a copy of her birth certificate in the 1960s. She had been driving for 20 years without one, apparently, but had never been pulled over! She was not happy when she got her birth certificate and it said she was a year older than she thought.
Thank you for this marvelous reading of a very interesting mystery. At the 35:00 minute mark, I strongly suspect that Lucy Ray will ultimately be found to be involved in at least Davidson's death (by poison?). I can't wait to see the resolution of this mystery. ; )
Another gem. The fascinating introduction has me asking, "Can we be sure there really was a Robert Eustace? Could L.T. Meade and other writers who claimed to have collaborated with him have been writing alone? Is this another example of a female writer feeling the need to adopt a male pseudonym?" I can't be the first person to ask those questions.
That's a really interesting question! Actually, I've not come across anyone else asking it, in my researches to date, and it hadn't occurred to me as a solution of the mystery: but it's a plausible theory, and it did happen with earlier Victorian authors. Against that, however, I'd have to weigh the fact that "Eustace" collaborated with several other authors as well as Meade, of whom Dorothy L. Sayers was the most famous. And by the time of the Sayers/Eustace collaboration, DLS had made enough of a name for herself as the creator of Lord Peter Wimsey that I don't think she'd need to hide her identity. Another of Eustace's regular collaborators was Edgar Jepson (someone else whose work I'd like to read for the channel soon), also someone who didn't really need to use a pseudonym. Actually, Jepson obviously liked collaborating because he co-authored fiction with several writers, including Arthur Machen and John Galsworthy, as well as Robert Eustace. The other point worth noting is that Hugh Greene, writing in the 1970s, claimed to have spoken to someone who knew Robert Eustace, but he was frustratingly vague on the details. For me the main question is whether the Robert Eustace who collaborated with L. T. Meade in the 1890s was the same person who collaborated with D. L. Sayers in 1930 (and Edgar Jepson in between) - that's a long time to maintain such anonymity, but it's not impossible. Going by the known dates of birth, if he was born in 1869 or 71, he would have been very newly qualified as a doctor when collaborating with Meade, possibly even still a student, so the earlier birth date of 1854 seems more plausible. But that would make him in his late 70s when working with Sayers... I'm drawn to the conclusion that two different people adopted the pen name, but that they were both doctors seems rather a co-incidence. It's quite a puzzle!
@ Bitesize Audio. I am heartily sorry if I ( inadvertently) spoiled the story for anyone. I hope you would know by now that would be the furthest of my intentions. From now on, I will endeavor to curb my enthusiastic comments. Best wishes, Sir Simon.
Simon you should consider reading book Alien There is only one version I’ll bet you could nail any of the Alien series books Covenant/ Prometheus can use some help with presentation and enunciation. Background - sound effects would help. Ash - David - Walter need to be a little byte more snarky and condescending The human characters need to be more interesting and dynamic. I think you could execute the Alien series most excellently. It would be a lot of work and copyright issues may occur. However, If you read all the Alien books - you’d be an icon for the Alien fan base. Just sayin : maybe a great opportunity to corner a market. All the Alien series in one collection with one narrator. Aliens needs help more than Alien And Out of The shadows , River of pain Hadelys Hope I don’t know where to get funding for something like this , however, it’s kinda the Bible of sci- fi. Ok - enuff Thanks for narrating this gem
Warning: potential plot spoilers in the comments below, so you may wish to listen before reading! Timestamps:
00:00:00 Introduction and background notes, written and read by Simon Stanhope
00:03:38 The Story begins
00:54:16 Credits and thanks
Thank you for the warning ⚠️ I sincerely appreciate it. Your storytelling takes me to another world, so it would spoil everything and yank me right out of that world to get to the part where I go "wait, I know what happens here". Also, I don't watch movies if I know what's going to happen or if I've missed the beginning; I don't even watch previews.
Thank you! I like summaries but not spoilers! Also really enjoying the music:)
Very considerate
I can’t help but to imagine how proud and happy these writers would be if they knew you’d be reading their stories for an appreciative audience.
I have thought the same thing. It's just wonderful!
We’re the lucky beneficiaries of Simon’s amazing narration and acting talents.
They might be a bit surprised if they knew one of the people enjoying their stories in 2022 is a 60yr old tattooed gothic lady
@@ladyabstinencelevain8696 I will be 60 in August. My grandparents was born in 1891 and 1892. I spent a lot of time with them. They were victorian people in every way.
I am 71 and love the stories and the reader!
What a great day! The cat got a new box to sit in, the dog got a swim plus half my sandwich, and i get a new story from Simon to listen to tonight. What else can a person ask for?!
Why didn't the cat get part of the sandwich? Unfair! You go sit in the box and think about how beastly you've been to poor moggy.
@@judeirwin2222 The cat doesn't like sandwiches, or anything else! When she does like something, she only likes it once. I have stacks of canned food she liked a lot, until I bought it the second time. Ditto with cat treats. She's a doozy!
I'm from Cork, Ireland 🇮🇪 and had never heard of this writer! Thank you for introducing me to her! 👍👍🥰
I could listen to this guy’s voice all day.
You are unquestionably number One in your field ! I sincerely hope that your work on this channel has boosted your acting career as well.
Many thanks once more !
Thank you!
Enjoy hearing about the author's history, really appreciate it. Thank You for another tale from the past, your reading gives any piece read atmosphere, you can almost visualize yourself there witnessing the event's, brilliant as ever
Kind of you to say so, thank you Irena
i agree
Another wonderfully story, beautifully performed. As in so many Victorian stories it was wonderful to hear they travelled in a "Dog Cart"!
Me too, I was wondering if a “trap” is indeed the same as a “dog cart.”
@@cruisepaige Not altogether. A 'dog cart' got it's name (there were both two and four wheeled versions) for having a ventilated box within the bodywork, in which hunting dogs could be transported, separated from the passengers. A trap was a light two wheeled passenger car, a multi purpose vehicle, a sort of horse drawn equivalent to a modern hatchback, but without the box.
Love the voice of the narrator, so easy to follow with hearing loss
This was wonderful Simon. Thank you! This reminded me of a place I went once called the Road to Nowhere. It's in North Carolina and it's a very large and long tunnel that you can walk through and when you reach the end you come out to a unfinished road that just ends and you surrounded by nothing but woods. It's very creepy but also beautiful.
That does sound spooky! Thanks Shannon
I must say, I spent the time from Dr.Bell's first narration that he was "unusually sleepy" up to the resoloution in a state of aghast apprehension for the Inspector, especially when Bell left him on the floor. What a tragic coincidence that the three men in Wales that wouldn't know at once what they were dealing with were next on the scene after the initial victim, who clearly realised as soon as he encountered it, too late for himself. It's a tribute to your skill that you managed multiple distinct Welsh villagers, of different classes and occasionally talking to each other - well done.
An excellent tale and some charming Welsh accents - not overdone, just a pleasing lilt.
I'm proud to say I guessed the solution and even spoke aloud the antiquated name they used in the story. Funny what parts of secondary school history still stick with you at 40! And the tale, like a good and fair mystery, was no less enjoyable for having deduced the killer's identity.
Lovely, just lovely Simon! Initially, I thought I had heard this story before but I had not! I was carried along by your wonderful voice to an ending I did not expect! How delightful! Thank you so much!
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for your kind comments
Just found your channel by accident. All I can say is, seriously, why has this story never, to my knowledge, been anthologised in one of the collected books of railway stories? I have never come across it, and it doesn't deserve to be forgotten.
As the tale progressed I began to suspect it would be something to do with an accumulation of gas of some sort, and turned out to be right. For one thing, both signalmen had to have been alive at around 6.20 or so, to let the morning train through. My late father was a railway signalman, and although her description of the block system is somewhat less than adequate, someone had to accept the local. 'peg' it through and hand it on to the next section. The box only having three levers also seems a tadge unlikely (that is more typical of a level crossing box) but that's being over critical on the basis of inside knowledge! Did anyone else sense the homage to Charles Dickens' story, 'The Signalman'?
I'd never heard of the lady before - As a compliment to her, John Bell is a more believable character than Thorpe Hazell, Canon Victor Whitechurch's 'railway detective.' Well done, and I'll visit you again.
Thanks for listening John, glad you enjoyed it especially given your specialist knowledge. I've done a few of the Thorpe Hazell stories on the channel as well, and have more on the list (as well as more from John Bell, although this is his only railway-related case). Best wishes
Love your intro Simon giving an insight into the author's history. Makes the story so much the richer
Thanks!
Thank you kindly!
Well done, as always. Thank you, Simon for all your work in providing the BEST entertainment on the web. Or anywhere else for that matter.
Blessings on you and your house.
Thanks Tammy, best wishes to you
I really like the new introduction. Great work as always, Simon.
Thanks Rosie
I just love these old Victorian era mysteries. I prefer hearing your narrations of Victorian era ghost stories since that's my preference of the two genres, but these are still very enjoyable. Great narration, as always.
Thank you so much. Point noted re the ghost stories, the next couple of stories currently in the pipeline are in the mystery genre but I've got more supernatural tales on my list for the months ahead
@@BitesizedAudio I won't complain because I love both! I just have a preference, hehe 😎
Luv the intro & outro piano score though it's sad ... Excellent narration as always *TY Simon*
Thanks for this Simon! Most enjoyable!
Bravo Sir Simon! I learn quite a bit from your videos..you give the best bio about the writer(s) plus brilliant bits in the plot. You really choose great stories that entertain and educate.
Thanks gohboy56. I wonder if you'd mind making a little edit to the start of your comment just to warn of potential spoilers, as I know some people read the comments before (or while) listening to the story. Glad to know you enjoyed it, more to come! Best wishes
A treat as always Simon! 👏🏻
Beautifull narration and a very atmospheric story. I love the combination of creepy and the scientific.
Thanks for your support Gwen, much appreciated
Really love the notes on the authors Simon! I am so happy that these wonderfully read stories keep coming-they are such a very great pleasure. Thank you so much.
Great story and using science to solve the mystery. I remember reading Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management from 1861 and becomig familiar with the terms of Victorian compared to modern terms such as carbonic oxide gas aka carbon monoxide. I love that book. Read it many times. Probably why I'm drawn to the Victorian Era in all aspects. That from a man born in Tennessee. Lol
How wonderful Simon and so unexpected! Thank You
Very enjoyable, thank you Simon!
I enjoyed this immensely. Thank you!
Thank you for another enjoyable story and told so well.
You're most welcome, thanks so much for your support
Great stories and Simon I just love listening to you, I know it's not easy, But what we need is more more more 😀
You're so good, I can picture myself there!
I was still in hospital when this came out. What a treat to find it now. This developed at a perfect pace and the suspense was maintained so well. I love everything railroad and to have a great railroad mystery narrated by Simon is something hard to top.
Thanks so much, Simon!
Great story! I love the new bio of the authors and the photos .😎
Glad to know that, thanks Beverly
My favorite narrator,particularly for Victorianghost stories, my favorite.
Fantastic story. Thank you for providing us with another great narration. I look forward to your next performance!
Thanks
Thank you so much!
Another excellent reading, thank you!
Thank you for another splendid story.
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you Barry
Always a treat, Simon. Thank you so much for the background on the author(s) as well as another great narration of a great tale.
Marvellous Simon. Really really enjoyed this story
Fabulous story and beautifully read Thank you
You've made my evening! Thanks
I’m so glad you got all those AI voice gigs. Good for you.
So glad I spotted this! Thank you so much for another great job! Loved it!🌟
Thanks Maria. Good to hear from you, I hope you're keeping well
Another fabulous story Simon, you do such a cracking job, this is another I've not heard before. Excellent job
Wonderful! Brilliant music choice as well!
Enjoyed the story and your wonderful narration.
I now have two Victorian 'Signalman' stories to love. Thank you! Dickens was more creepy but the thought of staying out all night in an isolated signal box would give me the horrors, regardless...
Just found your channel, completely hooked! Excellent audio, lovely clear voice. Thank you for a piece of the history as well. Coffee coming up Simon. Thank you
Welcome to the channel, thanks for listening - and thanks for the coffee earlier! Best wishes
Great story! Thank you very much.
Shared this wonderful bitesize novel on my Facebook timeline! Perfect listening voice!
Thanks for sharing, and for your kind comments! Best wishes
I love your music!!
Fantastic to hear about the author, thank you Simon,this a real treat for me!!
The mystery of the double dead doctor. That seems like a story in itself. Thank you for this latest piece of perfect prose..
Yes, I think the dates only really make sense if we take it that two different people used the name. Or maybe more than two...?
Dear Simon, I love the ghost stories of Algernon Blackwood (who I think is one of the finest writers of the genre) - may I ask for more from him? That would be a magical combination! Xx
Thanks for the suggestion Liz. Yes indeed, I do have several more Algernon Blackwoods on my list - the only reason I've not done more of his so far is that he's only just come into the public domain (in the UK) recently, so I couldn't cover him earlier without breaching copyright. I'm looking forward to returning to his work.
@@BitesizedAudio Oh wow Simon! I am so excited for that! Thank you so much! Xxx
Just your description will do me dear Simon 😀❤️👻
Sigh, Thank you Simon! 💚
This is all great and everything but it’s leaves one question unanswered:
What in the name of rock ‘n’ roll is a TRAIN?!
Thank you bite sized little man inside my phone!
Beautiful narration.
I love this more detailed bio, particularly love to hear about related authors and inspirations.
I really like LT Meade and her Bell stories! Thanks for the preface and I think you must be right regarding the “Robert Eustace” pen name; it sounds like “Patrick Quentin”, or “Ellery Queen” in that more than one person ghostwrote under that pseudo name. I’m getting familiar with bandcamp and am enjoying the midsummer tales!
Excellent, glad to know that. Yes, I think Robert Eustace must be at least two, perhaps three different people. Whether this Robert Eustace is the same one who collaborated with Dorothy L. Sayers over 30 years later is open to debate...
Yahay, I solved it! Having two great grandfathers that were signalmen in Wales must have helped!
Aha, inside information! Glad to know you solved it
Thank you for these wonderful narrations. A perfect way to have a cosy moment when it's wintery and cold 🙏
I want to listen, but I also want to save it for later so I can savor knowing there is a new story…. The dilemma.
I enjoyed this so much. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for listening
Excellent narrator, thank you so much, sick in bed at the moment, so lots of time to listen, you wont believe how bad some is, God knows why they get used so thank you again
Thanks so much for your kind comments, glad to know you enjoy the stories
I love your narrations
Brilliant 🤩
Always waiting for your latest post,you just never disappoint!✊👏♥️
Thank you Julie, kind of you to say so!
Thank you so much 💓
You're welcome!
A great reading, as usual.
Thank you very much💐
You are most welcome! Thanks Erin
Thank you for your excellent reading of these books and for introducing me to authors I had never heard of.
So good. Thank you 🙏🏻
Another corker from the man with the golden tonsils... *SWOON* ❤
Entertaining in all aspects.
Mysterious stories are my favourites I'm honestly thankful you for this video but I'm expecting to listen to a ghost story from your channel next time.
There will be more ghost stories, but next in the pipeline is another Max Carrados adventure - although with something of a supernatural theme about it
@@BitesizedAudio Thank you for replying sir!
Good performance. Thanks
Dear Simon, I truly enjoy listening to you read these stories. May I ask a favor of you? One of my favorite books of this type is Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M.R. James. Can you do a reading of that book?
Thank you for your comments Nelida. I've done a few M. R. James already, most recently 'Oh Whistle...' from that volume (th-cam.com/video/oApA4A1KPbs/w-d-xo.html ) and I have some more planned for the coming months. I hope to get round to all of them eventually!
such a brilliant reading!! thanks much 😊🌷🌱
Thank you Simon, well read and most enjoyable....
Great! - and interesting introduction
Yay - Simon’s throat is better! Time to turn off the lights, snuggle up to my dog and enjoy the story.
'John Bell', if I remember correctly was a doctor, (?) from whom Sir Arthur Conan Doyle drew inspiration for the Sherlock Holmes stories. And in particular - Holmes' methods of logic and deductive reasoning. Always a pleasure to hear you, Simon. Cheers from New Orleans as I fix lunch.... You are the perfect mealtime companion...
Thanks Cynthia! Yes, it was Dr. Joseph Bell who was Conan Doyle's teacher at medical school, and acknowledged by him as an inspiration for Holmes. So not quite the same name, but I also wondered whether the similarity was deliberate or accidental on the part of these authors
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Bell
This idea of history on the author makes me think of my father who was a well known DJ here in Australia. They used to have to do the same thing when he first began & would have to research various artists. ♥️♥️♥️😎🇦🇺✌️
Thanks Jackalina. Yes, I enjoy the historical research aspect too
Love your audio classics.... thank you 😊
Excellent story! Thank you! 😊
I just listened to this again. A spoiler follows below.
Imagine what a story like this would be like, if the fissure had released an explosive gas rather than an inert one. They would have imagined a dragon lived inside the tunnel. It makes my mind whirr in pleasant ways to fashion the various folk tales of a lonely spot that causes doom to an unwary traveller, safely removed from the actuality of such an unfortunate occurrence. We have so many stories like this that were never understood that a well thought out explanation like this one is a great blessing. 👍
your reading is superb.
Thankyou so much for your efforts mate, great content, and you read fantastically..cheers mate.
Another treat, Many thanks xx
Great story and narration!
Very impressed with the Welsh accent!
I had to laugh about the co-author having multiple dates for his birth and death. My father had three birthdays! He had been born at home, so there were no hospital records. The family had always celebrated his birthday on a certain date. But when Dad got a copy of his birth certificate so he could get his driver's license, it had a different birth date. When he told his mother, she said that checking the family Bible would settle the matter. Instead, he got a third birthday! I never heard of this happening to anyone else, but I imagined it had.
My mother was born in 1922, or so she thought before she had to get a copy of her birth certificate in the 1960s. She had been driving for 20 years without one, apparently, but had never been pulled over! She was not happy when she got her birth certificate and it said she was a year older than she thought.
Thank you for this marvelous reading of a very interesting mystery. At the 35:00 minute mark, I strongly suspect that Lucy Ray will ultimately be found to be involved in at least Davidson's death (by poison?). I can't wait to see the resolution of this mystery. ; )
Another gem. The fascinating introduction has me asking, "Can we be sure there really was a Robert Eustace? Could L.T. Meade and other writers who claimed to have collaborated with him have been writing alone? Is this another example of a female writer feeling the need to adopt a male pseudonym?" I can't be the first person to ask those questions.
That's a really interesting question! Actually, I've not come across anyone else asking it, in my researches to date, and it hadn't occurred to me as a solution of the mystery: but it's a plausible theory, and it did happen with earlier Victorian authors. Against that, however, I'd have to weigh the fact that "Eustace" collaborated with several other authors as well as Meade, of whom Dorothy L. Sayers was the most famous. And by the time of the Sayers/Eustace collaboration, DLS had made enough of a name for herself as the creator of Lord Peter Wimsey that I don't think she'd need to hide her identity. Another of Eustace's regular collaborators was Edgar Jepson (someone else whose work I'd like to read for the channel soon), also someone who didn't really need to use a pseudonym. Actually, Jepson obviously liked collaborating because he co-authored fiction with several writers, including Arthur Machen and John Galsworthy, as well as Robert Eustace. The other point worth noting is that Hugh Greene, writing in the 1970s, claimed to have spoken to someone who knew Robert Eustace, but he was frustratingly vague on the details.
For me the main question is whether the Robert Eustace who collaborated with L. T. Meade in the 1890s was the same person who collaborated with D. L. Sayers in 1930 (and Edgar Jepson in between) - that's a long time to maintain such anonymity, but it's not impossible. Going by the known dates of birth, if he was born in 1869 or 71, he would have been very newly qualified as a doctor when collaborating with Meade, possibly even still a student, so the earlier birth date of 1854 seems more plausible. But that would make him in his late 70s when working with Sayers... I'm drawn to the conclusion that two different people adopted the pen name, but that they were both doctors seems rather a co-incidence. It's quite a puzzle!
@ Bitesize Audio. I am heartily sorry if I ( inadvertently) spoiled the story for anyone. I hope you would know by now that would be the furthest of my intentions. From now on, I will endeavor to curb my enthusiastic comments. Best wishes, Sir Simon.
Oh not at all, I love your enthusiasm and wouldn't like to curb it! Best wishes to you
No more tv just Bitesize Audio.
Wahoo... Thank You!
A clever story 👍
Simon you should consider reading book Alien
There is only one version
I’ll bet you could nail any of the Alien series books
Covenant/ Prometheus can use some help with presentation and enunciation.
Background - sound effects would help.
Ash - David - Walter need to be a little byte more snarky and condescending
The human characters need to be more interesting and dynamic.
I think you could execute the Alien series most excellently.
It would be a lot of work and copyright issues may occur.
However, If you read all the Alien books - you’d be an icon for the Alien fan base.
Just sayin : maybe a great opportunity to corner a market.
All the Alien series in one collection with one narrator.
Aliens needs help more than Alien
And
Out of The shadows , River of pain
Hadelys Hope
I don’t know where to get funding for something like this , however, it’s kinda the Bible of sci- fi.
Ok - enuff
Thanks for narrating this gem