Hunt Memories
Brian Jackson, artist on the first 6 hunts and joint setter of ATH2013 remembers.
15 September 2024
I have several fond memories from the early years, such as Geoff Beeson introducing me to Pablo with the express purpose of providing supporting artwork for Pablo's idea of a puzzle to divert families from the traditional Christmas and Boxing Day arguments. The first hunt was very much a scissors and pritt exercise, using what we had to hand under a tight deadline and using Geoff's key to GPS office one Saturday to photocopy and distribute via the internal mail as many copies as we could before the toner ran out in every copier in the building (then off to Efes for a celebratory dinner).
On our final ATH together, which Dave remembers well below, I recall many meetings discussing the concept and throwing in ideas (probably the most I was able to contribute in all of our collaborations), Pablo's increasing nervousness as the print deadline approached (being entirely dependent on the artwork being done on time and his apparent alarm at my social schedule) and then sitting in his kitchen and bringing out the finished drawings, to his relief and delight. We were both in the Speedwing Logica offices when the company magazine arrived and, to our joy, the copies were immediately ripped apart as we watched everyone try to assemble the puzzle.
Thanks definitely also go to Phil Stockton and without whom I couldn't have put together the 2013 puzzle or, if I had, it wouldn't have been anywhere near as much fun, nor as pleasing to me as it ultimately turned out. After two winters of tramping through permafrost in preparation of our route to the treasure, our actual year was met with copious warm rain, muddy fields and grim mutterings from those who made it. Phil and I still enjoy the occasional pizza at the Old Guinea in Ridge and continue to recommend it to anyone feeling hungry in the Potters Bar area.
As ever, I'll still look in and try to contribute to team answers but, as I type, I'm thinking of absent friends (Pablo, Miles Whitehead and Dave Harding) and recognise that without them it doesn't feel quite the same to me and hasn't for a while. So I wish you all the best for the future and happy hunting.
Cheers
Brian
The above was written in response to the note below from Dave Kee.
We have moved a long way since Brian’s pen and ink drawing and Letraset but I for one fondly remember ATH1992 when there were no questions and just Brian’s drawings. We did get to the car park where the treasure was to be found but unfortunately drove past it! There was also ATH 1989 where Brian’s pictures were the solution and the last one showed the small, concreted surround of the hole where the treasure was buried. It didn’t show that there were two similar holes and it was only when I was up to my armpit in the non-treasure rather mucky hole that I noticed that someone had written in small letters “not here” on the surround. Thanks for the memories.