Minor detail

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

If Bertie left his flat in Berkley Mansions to walk to the Drones, how long would it take him? What streets might he walk along? Does Plum give us any idea? I'm assuming that it's a relatively short walk, since I believe he does usually walk it, rather than taking a taxi. I need to have him encounter Tuppy and Sir Roderick Glossop, if that's any help.

Comments

[gramarye1971]

I can't recall any details about specific streets mentioned in the books, but if the Drones is located somewhere in Pall Mall then it's probably within a five/ten minute walk of most anywhere that Berkley Mansions could be located. Knowing Bertie, he probably wouldn't live farther away than that.

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Most of the "best" bits of London are within easy walking distance of each other.

[veronamay.livejournal.com]

Berkeley Mansions is actually in Berkeley Square, IIRC, and the Drones is in Dover St. Both of these are in the Mayfair area, W1 postal code. There's a map here (http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=528874&y=180543&z=1&sv=528750,180750&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf) if you need to see it.

/map geek

[veronamay.livejournal.com]

Yup, I'm pretty sure. Plus Wikipedia and Stephen Fry both back me up. :)

Mind you, St James's St is just on the other side of Piccadilly, so it's possible to lump the whole bit of tarmac in together.

[cuvalwen.livejournal.com]

Thinking about it, I don't think that the rest of St James' Street would allow a club like the Drones on it. Makes sense that it would be exiled over to Dover Street. And I'm sure that all the cabbies knew to let Bustopher Jones across the road.
And I am certainly not about to try and gainsay Stephen Fry!

[cuvalwen.livejournal.com]

Must remember to use my Jooster icon when posting here...

[m31andy.livejournal.com]

Oh, what about the maple syrup or the toffee sauce?

Oh, you promised me toffee sauce
But all I got was coleslaw.
All over my chocolate dessert
Which didn't go at all.

;-)

[cuvalwen.livejournal.com]

At least it wasn't low fat coleslaw.

[veronamay.livejournal.com]

I seem to vaguely recall reading that the Junior Ganymede isn't far from the Drones, as well. Awfully convenient, that.

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

The Junior Ganymede is on--or just off of--Curzon Street, which the map shows is quite close to both Dover Street and Berkley Square. When Bertie is nearly run over by a cab on Curzon St. Jeeves rescues him and then take him to the Junior Ganymede "just around this corner" for a wash, brush up, and whisky and soda.

[veronamay.livejournal.com]

I remember - that's one of my favourite moments in the entire canon.

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

Oooh! Map! Thank you.

[cuvalwen.livejournal.com]

Dover Street for the Drones? Are you sure?
T S Eliot could well have got it wrong, then; he mentions the Drones in 'Bustopher Jones', who is refered to as the St James' Street cat- about a cat that spends its time mooching around the clubs on St James' Street.
Maybe he just bunged it in as a nice reference and didn't bother with canonical accuracy.

[veronamay.livejournal.com]

See comment above. :)

[innocentsmith.livejournal.com]

I think I remember Dover St. as well, but if it comes down to canon questions, the name of Bertie's building changes from 6A Crichton Mansions, Berkeley Square, to Berkeley Mansions, presumably still in B. Sq. but indicated (jauntily) only by postal code. Why? Since it's no fun to just assume Plum forgot to write things down in a concordance, let's say that when Bertie was writing his memoirs he changed his mind about giving his real address in print.

I love overthinking things.

And just before noon's not a moment too soon
To drop in for a drink at the Drones.

I remember reading some fic or other where Bertie, heading into the Drones, tripped over Bustopher Jones on his way out. I laughed for about half an hour. Anyone taking bets that (a) Bertie owns "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" and (b) it's the only T. S. Eliot he's ever read? (Not that we could actually check, or anything. Just...oh, you know what I mean.)

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

Oh, god, I'd love to see that story.

Wodehouse didn't take his stories quite as seriously as we do, I suspect. *grin*

[innocentsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm sure he didn't. That's why we're needed. *Nods firmly, as though this makes any kind of sense at all* It could be worse. We could be LOTR fans...oh, wait. *g*

I think the fic in q. was called "Decidedly." It was just a throwaway gag, but I love those. Witness my own writing which has an indigestible number of random canon and crossover refs...I think it's the combined influence of George MacDonald Fraser's "Flashman" books and Buffy. I do have a plot bunny for an explanation of what Jeeves does on his holidays - a crossover with "As You Like It" and a couple of other Great Works of Western Lit. I'm just not sure anyone else would find it as amusing as I do myself.

[cuvalwen.livejournal.com]

I belive that was my fic! It's called 'The Marrying Kind' (I'm not good at titles) and, um, it's here:
http://www.livejournal.com/community/indeedsir/25927.html

By the gods, that was a year ago... I need to get on with the sequel...

[innocentsmith.livejournal.com]

Eeep! Yes, that's the one I was thinking of...excellent good fun, BTW. Sorry for getting stories mixed up. I knew it was a "lightbulb slowly beginning to glow over Bertie's head" fic, and guess I must have first read them around the same time.

Bustopher Jones issocanon, now.

*ears perk up* Sequel?

[cuvalwen.livejournal.com]

Very long work in process- a couple of weeks after posting the original fic I went from unemployed with lots of time on my hands to a full-time job- plus my computer packed up taking a lot of preliminary work with it. *cries* Oh yeah, and my personal life went through several major upheavals.
But things are now finally settling down and the sequel will be written- even if only as an on-going WIP, if that's okay; and it involves Angela, Tuppy, Oofy Prosser, blackmail, at least one aunt and Jeeves having to resort to a less that really satisfactory plan. And a spot of angst.

[sine-que-non767.livejournal.com]

So. Much. Squee. I ADORE that fic. And its Bustopher ref!

[m31andy.livejournal.com]

Um, Jeeves certainly wouldn't settle for second best.

Hence your icon, I suppose.

I have an idea to do with mine (points), but I suspect I'm actually dreaming at the moment.

*checks palms*

Yup, they're still trees... Hmm. Hector.

[cuvalwen.livejournal.com]

Alas, I fear you are correct- well, about Jeeves not settling for second best that is- I have do idea what you are talking about in the rest of it...:-)

It's not actually a type of plan that he has spoken out against in the books, just in the TV series.... but a better alternative would be, well, better...

We shall need to have a Think.

[cuvalwen.livejournal.com]

It was published in 1939- it's just possible for the later stories- maybe Bertie was the one who told Eliot about Bustopher Jones? He gets dragged out to the opening night of an 'improving piece of theatre'- Murder in the Cathedral, perhaps? and spends the evening after the show chatting to this jolly nice American chappie about cats? I can just see him detailing the various menus in the clubs- ooh, plot bunnie.....

[cuvalwen.livejournal.com]

Ooh, and was this the fic?
http://www.livejournal.com/community/indeedsir/25927.html

[veronamay.livejournal.com]

Um. So in answer to your actual question, then, Bertie would leave Berkeley Square by way of Hay St and then turn right into Dover St. It's a short walk, should only take about ten minutes at a saunter.

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

Now I just need to find out where the Bellona club from Dorothy Sayers might be. Mind you, I plan to make it a short, pleasant walk regardless. *g*

[rosemary-green.livejournal.com]

I'll go check our copy of the book -- it will be a good excuse to re-read!

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

Thanks. My copy went missing in the last move. It's probably in a box...somewhere.

[veronamay.livejournal.com]

These delicate manly flowers aren't up to anything more. Unless they're being chased by Stilton Cheesewright, of course.

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

Or Lord Worplesdon with a riding crop. (Ooh, kinky. *g*)

[rosemary-green.livejournal.com]

My findings so far:
In Chapter 2: A man at the Bellona Club says of General Fentiman that "He always walked from Dover Street [to the club]..I told him it was too great an exertion at his age." So it's not too far for an elderly man to walk, but perhaps not right around the corner.

In Chapter 8: A cabman says that the General asked to be taken to "the Bellona Club in Piccadilly".

So..I think you're safe in making it a short, pleasant walk!

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

Many thanks. That sounds about perfect: long enough for a conversation but short enough not to need a taxi.