The clue
Friend had agreed to a day of history, but it was soon obvious he harboured a desire to see the nearby coast instead. “It’s gorgeous down there,” he whined, as we explored our first monument. “In an area of outstanding natural beauty too. We could picnic.” I ignored him and focused instead on the intricate floors of the complex, which started life as a grain store and was later rebuilt for a much grander purpose. It’s the largest example of its kind in the country.
Friend, however, was wilting. “Oh come on, I’m hotter than a laconicum in a 1st-century heatwave,” he moaned. “Let’s go and swim.”
Finally, by one of its most famous sights, I snapped. “Will you stop wittering on about the beach?” I hissed. “Isn’t this dolphin good enough for you?” At which point our relationship suffered a precipitate decline and fall. Friend sulked in the car, while I edited my plans. Out went the detour, two miles west southwest, to a quayside village that features near the start of the Bayeux Tapestry. Its church dates back to Saxon times. Instead we repaired to a big open-air museum seven miles northeast of the village. “Don’t be down,” I muttered to Friend, as we drove off. “It’ll be cooler in the hills.”
But he almost mutinied when we entered. “More old buildings!” he groaned. “Yes, but one of them is the setting for your favourite TV programme,” I told him, and took him to a thatched barn, originally built in the 17th or 18th century. His eyes lit up. Suddenly our friendship was on the mend.
The prize
The winner and guest will stay for two nights, B&B, at a suite in Dukes London, the quintessentially British boutique hotel that is just around the corner from St James’s Palace. Home to the plush Dukes Bar, as well as the GBR eatery, Dukes London is a discreet and luxurious bolt hole in one of the capital’s most glamorous districts. Champagne afternoon teas are a speciality and are the perfect way to end a West End shopping trip, or a visit to Westminster Abbey across the park.
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This year Dukes London is taking part in Hotel Week London, which runs from May 28 to June 6 and brings together hotels from all corners of the city. Each is offering discounted rates and special packages to entice British travellers back into London. To see Dukes London’s offer, visit dukeshotel.com.
The prize includes one three-course dinner for two at GBR, excluding drinks, and must be taken between May 17 and August 31, 2021, subject to availability.
Enter the competition
Can’t see the competition form? Enter at thesundaytimes.co.uk/wherewasi
Last week’s prize
The answers are Thomas Telford and Castle Sinclair Girnigoe. Ryan Smith of Chelmsford, Essex, wins a treehouse break for four with Winchcombe Farm Holidays.