The Armchair Treasure Hunt Club

The Armchair Treasure Hunt Club
Names and Faces

Here are some of the Club's members, past and present - names you'll encounter as you pass through our website.

The Team for 2025

Pete Colbert - Newsletter Producer and Website updates

Pete has won a number of club hunts, including being co-winner of the 2011 hunt The Hills are Alive in partnership with Helen Cook, co-winner of Family Secrets - Somerset with Roger Lintott and winner of Family Secrets - Kent

Steve Hallam - Newsletter Puzzle Pages

email: steve@treasureclub.net

Steve took over the reins of producing the Newsletter's Tea Time Teasers in 2020 following Roger's retirement after Scott's death.

Steve has been part of successful teams winning several club hunts penned by Scott: Atrium (2015), Paradigm Shift (2016), Mandragora (2017) and Last Seen Chester (2020).

picture awaited

Chris Peasgood - Club Treasurer

email: chris@treasureclub.net

Chris took over the reins of the Treasurer in late 2024 following Beryl's retirement.

He and Phil Thompson won the 2024 Club Hunt Pitch Up!

They co-wrote the 2023 Club Hunt 'Much Dithering 31st Annual Scarecrow Festival'

picture awaited

Phil Thompson - Publicity Officer

email: phil@treasureclub.net

The Club's Facebook page is currently maintained by Phil. He is also reviewing the club's publicity on other Social Media including the Website.

Phil took over the reins of club publicity in 2020 following Scott's death and an interim period by Toby. He co-wrote the 2023 Club Hunt 'Much Dithering 31st Annual Scarecrow Festival'

Other current and former members include:

	Scott Gardner - Proprietor, Treasurer & eNewsletter Editor Scott (a.k.a. chillout) took over the reins of the Club in 2018 due to Sandra's well-earned retirement. Winner of two nationwide hunts; 'With Interest' and 'The Toyota Golden Meridian Hunt', owner of a Cadbury's Golden Creme Egg, Scott organised the Spring events in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, as well as 2018 & 2019's Autumn events. The annual Club Hunts ATRIVM (2013), Paradigm Shift (2015) & The Owl's Tears (2019) were all penned by Scott. In 2018 he took early retirement from his 'day' job and is spent much of his newly available time on Club matters. Scott passed away in November 2020 after contracting Corona Virus leaving a great hole in our hearts.
	Beryl Murphy - retired Club Treasurer Beryl took over the reins of the Treasurer in 2020 following Scott's death. She is retired nurse/NHS manager and joined TATHC in 2010. Her first hunt was a new members' hunt, which involved locating a village from home, then driving up to meet another member to complete the final part and locate the token. She was was instantly hooked. She participated in many hunts over the years, including The World's Greatest Treasure Hunt, but her favourite is “The Enchanted Garden”. A wonderfully devised hunt by Charles Cunningham whom she had the pleasure of meeting when she retrieved the treasure in a beautiful location in Scotland. Winner of the first Myths and Legends hunt in 2018, Beryl wrote the third one as well as The Artist in 2016 and Pitch Up! in 2024
	Sandra Young - Retired Proprietor, Treasurer & eNewsletter Editor Sandra retired from her long-standing, 26 year reign as Club co-ordinator & treasurer in 2018. Sandra organised the 2001 and 2003 Spring Events and wrote the 2003 Club Pearl Hunt Charlie's Summer Spell. With Ann Hughes, she wrote the 2004 Club Hunt: A Prized Possession. She has co-written the 2012 Club Hunt Family Secrets with Ann Hughes. Sandra and husband, John, were landlords at a number of pubs in their home town of Herne Bay, Kent. John makes out he's not that interested in hunts but is always very competitive when 'dragged along'!
	Roger Lintott email: roger@treasureclub.net Roger was elevated from editing the Bulletin Board feature of the club newsletter to the lofty position of newsletter Editor in 2009. He wrote A Springtime Holiday (2003), Treasure Island (2008), Sherlock's Unsolved Case (2006) The Hills are Alive (2011) (with Frank Eastham) and has claimed wins in a number of club hunts. He was the first winner of a Silver Eagle in the World's Greatest Treasure Hunt. He retired from producing the Newsletter Puzzle pages when the club was reorganised following Scott's death.
	Nick & Mary Ball Nick has been an active club member for some time and pops up regularly at club events and with Mary organized the Spring Event 2004 and the 2007 Event in Saffron Walden. He came a close joint second in the South East part of Shaun Whitehead's Text4Treasure II. Nick & Mary won the 2017 Spring event in Hebden Bridge. 'Winner, winner, chicken dinner' and, more recently, the 40th Masquerade anniversary hunt in Ampthill, in September 2019.
	Gisela Reid Gisela is the compiler of the World Wide Treasures hunts and organised the 2013 Club meeting. She was the second winner of a Silver Eagle in the World's Greatest Treasure Hunt.
	Charles Cunningham Charles has previously created and edited the newsletter Bulletin Board and returned in 2009 to edit the Puzzle Pages and set the club hunt The Enchanted Garden. Charles has set the Club Hunts Scottish Quest and the Sovereign Hunt Stepping Stones. Charles has released a number of independent hunts open to the general public including a charity hunt, Red Herring, Treasure Galore and The Lazy Buzzard Charles is the author of this (2018) year's annual hunts, the first one of which, 'Riddle of the Ruins' is available now. Charles is a Virologist at the University of Glasgow.
	Deborah Hatton Deborah's Treasure hunting success began winning coins in Treasure. She went on to win both the herring and final prize in the Club Hunt Alice's Further Adventures in Wonderland. Her team win at the 2000 Club Event inspired her to organizing (with Martin Dennett) two legendary events in her home town of Stony Stratford in 2001 and 2002. She and Martin also colaborated to win the first two Questershire hunts. I saw her recently, but she didn't see me.
	Simon Jacobs Simon edited the Bulletin Board feature and co-ordinated the mini hunts published in the club newsletter. He solved Mike Smith's 3 Letter Hunt, wrote AQU in response, the Spade Hunt - A Bridge Too Far (2008) and organized the 2008 Club Event in Matlock Bath, In his spare time Simon blows things up and does magic tricks!
	Nick Perry Nick has written articles on wider hunting topics for the newsletter. Nick set both the Sovereign Hunt A Shut and Open Case (2001) and The Pinboard (2007) with fellow member Matt Edwards. He was often seen waving a camera around at Club Events and also wore a hat and carried an umbrella in the 2004 Annual Event. Nick was an IT Manager for a legal publisher in London. He passed away in 2024.
	Martin Dennett Martin worked with Paul Harkin to set Alice's Further Adventures in Wonderland, a review of Clockwise, and solved club hunts Nathaniel Ingleby and A King's Ransom. But Martin is equally successful working alone and has solved a number of hunts including coins and a key in Treasure. Martin also worked with Deborah Hatton to organize the 2001 and 2002 Annual Club Event Hunts. He and Deborah also managed to bag the top prize in Shaun Whitehead's first two Questershire hunts. In 2004 Martin managed to crack a couple of major commercial hunts: The Times/Keith Tyson's Cubes Mystery and the Galaxy FM Hunt for Gold. Martin started entering the London based Miglia Quadrato in 2004 and with his team of fellow members Clive Weatherley, Nick Perry, Stephen Parkes and Matt Edwards, has won the competition outright on two occasions. In 2007 they almost scored the first clean sheet in the event's fifty year history.
	Paul Harkin Paul set the Club Hunt Alice's Further Adventures in Wonderland, reviewed Brian Souter's Clockwise, solved club hunts Nathaniel Ingleby and A King's Ransom and helped solve commercial hunts The Times/Keith Tyson's Cubes Mystery and the Galaxy FM Hunt for Gold - all with regular collaborator and fellow member Martin Dennett. Collaborating with Brian Souter and Matt Edwards, in 2004 he finally solved Shaun Whitehead's commercial hunt Smugglers' Gold. Along with Steve Hallam, Paul solved all three stages of the 2013 Annual Club hunt, ATRIVM He has, of course, solved a number of hunts entirely on his own including coins in Treasure, and the first Club Hunt - A Timeless Moral. In August 2012 he won a 10-year old hunt Dragonigma.
	Ann Hughes Ann was our newsletter compositor/compiler, website puzzle setter and Bulletin Board feature editor for some time previously, and her partner, Phil, took over the composition and assembly of the newsletter in 2004-8. Ann set the club Sovereign Hunt Fortuna and the 2002 club hunt A Monkish Plot. With Sandra Young she also wrote the 2004 Club Hunt: A Prized Possession. She has co-written the 2012 Club Hunt Family Secrets with Sandra Young.
	Dan James Dan James (a nom de plume) is an artist, author and the club founder. Dan has written and illustrated a number of commercial and club hunts including Treasure and Helium Dream. Dan passed away in 2017 - a sad loss of a truly memorable Treasure Hunt enthusiast and aficionado.
	Andy McCulloch Andy produced the Puzzle Pages of the newsletter for several years
	Mike Smith Mikey is fast becoming a hunt-solving veteran having unearthed The Lost Queen, the Unnamed hunt and winning - with his team - the 2002 Annual Event. Mikey has also gained a runners-up prize in Shaun Whitehead's Questershire and has even set a hunt for his work colleagues. His hunt writing skills have been applied to the 2003 club hunt Nacremancer. Mikey has a website too.