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He Drove The Fastest Milk Cart In The West Multi-Cache

Hidden : 12/30/2013
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size:   other (other)

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Geocache Description:


"Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)" is an innuendo-laden comedy song, written and performed by the comedian Benny Hill (Alfred Hawthorne Hill), one of my favourite all time comedians. The song was first performed on television in 1970, and released as a successful recording, topping the UK Singles Chart in 1971, reaching the Christmas number one spot.

The lyric's story line is inspired by Benny Hill's early experience as a milkman for Hann's Dairies in Eastleigh, Hampshire.  Hann’s Way is directly opposite location one.  Market Street mentioned in the lyrics is an actual road in Eastleigh about 50 yards east of location one. The song tells the fictional exploits of Ernie Price, a 52-year-old milkman who drives a horse-drawn milk cart pulled by Trigger. It relates to his war with the bread-delivery man ("Two-Ton Ted from Teddington") and their efforts to win the heart of Sue, a widow who lives on her own at number 22, Liddley Lane.

 In the end the two men fight with the wares they carry on their carts, and Ernie is ultimately killed by a rock cake underneath his heart followed by a stale pork pie in his eye.

Sue and Ted then marry, but Ernie's ghostly Gold Tops return to haunt them on their wedding night.

Benny Hill also has many film credits to his name including “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965)”, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)”, and “The Italian Job (1969)”. He also appeared in the 1986 video of the song “Anything She Does” by the band Genesis.

He had a great many celebrity fans ranging from Charlie Chaplin, through to Michael Caine, Burt Reynolds, Micky Rooney, Michael Jackson and Snoop Dog.

Benny Hill is buried at Hollybrook Cemetery near his birthplace in Southampton.  Following rumours that he was buried with large amounts of gold jewellery, an attempt was made by thieves to exhume his body.  When authorities looked into his open grave the following morning it was realised that vandals had dug down, exposing his coffin.  Within two hours of the discovery, cemetery staff had refilled the grave and covered it with a half-ton concrete slab.

Onto the cache.  At the first location, you will see a plaque in honour of Benny Hill who worked as a milkman at this location.  On it, you will see a set of dates ABCD – EFGH.

The second, and final, location is at coordinates:

N 50 58.(C)(A-E)(H), W 001 21.(C+D)(B-E-H)(F-D)

Once at the second location, approx 0.3 miles as the crow flies, but about 0.5 miles as the bioped bimbles, you will see a sign indicating “Nos 41-52” on a 'specific' road.  The cache is 20 paces from here – in the opposite direction from where Ernie drove the fastest milk cart.

This is an extremely muggle-rich environment so stealth really is the name of the game here with a D rating to recognise this. If the GZ is still eluding you, check out the hint. Please bring a scribbling stick to sign the log.

There is an unactivated geocoin (one of only two made) as a special prize for the FTF. I hold the other. There is a photo attached.

Congratz to Pymmso'clock for FTF

Please do not post photos of the plaque, thank you. But... Please feel free to post a photo of yourself doing the Benny Hill salute just like on the FTF Coin - see gallery. Also, ensure that the cache is returned as found on the rear of the left hand side as you look from the front.

Altogether now…  “Ernieeeeee, and he drove the fastest milk cart in the West!!!”

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

[Loc1]: Ybbx Hc [Loc2]: Gur pnpur vf 20 cnprf sebz urer – va gur bccbfvgr qverpgvba sebz jurer Reavr qebir gur snfgrfg zvyx pneg. Zntargvp, oruvaq, yrsg unaq fvqr.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)