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“Oh, keeping reasonably busy. … I’m building a long
dwarf wall with mellow second-hand bricks in the flower garden at the back
of my cottage in Wiltshire. It’s my first effort at laying bricks,
and I’m painfully slow at it, but if you want a great sense of
satisfaction, Kim, build a wall.”
(The Night of Morningstar, chapter 6)
Willie impresses the tribespeople by breathing fire.
Modesty: I didn't know you could do that.
Willie: It never came up before, Princess, but I once ad a girlfriend in a
circus who was a fire-eater.
(The Iron God, panel 3236.)
This week it so happened that Gogol’s Circus was in San Sebastian,
just over the border, and Willie’s host and hostess had greatly
enjoyed being taken behind the scenes for an hour or so before a
performance. To provide a special treat for Consuela, who was artless as a
child in many ways, Willie had conspired with Georgi to put on an extra
act that evening. As a result, Consuela and Etienne were puzzled when both
Modesty and Willie vanished during the intermission; and later, between
the trapezists and the big cats, they were astonished to see Modesty
appear in spangles, fishnet tights and heavy make-up, to act as target for
the knives, machetes and tomahawks hurled alarmingly close to her by a
character Georgi announced as Pancho Caramba, the World Famous Thrower of
Knives. Wearing an enormous Mexican sombrero, a red shirt, black trousers
with silver buttons down the legs, and a ten-inch drooping moustache,
Willie Garvin had hammed his way outrageously through a six-minute act to
leave Consuela weak with laughter.
(The Xanadu Talisman, chapter 1)
His experience with the circus that he partly owned had given him no
liking for cats, but he had learned a little about them. What he knew
about the panther was not reassuring. It was more malevolent and more
intelligent than a lion or tiger, and not much inferior to either in
fighting ability. Because it was smaller, it would not normally attack an
adult human unless provoked, but occasionally could become a man-killer.
Hungry, frightened, and recently uncaged, this one would be likely to
attack anything it could reach.
(The Xanadu Talisman, chapter 10)
Modesty escapes from assassins in a Helsinki hotel by jumping from a third
floor window onto Gogol's Circus trampoline passing underneath.
(Return of the Mammoth, panel 5932)
“Yes, didn’t you know? Willie bought a half share in a
travelling circus soon after we retired. It’s mainly run by his
partner, Georgi Gogol, but Willie usually spends a few weeks with it every
year, sometimes here if it’s touring Britain, sometimes abroad.
I’ve done a few odd jobs there myself on occasion. It’s truly
fascinating.”
(Dead Man's Handle, chapter 2)
“Steve was at a business meeting when I took Dinah to the circus at
Guildford, so he’s never seen you do your knife-throwing act as El
Cazador and he says it’s his overwhelming ambition.” She
pulled a wry face in the glass. “What he actually said was that
though he has unfortunately had occasion to observe your expertise with
trenchant weapons, which is why he could easily pass for a geriatric, he
has never yet had the pleasure of seeing you throw to miss a human
target.”
(Dead Man's Handle, chapter 4)
Modesty takes Crichton clay-pigeon shooting.
(Bellman)
Luke Fletcher enjoyed the stables, the walk across the small meadow and
back through the copse, and the bright colours of the untidy flower beds.
He did not react at all to the workshop in the converted barn, and looked
uneasily at the clay pigeon layout.
(Dragon’s Claw, chapter 5)
‘Oh, cricket!’ Again he had surprised her. She searched her
memory. ‘England were 297 for six wickets at close of play
yesterday.’
‘You’re a fan?’ he said with pleasure.
‘Only for village-green cricket, I’m afraid. But Willie Garvin
likes the more sophisticated stuff. He managed to pick up an English news
broadcast on the car radio last night.
(A Better Day to Die)
‘I’m not asleep,’ said Modesty. ‘I’m
listening to cricket, like Dinah. It’s a beautiful collection of
sounds. Try it, Steve.’
...
The wicket went down with both batsmen in mid-pitch. Applause pattered
round the ground. Dinah said, ‘What’s happened?’ Modesty
began to tell her.
Batsmen, fielders and umpires were walking to the pavilion, all except the
fielder at square leg, who made for the leg boundary.
‘Enter William Garvin Esquire wearing the new mid-calf
trousers,’ said Collier as he approached.
(Last Day in Limbo, chapter 16)
Lord Coburn is killed while batting in a village charity match when he
strikes a bomb disguised as a cricket ball.
Sweet Charity, panels 5815-24
When Willie and I have had a work-out we like a quiet evening. After
he’s taken a shower we’ll have some tea and read the Sunday
papers. Then we’ll go out in Willie’s boat. He’ll spend
an hour or so fishing, and I’ll just lie in the boat and doze.
(Sabre-Tooth, chapter 3)
Modesty spends a holiday with Dr Gordon Ritchie who is an ardent
fly-fisherman. Modesty does not enjoy it, but later makes use of his
skill.
(Highland Witch, panels 3429 seq.)
Inspector Brook finds Willie fishing and Modesty making a camp fire by the
river near the Treadmill.
(The Greenwood Maid, panel 3754-5)
Sir Gerald Tarrant spends a day fishing with Willie Garvin.
(Death Trap, panels 4255-8
and in The Girl in the Iron Mask, panels 7654 and 7654a)
Willie takes Modesty fishing after Dan Galt dies.
(Eve and Adam, panel 4837)
Sir Gerald: You might like a couple of hours fishing. I have a stretch of
river just along the valley.
Willie: Sounds great, Sir G.
Modesty: Willie's a keen angler and I'm a keen sleeper so we both enjoy a
summer afternoon by a river.
(The Big Mole, panel 7269a)
At the start of The Impossible Virgin, Modesty has rented a Piper
Comanche, described as ‘a sturdy, elegant little aircraft’, to
fly from England out to Durban to meet John Dall, but has to land in
Tanzania where she befriends Giles Pennyfeather.
(Chapter 1)
Modesty flies a Piper Comanche from White Waltham to Cornwall when Maude
Tiller is abducted.
(The Wicked Gnomes, panel 3107)
“I found out about the helicopters. The big one’s called a
Sikorsky, but that flew out today for some special stores, and it
won’t be back till tomorrow. The other’s called a Gazelle, and
it seats five.”
Modesty, sitting wrapped in a blanket, answered casually without glancing
at the guard who stood in the open doorway. “That’s good.
We’ve both flown a Gazelle.”
(The Xanadu Talisman, chapter 12)
Danny Chavasse said, “For one crazy moment I thought I heard Modesty
say she was going to fly a kidney to somewhere.”
Dinah nodded. “That’s right. She’s one of the St. John
Air Wing volunteers, and she’s on call this week. They make
emergency flights to take medical stuff from A to B when it’s needed
fast, like some rare blood group, or serum, or transplant organ. That must
have been her co-ordinator on the phone.”
“These are all pilots who have their own aircraft, like
Modesty?”
“Yes, that’s how it works. She brought her Piper Comanche down
here to the airfield at Kingsbrook last week.”
(Dead Man’s Handle, chapter 2)
Willie: Princess, I'm going to try grabbing the chopper for us. It’s
and Aerospatiale Squirrel, and I ’aven’t flown one before. But
it’s similar to the Alouette, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
Modesty: All right, Willie. It’s crazy, but so is everything when
Giles is around.
(Honeygun, panel 8989)
The figures swooped apart, spread-eagled, slanting down and away from each
other. At 2,500 feet the white and orange gores of the parachutes began to
flower.
‘You’ve done a lot of it?’ Tarrant asked.
‘Quite a lot. Mostly in France. It was a big thing there before it
got going over here. We thought it might be useful for a job
sometime.’
(I, Lucifer, chapter 7)
In Dragon’s Claw Willie gives a hang-gliding demonstration
at the fete. Later Willie and Modesty escape from Paradise Peak by
building a hang-glider.
Sam Solon’s twin-jet Gulfstream was the only way of escape from
Dragon’s Claw, and neither she nor Willie had flown such an
aircraft.
(Dragon’s Claw, passim)
Modesty and Willie take part in a freefall parachuting display over the
village of Benildon.
(A Few Flowers for the Colonel, panels 5425-7)
Modesty and Willie improvise a hang-glider in order to cross from Finland
into Russia to rescue Chloe the elephant.
(Return of the Mammoth, panel 5959-64)
Modesty test flies a new design of sailplane for Sam Loaman, but it is
struck by lightning and she bails out by parachute at 10,000 feet.
Later the team of thugs working for Hugh Craigie use hang-gliders to
attack Jennie Dunbar.
(The Sword of the Bruce, panels 6115 seq.)
In Old Alex Modesty and Willie use hang-gliders to locate the sniper Skendi who has been sent to kill Modesty.
Modesty, Willie and Maude Tiller all take part in a freefall star
formation parachute jump.
(The Murder Frame, panel 9171-4)
Willie teaches the blind Commander Challon to play golf to distract him
from brooding over his daughter's death.
(The Mind of Mrs Drake, panels 611-2)
Hakil arranges for the assassination of Sir Gerald Tarrant to take place
during a round of golf.
(The Double Agent, panels 6444
seq.)
[Modesty is playing a round with Inspector Brook.]
Brook: You're not a golfer. You're a dilettante who plays only a dozen
times a year, so it's outrageous that you can drive like that.
Modesty: It comes of living a pure and spotless life, Brookie. You should
try it.
(Ripper Jax, panel 8703)
Tarrant goes to an ice-skating rink to ask Modesty and Willie to bring
back professor Ambrose Lambert.
(Cry Wolf, panel 3555)
"… For example, have you ever done any caving? Pot-holing?”
He [Quinn] lifted a hand. “No, don’t shoot me down. I’m
serious.”
She looked at him suspiciously. “All right. We’ve done very
little. Carlswark Cave in the Peak District and Eastwater Swallet in the
Mendips. Just to see what it was like. It didn’t have much appeal
for either of us, so that was all.”
[Quinn, it turns out, is expert and can guide them to the Lancieux cave.]
(The Silver Mistress, chapter 8)
“… Weng makes the ridiculous allegation that Modesty and
Willie have been navigating and running a thirty mile course through these
fells today, and propose to complete another twenty tomorrow.”
“There is nothing ridiculous about it, Mr. Collier,” Weng said
mildly. “Many people enter these events.”
“Events?”
“This one is the Saunders Lakeland Mountain Marathon, and there are
many entrants from all parts of the country, Mr. Collier.”
(Dead Man’s Handle, chapter 15)
Modesty: Don't worry. Willie and I go in for the sport of fell-running
back home, so thirty miles through mountains won't trouble him unduly.
(The Vampire of Malvescu, panel 6795)
In Malta Modesty takes the 15-year-old Jane out sailing in a small
dinghy.
(The Reluctant Chaperon, panels 3644-6)
Many of the stories and strips involve scuba-diving or free diving as a means of escape or rescue from the sea, from wells, from caves or from underground rivers. There is also Willie's pearl-diving while assembling the necklace for Modesty, described at the start of A Taste for Death. In two cases we see Modesty and Willie enjoying scuba-diving for recreation.
In Uncle Happy Modesty inadvertently spoils Steve Taylor's
underwater photography. (Panels 614-620)
In The Scarlet Maiden Modesty and Willie explore an ancient
shipwreck. (Panels 5248 ff.)
Modesty is skiing with Dr Webber when she meets Dom Tregallion and is
invited to his party.
(Those about to Die, panels 3834-6
Modesty and Giles Pennyfeather enjoy a skiing holiday at The Cabin, John
Dall's winter sports home, while Willie is at a nearby logging camp.
(Children of Lucifer, panels 9653 seq
She hadn’t gone soft in this last year. There had been plenty of
exercise—a daily swim, the long rides at Benildon, and the
occasional work-outs with Willie Garvin, for old time’s sake.
(Modesty Blaise, chapter 5)