They felt sure the Isaac Newton puppets were the key. The colours on the Penny-Pockets apron confirm this. They began by connecting the colours on the paper pinned up above the bell in the Isaac Newton picture to the numbers in the magic square in the Penny-Pockets picture: 1 equals red, 2 yellow, 3 blue and so on. After going up a few blind alleys, they decided that something in the pictures must point to letters in the borders which would spell out the words needed. Bamber Gascoigne's book Quest for the Golden Hare gives a full account of the discovery.įurther information and a comprehensive page-by-page solution can be found on Dan Amrich's unofficial Kit William site at įrom the start, Mike Barker and John Rousseau saw that they had to find a sentence from the book that described the spot - as there was no other way of pinpointing it accurately enough. The book was republished with the full solution in 1983 and is still in print in paperback form. The puzzle was solved, as intended, at around the same time by physics teachers Mike Barker and John Rousseau from Manchester. However Thompson had not solved the riddle fully and discovered the location through dubious activities involving extra clues provided by Williams' former girlfriend and persistence. The hunt lasted for 2 years before the golden hare was unearthed on 24 February 1982, by Ken Thomas (real name Dugald Thompson), below a stone cross in Ampthill, Bedfordshire. Hidden within the charming story is a master riddle, which when solved directs the reader to the exact location of a real 22 carat gold hare buried somewhere in the British Isles. Masquerade tells the story of the Moon falling in love with the Sun, and how he calls on the help of a hare called Jack to deliver a fabulous jewel to his true love as a token of his affection.

Written and richly illustrated by illustrator and craftsman Kit Williams and published in September 1979 by Jonathan Cape, it has itself spawned a number of articles and books on the Masquerade phenomenon.

Arguably the defining book of the genre of armchair treasure hunts. Join members of the club and the general public in Ampthill Park, Bedfordshire on Sunday 26 September 2004 to mark the 25th anniversary of Masquerade.

The Armchair Treasure Hunt Club - Masquerade The Armchair Treasure Hunt Club

Masquerade golden hare