We’re meant to be talking about October 6 in ‘Riddle of the Sands’, but frankly this is a period in the book where not a lot is happening, and we’re essentially gearing up for the main spying action starting on October 15.

Having been stood up by a man who may (or may not) have had a boat in Norfolk that looks a bit like Dollmann’s Medusa, Lloyd (notDavies) and Tim (notCarruthers) decide to go on a ‘test adventure’ in another part of the world.

We’re going back in the book to September 25 when Carruthers set off from London Victoria to catch the Flushing steamer. Can you still do this trip? Is there even a train line anymore, let alone a steamer? We find out.

VIDEOS OF THE TRIP COMING SOON AT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcWszEM8KPjYDc01Isxo97g

Lloyd (notDavies)’s deep knowledge of train timetables gets us as far as Sittingbourne (04:45 ); we arrive at Queenborough harbour (06:54 ); we find the old trainline (07:45 ); we find the steamer pier! (10:15 ); we smoke a pipe and talk of encounters with an invading German sailor and a peregrine-protecting birdwatcher (13:35 ).

This is exactly the kind of adventure btw you can expect to be have access to every day in September & October if you pledge some money at http://unbound.co.uk/books/riddle-of-the-sands

CLUB BUSINESS: John on how to recognise the Kaiser (22:19 ); Kevin shares our enthusiasm for the actress who plays Frau Dollman in the movie of ‘The Riddle of the Sands’ (23:17 ); Emma remembers that she borrowed a Rippingille stove from Lady Rozelle Raynes (24:52 )

Janet warns us against sailing beyond the Elbe in October (26:53 ); Ian writes a fabulously supportive blog post about the Adventure Club (30:08 ); ahoy to the Literary Platform for highlighting the Club (31:20 ); Nick offers to do some legwork on Juist this summer, and we encourage him to row to Memmert (33:30 )

MISSIONS FOR NEXT WEEK: Wangerooge, pink gin, sluices and fog (36:24 )

MUSIC CREDITS

Great Open Sea by Wellington Sea Shanty Society (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Wellington_Sea_Shanty_Society/none_given_1098/12_-_Wellington_Sea_Shanty_Society_-_Great_Open_Sea) is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.