I glanced at a copy of the Daily Mirror left on the
train last week and saw that they are reproducing the comic strip of
my childhood hero – Garth. Anyone remember him? Chris and I
particularly remember one adventure when Garth was captured by his
deadly enemy and had a steel helmet which covered all his head and
was welded around his neck in such a manner that he would never get
it off, so that he was completely blind and deaf but was able to eat
and drink through small holes. He was then thrown into an underground
labyrinth full of animals and other dangers but, of course,
eventually managed to escape and take revenge. We can't remember any
of the detail now and wish we could track down that particular
episode, but no luck so far.
We agree that it was the blind(folding!) aspect that
appealed and I have dreamed from time to time in the intervening
years of being blindfolded and left to find my way around a maze of
some sort.
So, some years ago, Chris came up with a plan to satisfy
that particular wish of mine. On the morning of my usual day in his
office, he called for me at home, as he did in those days, early in
the morning after my spouse had left for his office in London. He
blindfolded me and smuggled me out into the back seat of his car and
we set - for Hampton Court! The blindfold was my favourite doubled
silk scarf, securely knotted. It happened in March since we thought
tourists would be minimal and we might have the maze to ourselves or
at least avoid any crowds. As the weather was forecast to be rainy, I
could wear my old raincoat with the large hood, as described in our
web-site, to disguise the blindfold from curious eyes. An hour and a
half driving. We arrived there just on opening time, parked the car
and he led me, still blindfolded and now wearing my hood, into the
gardens and to the Maze. With me on his arm, he bought tickets for
the Maze only. The ticket office person said nothing about me being
blindfolded nor did anyone else and at that time there was hardly
anyone around, certainly as far as Chris said he could see, in the
maze itself. If challenged, he had a story ready about an office
initiative test, but never had to use it. Chris had a plan of the
maze which I hadn't seen and we set up a code of whistles – the
same code that we had used in our use for our early adventures in
blindfolded walks.
As instructed then, I set off between what I could feel
were iron waist high railings with hedges on both sides, waiting for
the first whistle. Chris had a plan of the maze in his hand. We had
agreed that he would give be three signals and then I was on my own
and would whistle back to him after that so that he could hopefully
follow my route. In fact, I could not whistle very loudly but could
do a convincing owl-like hoot on clasped hands.
So -Turn Right, which I did when I had located a gap.
Again Turn Right, which I did again and then Turn Left and found
myself after a while at a dead end. Had he tricked me or had I
misunderstood or simply missed the Left Turn?
I was enjoying myself too much to worry and Chris knew
anyway that I wouldn't cheat.
After some time came the pre-arranged whistle that
someone else was entering the maze. Nothing I could do about that, of
course, so I kept going.
Eventually, I realised I had arrived in a more open
space and after feelin my way right around and coming back to the one
and only entrance, as far as I could tell, realised I was at the
centre. It seemed to be a long space but not very wide and nothing to
sit on for a rest that I could find.
Then, suddenly, I was no longer alone! A group of
females, Chinese perhaps, from what I could hear. They might have
spotted my blindfold but I couldn't understand what they were saying
and no-one spoke directly to me and, as I was still wearing my hood
up, they may not have noticed and went off before I decided to make
my return. I had lost touch with Chris and had tried to remember and
to reverse my route in, but that was nearly impossible. So I
struggled on – enjoyably.
Then on the way out, a small incident happened which I
will tell you about next week.
I am presently in Chris's office and he is hovering with
tha same silk scarf for my regular two hours as his blindfolded
secretary – main task: to make the tea in about an hours time at
which I am very practised.
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