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FIRST APPEARANCE

Arthur Ness and the  Secret of Waterwhistle, Pt 1 

Summary

 

Waterwhistle is a village in Nottinghamshire. It lies several miles outside the city of Nottingham and lies in the shadow of the nearby village of Lowdham.

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During the evacuation of children in World War Two, Waterwhistle took in one child from London - a ten year old boy named Arthur Ness.
Waterwhistle eventually went on to become an important location in the events of the Arilon Chronicles.

 

Locations and People

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The village is located in the countryside of Nottinghamshire. There are various farms in the area and livestock is often seen being driven through the village's small roads and lanes.

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At the very centre, lies the village square. This is a small plot of grass which contains a memorial to the men from the village who died in the First World War.

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The various streets and lanes spread out from this point. There are several shops and services in the village. During the time of the Arilon Chronicles, the second world war is raging and many of the village's able-bodied men are away fighting. As with many other places in the country, this means the women have taken over the running much of the village.

Some of the notable individuals and locations are listed below;

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Hector Smith, Grocer

​Hector Smith runs the local farm shop, selling fruit, vegetables and other daily-required items. He has a son, Albert, who is in the army and two younger children, Teresa and her younger brother, Sam.

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Mrs Pettifer

​Mrs Pettifer usually ran the post office with her husband. However, as he is away at war, she now runs it with her daughter. 

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Mr and Mrs McGugan

​This elderly couple run the sweet shop. They are known for their friendliness although Mr McGugan most definitely has his more grumpy moments, too.

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Mrs Shepard

​Shepard's Motor Garage provides a vital service as it is the one place within a reasonable distance that allows the village's small number of motor cars and trucks to be serviced. These vehicles are all vital to life in the village so the garage is extremely important. For this reason, the government initially prevented Mr Shepard from joining the army. Unbeknown to him, his young wife was a prodigious talent with anything mechanical. Being female, she had not been allowed to follow this skill and so never spoke of it. She kept it hidden at first as she didn't want her husband to go to war. But when he told her how upset he was at not being able to serve his country, she admitted to him her talents. She demonstrated by stripping down a truck engine in five minutes, much to his open-mouthed shock. This meant he was able to go to war and fight, as he wished, safe in the knowledge that the village's motor vehicles would be well looked-after by his wife.

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Mr Babbage

​One of Waterwhistle's oldest residents. He lives near the centre of the village and is well known for all the vegetables he grows. Despite his advanced years, he often goes from house to house, helping people grow their own vegetables. This is especially important during the war years as food is in short supply and people all over the country are encouraged by the government to grow their own food where possible.

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The Big House

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At one end of the village is a hill and up on that hill is the village's largest house. An old manor house, it was the longtime residence of the Roberts family. Lord and Lady Roberts were its inhabitants when the war broke out and it was they who volunteered to take in any evacuee children the government wanted to send.

The government did send one child to the village. A young boy from London named Arthur Ness. However, before he arrived, Lord and Lady Roberts mysteriously disappeared from the house. A new tenant soon moved in - she went by the name of Lady Eris.

She was not as friendly or generous as Lord and Lady Roberts and, in fact, the villagers were scared of her, though they didn't quite know why.

After Arthur's arrival at the Big House, he soon discovered the tapestry in the drawing room that eventually led him to Arilon.

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The Silence of Waterwhistle

 

Although Waterwhistle was usually a very friendly place, when Arthur Ness arrived, he found it to be quiet and unwelcoming. Nobody spoke to him and, in fact, they didn't even seem to speak to each other. Children played in the park but they made no sounds and their expressions were blank and dazed. Even going into a shop to buy something didn't guarantee the shopkeeper would speak to you.

Arthur eventually learned that this was not normal and that it had happened after the arrival of his host, Lady Eris. The reason for this formed the start of the major events of the Arilon Chronicles (read : Arthur Ness and the Secret of Waterwhistle, Parts 1 and 2).

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