It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time,

Cadbury's commissioned Crown engravers Garrard and Co,

to make 12 of the 22-carat, 3 inch-tall eggs that were to be prizes in a competition, that was run in 1985, all you had to do was buy and read Cadbury’s Conundrum book, by Don Shaw, in the book there were cryptic clues that were meant to guide contestants to one of a dozen secret locations across the British Isles, there they could dig up a certificate entitling them to the valuable prize, but it all went a bit pear shaped when people incorrectly thought they knew where the sites were, which meant that thousands of people ended up digging up private land and protected sites in their hunt for the gold,

with several eggs left to be claimed, the chocolate giant had to call off the contest due to the number of complaints from landowners, but now a legitimately claimed one that was found near a cemetery on the Isle of Man is up for sale, the Isle of Man egg was the 12th mystery in the book and the cryptic tour ended at Maugold (more gold) churchyard, the gold egg is expected to sell for up to £10,000 at Bonhams auction on November 28 in London, now here is the mystery of the Isle of Man egg would you have found it?

 Island Mystery 'To solve this strangest mystery you start at Tynwald Hill'. The next instruction is to go eastwards 'into history where church and film are still'. The church is St Trinian's near Crosby. There were a number of films made about St Trinian's. 'Northeast go to Turf Mountain .... and climb the top .... two thousand thirty four'. This is the height of Snaefell mountain. '"More gold," you cry'. This is the village of Maughold in the north east of the island. The English pronunciation of the name is 'more gold'. A 'soldier beckons still'. The soldier is 'still'. He is dead. His grave lies in Maughold churchyard adjacent to the rear entrance gate opposite the back of the church. He 'beckons' in the way he lies. Behind the headstone is a wall which bounds the churchyard. Clearly the casket is not buried on sacred ground. It is a short step to deduce that it must be buried immediately behind the wall as near the grave as possible,

the book is still available, if only I had bought the book back then and found an egg!