For those who don't know (and there can't be many, as it was popular around the globe), Bergerac was a BBC Television series set in Jersey. It starred John Nettles as Sergeant Jim Bergerac, a maverick cop (is there any other sort?) who worked for the fictional Bureau des Etrangers, a department of the States of Jersey Police which investigated crimes involving non-residents of the island. It ran for 87 episodes broadcast from 1981 to 1991 and gave less fortunate mortals a taste of the sort of life that they could only dream of, but which we in Jersey took for granted - an endless round of black-tie dinners, cocktail parties, expensive restaurants and glamorous nightclubs.
'So it's about three feet up in a hole in the tree behind the ivy? I'm sure I looked there!'
Jim Bergerac phones a friend.
The script for an unmade episode of Bergerac has recently come to light. Originally intended as the 1992 Christmas special, the decision to scrap the series was taken before filming could start. Innovative as ever, the story is set in the world of geocaching, which was still a very new and, to most people, mysterious activity. (Indeed, with early GPSs the size of small briefcases and costing many hundreds of pounds, geocaching was still, as Bergerac puts it later in the script, 'the sport of the idle rich'.) The star-studded cast would have included the ever-fragrant Liza Goddard in the role of Lola Goode-Hyde (who turns out to be jewel thief Philippa Vale in disguise) and everyone's favourite actor, singer and geocacher Bernard Cribbins as Mr Henderson. What an episode it would have been!
The first two scenes of the script are reproduced below. In them are all the clues you need to discover the whereabouts of this geocache.
Begerac's Greatest Case
Scene 1
A burgundy Triumph Roadster drives into the tunnel and comes out on Grouville Hill. After speeding along the Five Mile Road, it pulls into the forecourt of the Bureau des Etrangers . Jim Bergerac (for it is he) springs out of the car and saunters into the Bureau.
Scene 2 – Crozier’s office
Crozier: You’re late!
Bergerac: Sorry, Barney, I took the scenic route!
Crozier: You know what you’re doing today?
Bergerac: Yeah, picking up this geocacher from the airport at ten o’clock. The British Caledonian flight from Heathrow.
Crozier: ‘This geocacher’ is Lola Goode-Hyde, Chief Executive Officer of International Geocaching Incorporated. She’s a very important lady so you’re to show her every courtesy. Whatever Lola wants...
Bergerac: Lola gets. Yes, I understand. [A loud, indignant voice is heard off screen] Clap hands, here comes Charlie!
[Charlie Hungerford, large cigar in hand, enters the room frowning.]
Hungerford: Bloomin’ Nora, Barney, what’s this I hear about someone threatening to murder Miss Goode-Hyde? It's outrageous!
Crozier: Don’t blame me, Charlie, I’m just the messenger boy. [Turning to Bergerac] We’ve had a report from Scotland Yard that a disgruntled geocacher, known as Mr Henderson, is planning to assassinate Lola Goode-Hyde in Jersey this weekend.
Hungerford: We can’t have this happening here. It’s taken me months to organise the first ever international conference of geocachers in Jersey. An assassination would ruin it. Lola Goode-Hyde is a nice person, and nice people die in bed, not shot down on a conference stage.
Bergerac: Oh yes, I understand you’ll be making the opening speech at GeoCon Jersey, Charlie. Got any good geocaching jokes in it?
Hungerford: Of course, you should always leave them laughing.
Bergerac: But do we know Mr Henderson’s going to shoot her? He might try to poison her.
Crozier: We don’t know how or when he’s going to strike, which is why you’ve got to stick close to her. If anything happens to Miss Goode-Hyde, I’m holding you personally responsible, Jim.
Half an hour searching and nothing!
Jim Bergerac stares into the black void that is a 'DNF'.
You can check your solution to Bergerac's Greatest Case at GeoChecker.com.
There is a FTF prize of a Jersey Flag trackable in the cache. Good hunting!
*** Congratulations to Fauvic for the FTF ***
[Puzzle] Lbh ner ybbxvat sbe fvk ahzoref. Nqq yrnqvat abhtugf jurer arprffnel.