Uppingham: the secret of the lost files

Photographic evidence from Jonathan Bridgland.  Detailed historic research by Sir Hardly Anyone.

Now you may recall that recently a series of photographs (or “pictures” as we professionals call them) of the Uppingham walk, were published on this venerable site.  (Links at the end in case you missed them, but please do try to pay attention in future).

However, I can now reveal that four pictures were “held back” (as us publishing professionals say) after an unexpected interruption in our affairs by none other than the Department of Certain Things, within the Home Office.   For it turns out that they took one look at this first picture above and immediately designated it picturam non grata.

Now this quaint phrase in common parlance means that there was a “cease and desist” notice placed on publishing any more pictures from this series.

Of course I do know that some of the more scurrilous members of the ensemble felt that my reportage of this evidence was, (as it was expressed in the vernacular) “a load of old turnips”, but I can assure you this is not the case, and every word I write here is, as ever, the absolute veracity.

As I am sure you can imagine, there has been plentiful discussion and debate ever since, over what were in fact simply four pictures, which were deemed unsuitable for publication.  Sadly the Department of Certain Things within the Home Office will not budge, so I have decided to take a stand for freedom of expression and release these remaining pictures, no matter what.

But what, you may be asking at this point (and if you aren’t why not, for if you have fallen asleep please wake up at once), what is it that could possibly be in our innocent pictures of ramblers rambling that would get the Whitehall Wallas to prohibit publication?

Well, it all comes down to picture one (above) in which, if you look carefully, you can see a building.   Look again and you will see something white on the left of the building as we look at the picture, and it was this that caught the authorities’ attention.

“‘Tis but a drainpipe,” was my reply, but no, they are certain that it is of alien origin, and thus of direct and immediate threat to our civilisation.

So there we are.  My life is taken in mine own hands and I am defying the authorities to bring you this final set of pictures, and anyone who suggests that I simply forgot to publish them two weeks ago is simply wrong.  So there!

The Uppingham Walk Part 1

The Uppingham Walk Part 2