In Search of the Twyford Code

  Our first Twyford is just outside Winchester, just a junction south down the M3. As we were heading for the Isle Of Wight one weekend, it seemed remiss not to stop on our way and check it out. Twyford on the map Our initial impression was  that it was likely to be a rather typical commuter village of the kind found in the hundreds within 40 miles of London. A little scout around, though, revealed a little more local history than we were expecting. First stop, of course, was the church. And a most excellent starting spot, too. St Mary's, although it stands on an ancient site of worship, was reconstructed completely from scratch in the 19th Century. The remains of a ring of sarsen stones - ancient druidic stones, like Stonehenge only less impressive - lie underneath the tower, which has been imaginatively finished with decorative flint walling. It's certainly an impressive sight.    St Mary's Church The flint walling and welcoming gargoyles. They do look like they're...

 Hi! We are Becky and Ben. I imagine about 95% of people reading this know at least one of us already, but if anyone new has somehow found us through the wonders of Google, then I think it's only reasonable to introduce ourselves. We live close to the English/Welsh border, love exploring the British countryside, and - in late 2022 - thought of something idiosyncratically daft to do with our holiday leave for 2023. In 2019, Janice Hallett published The Appeal, an excellent book written in an epistolary format. 'Epistolary' used to mean 'in the medium of letters', but times have changed and The Appeal was largely written in the format of emails and instant messages. It was an excellent whodunit-type of book which we both enjoyed hugely and promptly bought copies for all our friends and family. The follow-up book was the Twyford Code, and - in case you ignored the disclaimer on the front page - this is where the massive spoilers kick in. The Twyford Code was ostensibly...

Before you read any further, there is something very important we need you to know: This blog contains massive spoilers (huge, whopping ones, giving the whole plot away) for the book 'The Twyford Code' by Janice Hallett. If you've not read the book, then we heartily recommend that you do. It's great. But please don't read any further in this blog until you have. We wouldn't want to be responsible for spoiling your enjoyment of it. If you HAVE read The Twyford Code, then click here to join our search