Small tubular container (no pencil) located just off Queen's Ride in Barnes. Trying a novelty housing for this one; will see how it lasts. It may float around a bit (not literally I hope). If it migrates, will replace with a more traditional cache. There was a cache here up until a few years ago (courtesy of BunnySeal). This one is in a different location and not a re-enablement of that one. Struggled to get co-ordinates due to tree cover.
On the evening of 16 September 1977, Gloria Jones was driving her Mini 1275 GT along Queens Ride when she lost control at the humpback bridge, collided with a fence post and came to rest at the top of an embankment against a sycamore tree (the "Bolan Tree"). She suffered a number of broken bones. Her passenger, Marc Bolan, glam rocker and former lead singer of the band T Rex, was not so fortunate. He was killed instantly from the collision with the post (not the tree).
Marc Bolan and T Rex achieved British No.1s with "Telegram Sam" and "Metal Guru". Other hits were "I Love to Boogie", “Ride a White Swan”, "Children Of The Revolution" and "20th Century Boy" .
The site quickly became a place of pilgrimage to Bolan fans and you still find plenty of memorabilia there. In 1997, the Performing Right Society installed a memorial stone for Bolan at the base of the embankment from the Bolan Tree. The bronze bust of Bolan by Canadian sculptor Jean Robillard, was later unveiled by Bolan's son, Rolan Bolan. Over the years, the site became increasingly unsafe so, in 1999, the T-Rex Action Group was formed with the specific aim of caring for the Bolan Tree and site. During 2000, they built steps up the muddy embankment between the Bolan Tree on Queen's Ride and the memorial stone.
The Queen after whom the Ride is named is Queen Caroline, wife of George II. She would cross the Common on her way from London to Richmond and a road was built for her. Nice. And there was a train crash in 1955 on the line just the other side of Queen's Ride in which 13 unfortunate souls lost their lives.
You should approach the cache from the south, the unpaved section of Gypsy Lane, as traffic rather bowls along Queen's Ride (hence this cache).