Where Was I? Stumped - Any Ideas?

[MrsArgos]

Stumped
Any ideas?

[Etch]

There don't appear to be many 'subtle clues' this week - I thought mention of "fulmar" might be hinting at HMS Fulmar, now RAF Lossiemouth, and skiing also seemed to suggest Scotland, but this had me looking in completely the wrong country.

The key (and possibly only) 'subtle clue' is the distinctive way he describes the dark when they reach the village. This should enable you to identify the poet, and things ought to then fall into place.

[MrsArgos]

Dylan Thomas uses the term Bible-black
But I can’t see how the opera house is 86 miles west northwest of the village I’m thinking of

Completely stumped

Is the opera house in England?

[Etch]

"Is the opera house in England?" - No, it's not even in the UK, that's a sneaky bit in today's puzzle.

[goodgoalie]

For the first time since I started doing this puzzle in 1999, one of the answers is not in the UK

[MrsArgos]

Still struggling!

Ireland? Dylan Thomas? west Wales I’m thinking!

[goodgoalie]

keep going....

[Buenchico]

I'm not doing the competition myself but a quick scan through the text suggests strongly to me that the poet must be Dylan Thomas, due to the 'Bible-black' reference (which is clearly from 'Under Milk Wood').

A look at Wikipedia mentions several places where he lived during the second world war
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dylan_Thomas#Wartime,_1939%E2%80%931945
including New Quay in Cardiganshire, in 'a wood and asbestos bungalow on the cliffs overlooking Cardigan Bay'.

Googling 'Dolphins in Wales' finds this on the Visit Wales website:
"Britain's biggest resident population of dolphins lives in Cardigan Bay".

I've not gone any further, and I might be barking at a red herring up a wrong tree, but I'll offer those thoughts as a starting point to you anyway ;-)

[Etch]

It has happened before, goodgoalie. In the days of Chris Fautley, the puzzle on the 4 Nov 2007, set in East Sussex, contained a paragraph which started:

"So, due east of where we now stand? It must be another country in the form of a tall, “uncolourful” landmark 36 miles away. And, if I am not mistaken, I see a walled cathedral town 10 miles to its south and 38 miles east-southeast of us."

Question 2 asked "What is the name of the cathedral town?", to which the answer was Boulogne.

[fiveleaves]

The 86 miles away stumped me as the distances are usually much less 5 or 10 miles.
"Bible black" I think comes from "Under Milk Wood" which was set in Llareggub geneally considered to be Laugharne

[Loupie]

There is no doubt that the 21st C Opera House is in Wexford Eire; there's not another of that age in the British Isles. To get there they leave in the 1pm ferry from Fishguard. Ergo the skiing must be in S Wales. The only skiing I can find in that part of S Wales is the dry ski slope at Pembury. But this is about 105 miles in a straight line to the Opera House. The small town (which turns into a village in the script) must surely be Laugharne; but again not NE of the ski slope but miles to the NW. Laugharne is llareggub in Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood which contains the lines about a pint of stout with an egg in it. Thomas lived in Laugharne and is indeed buried there. So, and I may be wrong, my answers are the Irish National Opera Wexford, and Laugharne.

[Loupie]

To reinforce my point about Fishguard, Under Milk Wood was filmed there, but Elizabeth Taylor did all her scenes in London.

[Etch]

Loupie; if you're able, then using Google Maps
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.3,-5.2,9z
right-click on the location of the opera house and select 'Measure distance'. Left-click on the Welsh coast to create the ruler and move the end point along the coast until its length is 86 miles. Zoom in on the Welsh end and you should find the 'ski & snowboarding centre' where the puzzle starts.

[Etch]

PS You want the Cardigan Bay coast, not the South Wales coast.

[Sportsmasters50]

If you go on the hot uk deals site for the Swan in Newby Bridge it gives the answers as:
National OPera House
New Quay
Neither New Quay OR Laugharne are 5 miles north east of what I presume is the Pembery ski centre? So confused

[Etch]

The ski centre in the puzzle is not the one at Pembrey. Look for one very close to the Cardigan Bay coast.

[Loupie]

Thanks to Etch. Solved. The bearing from the Ski Slope on Cardiagn Bay to the Opera House is 270 or almost WbN not WnW. Of course the slope is just 5 miles from New Quay. I'm grateful for the help. I normally get these right quite easily but found this one more than challenging for a change

[MrsArgos]

I answered New Quay and Wexford Opera house

But this one had me puzzled!!!!
Normally I get both answers right or occasionally one wrong.
This week made me stressed out - fab puzzle this week Sean Newsom

Thanks Sunday Tines. Looking forward to seeing if we were right on Sunday.

[MrsArgos]

My calculations are Wexford - National Opera House.

Poet (Bible-black) is Dylan Thomas. He lived for a while writing lots (UMW?) in New Quay which is the second answer I reckon.

Ski slope I believe to be Llangrannog

Elizabeth Taylor is the actress and was in Under Milk Wood which was filmed in lower Fishguard (and London!)

[Sportsmasters50]

Llangrannog Ski Centre which is about 5miles+ from New Quay

[Etch]

... and in the right direction. :-)