Lady Lucan RIP

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Lady Lucan, key figure in 1974 murder mystery, found dead at London home

Veronica, the Dowager Countess of Lucan, was the only known witness to the terrible events that led to the murder of her children’s nanny Sandra Rivett, 29, in 1974 at the family home in Belgravia, central London.

With her death, described by police as “unexplained” but not believed to be suspicious, the mystery will endure.

[ScumOfTheRoad]

Not really adding much to this thread, I went on a walking tour of Belgravia and the mews there. We went to the pub which Lady Lucan ran into after finding the nanny dead.  Ah - the Plumbers Arms says the article.
Such pubs were actually named after the trades which would gather there. So if you needed a plumber - well go to the Plumbers Arms. Same for Bricklayers etc.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Not really adding much to this thread, I went on a walking tour of Belgravia and the mews there. We went to the pub which Lady Lucan ran into after finding the nanny dead.  Ah - the Plumbers Arms says the article.
Such pubs were actually named after the trades which would gather there. So if you needed a plumber - well go to the Plumbers Arms. Same for Bricklayers etc.

Why would you need a plumber after finding your nanny dead?  Sounds a bit fishy, no?  Unless she mistook it for the Bricklayers Arms.  A bricklayer could have been useful..

[Redlight]

Presumably the Shallow Grave Diggers' Arms was shut for the night?

[Torslanda]

It was Lord Lucan, in the cellar, with the lead pipe.

I win!

[Mr Larrington]

Were it not for the substantial age difference, the disappeared villianous toff would be a dead ringer for my chum Mr Appleby.

[Gattopardo]

So did Lucan come back and finish the job?

[Canardly]

I thought he was supposed to have dived into La Manche or some such?

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

I thought he was supposed to have dived into La Manche or some such?

From the article:

This year, Lady Lucan gave a television interview in which she said she believed her husband had jumped off a cross-Channel ferry, “in the way of the propellers so that his remains wouldn’t be found – I think quite brave”.

A ferry of that era:



Whilst jumping off a ferry isn't hard, I do think a jumper is unlikely to reach the screws of a moving vessel. 

He's out there somewhere..

[LittleWheelsandBig]

I don't think it would be that hard to reach the props. Over the side about 2/3 back, stick close to the hull and stay fairly deep. The props tend to suck in water. Though props aren't quite James Bond killing machines, there are plenty of dolphins, whales and other sea creatures that are scarred or killed by props and they can hear seacraft and can move in the water pretty easily.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

The thing about a moving vessel though, it tends to push the water away from the hull so getting close in would not be that easy.  Dolphins and whales are a different kettle of fish!

[LittleWheelsandBig]

I disagree that a moving vessel pushes water away from the hull, other than near the bow.

[bobb]

Everyone knows Lord Lucan is out there somewhere, riding around on Shergar...

[mrcharly-YHT]

I don't think it would be that hard to reach the props. Over the side about 2/3 back, stick close to the hull and stay fairly deep. The props tend to suck in water.

Exactly. Anyone who had helmed a power vessel of any size knows this. It is a massive issue; sucks in debris and jams them up in the prop.

[spesh]

Everyone knows Lord Lucan is out there somewhere, riding around on Shergar...

And running a chip shop with Elvis.

[PeteB99]

I thought he was spotted in a South African bar back in the 80's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxEweP2TiMk

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

I don't think it would be that hard to reach the props. Over the side about 2/3 back, stick close to the hull and stay fairly deep. The props tend to suck in water.

Exactly. Anyone who had helmed a power vessel of any size knows this. It is a massive issue; sucks in debris and jams them up in the prop.

My boating career was over several decades, reaching yachtmaster offshore level.  I can't recall ever getting anything jammed in the prop, personally.  Once I was crew on a Thames Sailing barge where they got a rope round the prop when going astern berthing.  Someone - the mate - had to go overboard to fix it with, ISTR, a breadknife.   I'd not be surprised if some of the gin palaces on the river Ouse suffer from it but mostly they aren't real boats.  For a while I worked in the Harwich Port workshops and cannot remember any ferries suffering from prop damage although there were a couple of enormous beautiful bronze spares lying around.  You only had to tap one and it rang like a church bell.

(I knew this'd get 'em going )

[Wowbagger]

It was Lord Lucan, in the cellar, with the lead pipe.

I win!

Hence the need for a plumber...