A STATEMENT BY GORDON LIONEL HOOKE (1919-
On purchasing the copyright of ‘The Golden Key’ from Don Shaw
From Gordon Hooke
OAKLANDS HOUSE
SOLARTRON ROAD
FARNBOROUGH
HANTS GU14 7QL
Dear Puzzler,
Since your contact regarding The Golden Key, I have purchased the copyright of the book from Don Shaw. Effective from 1st January 1989 the search has been suspended and the key exhumed by Mr Shaw. While the solution is available to me it remains sealed in a Bank and the only person aware of the correct solution is Mr Shaw and until the project is re marketed I have no wish to know the solution in the interest of all parties. The author is no longer involved and neither he nor I will enter into any correspondence or telephone conversation regarding the search until its future is decided. Any letters received will have the senders details recorded on our database so that they can be advised of the restitution of the search with a right to a free entry. Such letters will not be acknowledged.
So you are aware of the background the following is a summary of the search to date, which started in 1982 when Don Shaw lodged £50,000 with the Yorkshire Building Society to secure a payment by the publisher to any successful hunter. This contract ceased in 1985 and the money repaid to Mr Shaw. Meantime Maclellan (Embryo) Ltd ceased trading, its assets being taken over by Stuart Titles who formally stopped the competition by due notice in the national press which expired on 31 st October 1987 .
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At the suggestion of some contestants and as a sign of good faith Mr Shaw agreed to keep the competition open for a further year and pay out anyone who solved the problem and produced the key in that time. No one had done this by December 1988 when I purchased the copyright free of any historical liabilities, with a view to removing any confusion and starting the competition again.
The search for a sponsor may take some time but it is my wish to restart the search as soon as possible, with a finite date shorter search time and hopefully increased prize money for two levels of competition. You can be assured that once we have a new sponsor you will be advised.
A MODERN DAY SEARCH FOR BURIED TREASURE.
THE ULTIMATE TREASURE HUNT -
L. G. HOOKE