This is the second in an occasional series highlighting local literary connections.
The headline coordinates for this cache are for Delderfield Gardens, a quiet cul-de-sac in Exmouth, Devon, the road's name commemorating two of the town's most famous literary inhabitants, the author and dramatist R.F. (Ronald Frederick) Delderfield and his lesser-known local history author brother Eric. There is no physical cache here, you will need to work out the coordinates for the final hide. Wheelchair users can get close to the cache but they would need help accessing the container itself.
Ronald was born in 1912 in Bermondsey, London, but in 1923 he moved with his family to Exmouth in Devon, when his father, William, bought and became the editor of the 'Exmouth Chronicle' newspaper. Ronald himself started working on the paper in 1929, later succeeding his father as editor. During this period Delderfield also worked as a playwright and his first published play was performed at a theatre in Birmingham in 1936.
After serving in the RAF during the Second World War Delderfield resumed his literary career while also running an antiques business in Budleigh Salterton. He moved from drama to novel writing in the 1950s. He had a house called 'Dove Cottage' built on Peak Hill in Sidmouth and it was here that he died of lung cancer in 1972 aged 60. The house still stands but is now known as 'The Gazebo'.
While he also wrote works of non-fiction it is for his historical novels that R.F. Delderfield is most remembered, several of which, including 'A Horseman Riding By' and 'To Serve Them All My Days' have been dramatised on British television. In his autobiography Delderfield explained that he had drawn inspiration for many of his books from his time living in Devon, particularly while working on the Exmouth Chronicle.
His novels often portrayed 'ordinary, decent folk', striving to 'get on' and become a success, whilst remaining true to themselves and their values. Values such as patriotism, decency, integrity, thrift, industriousness, success gained through service and hard work are frequently celebrated. Today Delderfield's novels are often viewed as 'old fashioned', as they tend to celebrate English history, humanity, and liberalism while demonstrating little patience with entrenched class differences and snobbery. Delderfield has been criticised for his conventional views of women's social roles, as he himself pointed out in his autobiography, 'For My Own Amusement', despite his father having been a supporter of the Women's Suffrage Movement.
To work out the coordinates for the final hide, which is less than 10 minutes walk away from Delderfield Gardens, you will need to answer the following questions and make the calculation.
1. 'A Horseman Riding By', set on the edge of Exmoor, was published in 19AB
2. 'To Serve Them All My Days' based on Delderfield's schooldays in West Buckland, 10 miles from Barnstaple in North Devon, was published in 19CD.
3. Delderfield's autobiography, in which he mentions the Devon-based inspirations for some of his works, was published in 19EF
4. Ronald's brother Eric Delderfield’s work 'The Observer's Book of Devon and Cornwall' was published in 19GH
N50 ( [G + D] - E) C . H G (C + D)
W003 F ( [E + F] - B ) . (E + D) ( C + F) E