Australia Australia - Marion Barter, 51, missing after trip to UK, Jun 1997 #4

[TootsieFootsie]

To me it does say farm but the word after that is one I can't make out even with my super dooper enhancer programme..It looks like there are four letters.

 

[JLZ]

I think, on reflection that it says "staying in an old farm house with"..

If you look at the word "unbelievable" on the line above - Marion forms the "e" on the end of the word quite large. The "f" at the start of farm is just the same as the "I feel quite" on the line above.

Definitely farm. Possibly "farm base" but that makes less seense.

Definitely farm for me too. I can't read the next word.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Snap! On the next word. And we posted at about the same time

 

[Mjjj14]

Agreed I have absolutely no idea what this word says. It looks like *a*l (I think there’s a 6 in the barcode behind the L).

I saw a comment on the fb page saying they thought the blue writing about hanging baskets looks like someone else’s writing but it looks the same to me. The commenter also said that they thought ‘gorgeous’ was misspelled ‘gorjeous’ too.

Ps: can’t wait to see the one about Maz and the dentist, maybe they lived on the farm [blank] haha

 

[Bibno]

I am sure in one of the postcards Marion mentions red squirrels ao that may give us all a better clue. Does anyone else remember that mention.

If Marion saw red squirrels it’s unlikely to have been in Kent. There haven’t been any red squirrels in Kent for a long time. They’re mainly in the north Cumbria/Scotland and in the south on Brownsea Island and Isle of Wight.

 

[poppypopcorn]

I think the bit about the hanging baskets was added as an afterthought, by the same person.

 

[JLZ]

I wonder if it could be Oast. Bed and Breakfast Rye -Rye B&B Accommodation in Iclesham near Rye, East Sussex.

 

[JLZ]

If Marion saw red squirrels it’s unlikely to have been in Kent. There haven’t been any red squirrels in Kent for a long time. They’re mainly in the north Cumbria/Scotland and in the south on Brownsea Island and Isle of Wight.

This card doesn't say red squirrels. There are white squirrels in that region. White Squirrel sightings in the UK

 

[TootsieFootsie]

JLZ, your post gave me an idea on the word after farm, could it be host. Ie farm host. I have heard that term before.

I see there is an Australian group called Farm Hosts Farm Hosts @ Australian Farm Tourism

I wonder if it could be Oast. Bed and Breakfast Rye -Rye B&B Accommodation in Iclesham near Rye, East Sussex.

 

[poppypopcorn]

Yes but we wouldn't say "farm oast". It would be oast house. Or farm with oast houses. Farm Host seems a good shout but please don't go off down rabbit holes looking up formal "farm stay" schemes which are not (and weren't in the 90s) common in the UK. It is far, far more likely that Marion was staying on a working farm, which also offered bed and breakfast to visitors to supplement farm income. There are loads of these.

 

[JLZ]

JLZ, your post gave me an idea on the word after farm, could it be host. Ie farm host. I have heard that term before.

I see there is an Australian group called Farm Hosts Farm Hosts @ Australian Farm Tourism

I don't see host. Maybe it's guest, short for guest house.

 

[Mjjj14]

I wonder if it could be Oast. Bed and Breakfast Rye -Rye B&B Accommodation in Iclesham near Rye, East Sussex.

Oh it’s got to be Oast.

According to Wikipedia:

“An oast, oast house or hop kiln is a building designed for kilning hops as part of the brewing process.”

Apparently they’re turned into houses when they’re not used anymore for brewing.

I wouldn’t have guessed the first letter was an O but that makes the most sense!

 

[poppypopcorn]

That B&B linked to by @JLZ looks spot on - have you contacted Sally or the podcast people about that lead?

 

[Vashti_77]

I wonder if it could be Oast. Bed and Breakfast Rye -Rye B&B Accommodation in Iclesham near Rye, East Sussex.

I was just writing the same thing. I think it does say Oast. If you look at it from further back and not so zoomed in it seems clearer. There are quite a few in Kent and Sussex.

 

[poppypopcorn]

Just googled,

Manor Farm Oast, Workhouse Lane,... © Oast House Archive

"The building was Grade II listed (N° 410005) from 1976 until 1997, when the current owners bought to use as a bed and breakfast and had it delisted." Opened as a B&B in 1997.

 

[Mjjj14]

Just googled,

Manor Farm Oast, Workhouse Lane,... © Oast House Archive

"The building was Grade II listed (N° 410005) from 1976 until 1997, when the current owners bought to use as a bed and breakfast and had it delisted." Opened as a B&B in 1997.

This seems like a real, real lead. Wow.

Let’s hope that the current owners took lots of photos and saved their guestbook from their opening year.

@JLZ you’re a legend. Did you message it to TLV? (Assuming they’re not a step ahead of us and don’t already know about it)

 

[poppypopcorn]

I've just emailed the tips address pointing them to this thread. If the same people have owned and operated it as a B&B since 1997, they may remember an Australian woman as one of their first guests that first year of being in business.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I'm expecting some journo to come out with a story on the latest findings in our thread, though they won't say they found any clues here

 

[Itsapuzzle]

I wonder if it could be Oast. Bed and Breakfast Rye -Rye B&B Accommodation in Iclesham near Rye, East Sussex.

Wow, great find JLZ. It could be that for sure, excellent sleuthing. Brilliant find

 

[Seriallyaddicted]

I wonder if it could be Oast. Bed and Breakfast Rye -Rye B&B Accommodation in Iclesham near Rye, East Sussex.

I think you are 100% right, it says ‘farm oast’