https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/5138#M1322 <BR /> <BR /> I have never seen such a bulls--t clue !<BR /> Re: link - Diamond ring clues + answers .<BR /> <BR /> The p-ss head who wrote it makes the classic fruedian slip buy commenting on the redbull SOFT drink that he consumed while composing his non lateral thoughts into a rambling mess which in turn , can only leave us wondering if Ebay is actually run by a bunch of spotty teenagers. <BR /> <BR /> I have pasted the diamond ring answers below - judge for yourself :<BR /> Clues and Answers Archive<BR /> hnutford@ebay.com (view author's auctions)<BR /> 08/12/04 12:19 <BR /> <BR /> Our Clue Master, whose identity will be revealed soon and will be joining us more frequently on the boards has sent us through a fuller answer for yesterday’s clue. See if you can get inside his mind. <span class="lia-unicode-emoji" title=":monkey_face:">🐵</span><BR /> <BR /> The Mystery Clue Master writes:<BR /> <BR /> <BR /> Snowman (answer to the diamond ring clue is – Dell Hard Drive)<BR /> <BR /> So: Snowman. A clue to win a beautiful 1.03 carat ‘emerald cut’ diamond ring – one big prize for the day, so the clue trail had to be even more complex than usual if the Treasure Hunters were not to pounce on it too quickly. I sat back, cracked open another Red Bull – the delights of an occasional tipple are long forgotten, because I’ve got to stay sharp as a tack – and set to work…<BR /> <BR /> Hint: Mince Pies<BR /> <BR /> As you all know, I love mince pies (homemade, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, I don’t care) and a misspent youth in the East End of London has left me with a lasting fondness for Cockney rhyming slang. Mince pies = eyes. A Snowman’s eyes, of course, are traditionally made of Coal. Which brought to mind the wonderful Nat ‘King’ Cole and Old King Coal. <BR /> <BR /> A little obvious perhaps, so I hit upon a newer King Coal – Arthur Scargill, leader of the (coal) Miners Union. So far, so good. Hundreds of you were on the case with coal. elven_shadowcat was just one, but deserves a mention for trying to win, in the teeth of weird British culture, even though hailing from Holland, home of all those weird but wonderful Dutchies. But full marks must go to glamour_ville, hamdi5 and haybarn11 for getting Scargill. Now while it was tempting to run off from Scargill to Lord Scarman (who had just died) and even the Scarface movies, I stuck with Arthur. Who is the most famous Arthur to those residing in these fair shores? Why, the Lost King himself, the Winter King…<BR /> <BR /> The easy shortcut (and there isn’t always one this easy) linked Coal and the Diamond in the prize – both forms of carbon – and then it’s a short hop to ‘hard’ (as diamonds are).<BR /> <BR /> Hint:A Misplaced King<BR /> <BR /> King Arthur is a subject attempted by many over the years, but recently, Bernard Cornwell has done it best. The brilliant author of the Sharpe series (which I believe was made into television with that Geordie chap, forget his name but he was in Lord of the Rings too, you know who I mean) has written The Warlord Chronicles which start with The Winter King: A Novel of Arthur. Only a couple of dozen got what seemed a quite obvious hint for Arthur. A kind fish called bilbobaggins2000 was one (good luck with the driving lessons, by the way, and yes, doing the eBay treasure hunt on a laptop while learning to drive is definitely a no no). <BR /> <BR /> But no-one got Bernard Cornwell at all, even though it is painfully obvious that I read far too many books than is strictly necessary, let alone good for health. <BR /> <BR /> Cornwell is a rather strange way to spell “Cornwall”, and there’s one other – very famous – author called Cornwell, name of David Cornwell. Only his nom de plume is John Le Carré. Now Le Carré may have gone off the boil a bit lately, but his masterwork is Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (a mere 9000 pages via Google). <BR /> <BR /> The not-so-easy shortcut would either be Arthur having a hard life (some of those pesky Knights were hardly to be trusted) or Bernard Cornwell’s heroes, who have tough lives too.<BR /> <BR /> Hint: Rich or Poor<BR /> <BR /> unipos_systems kindly provided the full rhyme “Rich man, poor man, beggar-man, thief, tinker, tailor, soldier and as thehighlander100 noted, there are lots of references to the brilliant ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’ TV series. Also on the trail were splodge42, multiplicity92, cammi040904 – a wise one who proves that inspiration will sometimes come from stepping away from the computer and relaxing in a bath – and ollym1, who was so close and even mentioned Dell!<BR /> <BR /> This utterly great TV starred Sir Alec Guinness as George Smiley, the spy lured out of retirement to hunt down a mole, a double agent in British Intelligence working for the Soviets. (Not unlike a kind deadly treasure hunt, really). I avoided ‘smiley’ routes, and spent a fruitless hour online trying to find someone who would remind me who the mole George finally uncovers is. <BR /> <BR /> Now ‘rich or poor’ (and all the other variants in the song) suggests a multiplicity of roles. And Alec Guinness famously played no less than 8 parts in the quirkily amusing ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’. Having realised that Teamtreasurehunt.co.uk was already recommending this site, and with a naturally bookish bent, I pounced on the author of the book on which the film script was based, Roy Horniman.<BR /> <BR /> The increasingly difficult ‘easy’ short cut – life can be hard, whether you’re rich or poor, it’s a matter of the cards you’re played, as the children’s fortune-telling game around the rhyme suggests.<BR /> <BR /> Hint: Fred &amp; Gus’s Old Things<BR /> <BR /> The top 3 Google results for “Horniman” take you straight to the famously delightful family-friendly museum of the same name (http://www.horniman.ac.uk/). Founded by Frederick (Fred) Horniman, it’s simply brimming with curious and interesting old things, like most museums. In fact, its world-renowned exhibition of World Cultures (ethnography) is a marvel to behold, and second only to the British Museum in London and the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, as its own website announces (http://www.horniman.ac.uk/collections/world.cfm). <BR /> <BR /> But the real treasure-hunters’ delight is surely the Pitt Rivers Museum (http://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/), because Lt. Gen. Augustus (Gus) Pitt Rivers insisted that his collection be shoved in as it came, higgledy piggledy. It’s quite amazing, and well worth a visit. Pitt Rivers (and I was tempted to play around with Brad Pitt and River Phoenix, but thought I’d stick with old things for a while) was a remarkable figure. He also had a collection – this time of buildings – at his beautiful Larmer Tree Gardens in Tollyard Royal, Dorset in the stunningly beautiful Cranbourne Chase. There is a very enjoyable annual Larmer Tree music festival of a size and style to suit the Professor and F’s travelling abode (an easily erected tent).<BR /> <BR /> The hardly-easy-at-all-anymore shortcut from here was that this was, to be quite honest, the hardest hint of the Treasure Hunt yet. So hard, in fact, that I thought someone might try “hard” out of sheer head-scratching frustration. Oh well…<BR /> <BR /> Hint: The Other Man<BR /> <BR /> For a certain type of obsessive – “And aren’t we all obsessive, one way or another?” I often muse to F. “Yes, dear”, she says, meaning nothing of the sort – there is only one towering genius to spin on the record deck in time of need. Hailed as the greatest white blues singer of all time by everyone from Eric Clapton and Tracey Chapman to Mark Knopfler and Andy Kershaw, in times of trouble or joy, you simply can’t been Van ‘The Man’ Morrison at his best. A quick search of Van and snow will yield his delicately beautiful and achingly melancholic song, ‘Snow in San Anselmo’. The song comes from the underrated album ‘Hardnose the Highway’. The title may be slang (another hour lost trying to find out), or simply Van’s inspiration, but it’s meaning is clear enough – in hard times, put your nose to the grindstone and drive on…<BR /> <BR /> The somewhat easier shortcut? To know someone else – the other man – is hard, but worthwhile. Or as the ethnographic type has said, “Man cannot know man except in mutuality: in respect, trust, and equality, if not ultimately love.” ‘Ethnography?’ I hear some say. ‘What’s that then?’ Well, apart from a charming little corner of eBay’s Collectables category, as far as I can make out, if you were to ask it what its job was, it would say “it’s know man”. <BR /> <BR /> P.S. On the vexed subject of why a naughty clue elf (who I suspect may have been supping Santa’s mulled wine, vodka, whiskey or Baileys behind his back) gave out an extra clue about how ‘difficult’ it was: as far as I’m aware she has been sent off to clean the reindeer’s stables, and it won’t happen again. <BR /> <BR /> <BR /> <BR /> Thu, 16 Dec 2004 22:51:26 GMT winningbidding69 2004-12-16T22:51:26Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3156#M747 Treasure Hunting fever has struck the nation! Well, nearly <span class="lia-unicode-emoji" title=":winking_face:">😉</span><BR /> <BR /> Do you have a story you would like to share about your Treasure Hunting?<BR /> <BR /> We are putting together some snippets for our main treasure hunting page here: http://pages.ebay.co.uk/treasurehunt/ and would love to hear from you! <BR /> <BR /> This thread will need to keep on topic, so if you want to chat with other hunters, please use the rest of the forum, your posts will be removed if they are off topic.<BR /> <BR /> Thanks!<BR /> <BR /> Alexia<BR /> <BR /> By posting on this board, you agree that eBay can use your comments to feature on our Treasure Hunt hub page. Please note that eBay may alter or edit your post to ensure the comments are brief, free from inappropriate language and without any errors (grammatical or otherwise). <BR /> <BR /> Thu, 09 Dec 2004 18:12:22 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3156#M747 alexiab@ebay.com 2004-12-09T18:12:22Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3176#M752 I lost <span class="lia-unicode-emoji" title=":disappointed_face:">😞</span> Thu, 09 Dec 2004 18:17:27 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3176#M752 littlebookman 2004-12-09T18:17:27Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3188#M758 today i learnt that if you hit your f5 button repeatedly it comes off.<BR /> and i also never want to see another hello kitty pencil case ever Thu, 09 Dec 2004 18:18:03 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3188#M758 forum_lurker 2004-12-09T18:18:03Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3196#M762 Brill!!<BR /> <BR /> Keeping me on my toes and my family without clean clothes, breakfast/lunch or dinner, the carpets need hooverd and i need a wash! LOL<BR /> <BR /> addictive, fun, free, exciting-just what we need to take the pressure out of the christmas shopping oh and grab a bargain or two while i am looking for the winning listing<BR /> <BR /> roll on tommorow's clue detectve tigger is on the case LOL Thu, 09 Dec 2004 18:19:45 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3196#M762 the-wonderful-thing-about-tiggers 2004-12-09T18:19:45Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3210#M765 I learnt that I am either only half as clever as i thought I was or I need a straightjacket!! My kids aren't talking to me and I can't remember how to get up off this chair! Thu, 09 Dec 2004 18:20:28 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3210#M765 laura.k.d 2004-12-09T18:20:28Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3227#M772 Me, my mum and sister sat at the computer for 5 hours trawling through our ideas, although some were completely wrong including (stab in the dark) at the time it was an idea silly now though. But we did get the 1655, unfortunately it was at about PM this afternoon. So we ignored our house work and children (at times) But everything is still ok so we will be back tomorrow so watch out peeps.<BR /> <BR /> :0)<BR /> Well done EBAY !!!! Thu, 09 Dec 2004 18:20:38 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3227#M772 darkangelmax452 2004-12-09T18:20:38Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3239#M778 been here everyday from 8am.thought of words i didnt know existed.starved today but thats all good means i lose a lb and get to eat more goodies at crimbo.poor kids ,grabbed teen the minute he came in at lunchtime from doing his mock exams.no how did you do in your exam.i asked think words to do with cracker.:-) Thu, 09 Dec 2004 18:51:23 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3239#M778 the.real.undertaker 2004-12-09T18:51:23Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3249#M780 I think I now have DVT. Do we have any doctors here? No of course we don't, they're all busy doing something worthwhile! Thu, 09 Dec 2004 19:05:57 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3249#M780 bluewave42 2004-12-09T19:05:57Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3262#M785 Plus side of Ebay Treasure Hunt - my typing skills quickly came back to me, I have an honarary degree from Ebay university on the study of Partridges, learned Latin, learned how to "string", know how to amuse dogs without taking them for a walk, have quick access now to headache tablets, can talk on the phone in one syllable sentences and hang up within 20 seconds.<BR /> <BR /> Negative side - my bum is sore, my house is a mess, my family think I'm mad, the Pinks mess with your train of thought, the toilet is downstairs, I've been eating sandwiches for 2 days now, my Ebay customers are getting neglected.<BR /> <BR /> Who's ready for tomorrow? Thu, 09 Dec 2004 19:06:47 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3262#M785 tweetyisdead 2004-12-09T19:06:47Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3274#M789 Yeah, got up earlier than usual, did days housework before taking kids to school and sat at pc all day..<BR /> (oh, apart from setting an alarm clock to remind me to do a pre-school pick up and school run)<BR /> <BR /> My daughter then kindly told my hubby what I had done this morning, why she was slighty late to school ( had to get housework done before school run), and that the pc chair was hotter than the rad, when I went to dish up their tea!!<BR /> <BR /> Daughter not impressed or is hubby cause I didn't win!! lol<BR /> <BR /> However, I have to say it's been fun and a very well done the Bales !!<BR /> <BR /> Best wishes &amp; Happy Christmas to all who reads this:) Thu, 09 Dec 2004 19:31:13 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3274#M789 frostiesrmyfavorite 2004-12-09T19:31:13Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3288#M792 My workplace looks like a tip.<BR /> <BR /> the customers think im ignorant as i was supposed to deal with a few queries and call them back but didnt.<BR /> <BR /> My car has just cooled down after a mad dash home theres a few disasters in my wake,<BR /> <BR /> my dog is wearing half his dinner as i threw it at him on the way in the door,<BR /> <BR /> The cat has left home in a huff as i propelled her half way across the room she was sitting on my laptop.<BR /> <BR /> AHH Well there always tomorrow.<BR /> :^O Thu, 09 Dec 2004 19:33:15 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3288#M792 bored.at.work.again 2004-12-09T19:33:15Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3298#M794 Yeh! Isn't this the best fun you've had for ages? (Or am I a sad individual!)<BR /> Spent today trying to serve customers quickly in my shop, doing Basil Fawlty impersonations. "You want one of these? Hurry up! What colour? Those are in the store, take cream, it's nice. Lord, you want me to put it in a BAG? Look, while you're shuffling for your credit card, what springs to mind when I say Cracker? Nothing? For God's sake man, I've got important things to do in my office, having a VAT inspection - DO HURRY UP!"<BR /> I wouldn't really care what the prize was ; I love the whole atmosphere and the comradeship. I haven't seen a bitchy remark on the Treasure Hunt Board since it started. Had a quick look at the other boards today and the threads were the same old subjects. Almost felt like posting, "Never mind NPBs, postage, feedback, come into the fun room where we're all ten years old again! Well done Ebay! Thu, 09 Dec 2004 19:43:40 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3298#M794 keepherlit0 2004-12-09T19:43:40Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3305#M796 Oh, and I forgot another bonus; it's great to see the "human" side of pinks! (Or inhuman when they are keeping us on the edge of our seats!) Thu, 09 Dec 2004 19:50:41 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3305#M796 keepherlit0 2004-12-09T19:50:41Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3319#M797 I prefered the Cadbury´s Cream Egg competition from years ago, at least you could dig up someones garden !!!!, all i am digging up is dead ends !!, i wish i could see what the winning listing looked like, This is great fun, cant sleep, go to the loo or eat !!!!!!!!!!!! Thu, 09 Dec 2004 19:55:04 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3319#M797 glenncanfixit 2004-12-09T19:55:04Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3336#M799 keepherlit0, I just lmao,, loved your post! Thu, 09 Dec 2004 20:06:43 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3336#M799 ems*honie 2004-12-09T20:06:43Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3344#M802 Sorry #14, this is OT so will be pulled, but what does Imao mean? (Trying to figure it out has been as bad as the Treasure Hunt!):-) Thu, 09 Dec 2004 20:25:07 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3344#M802 keepherlit0 2004-12-09T20:25:07Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3354#M804 Before it gets pulled 'Laugh my arse off' Thu, 09 Dec 2004 20:33:48 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3354#M804 pris2001 2004-12-09T20:33:48Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3367#M806 I put too many sugars in my tea (that I made at hyper speed so's not to miss anything) chuntering to myself trying to come up with words. My cats are looking thinner for some reason and have a hateful stare when they look at me.?:| Thu, 09 Dec 2004 20:44:37 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3367#M806 sjw1705 2004-12-09T20:44:37Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3377#M808 <span class="lia-unicode-emoji" title=":winking_face:">😉</span> Thu, 09 Dec 2004 20:46:46 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3377#M808 ems*honie 2004-12-09T20:46:46Z https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3386#M810 Its great fun, finally a competition that needs brain cells to participate in!!! :^O Thu, 09 Dec 2004 20:56:57 GMT https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Fun-and-Games/Tell-us-your-Treasure-Hunting-story/m-p/3386#M810 skeggy553 2004-12-09T20:56:57Z