Where Am I?

    ‘Many Happy Returns’ eventually sees Number 6 washed up on the shore at Beachy Head. He makes his way along the shingle beach, and due to recent cliff erosion, he is able to scramble up the chalky cliff face. From the top of the cliffs Number 6 looks down at the lighthouse below.

    Walking inland, he comes across a man walking his whippet. The man sees the figure of raggedy man, and keeps his distance. Walking away Number 6 follows the man to a gipsy camp site. There he asks the young gipsy woman “Where is this place?”

    It has been said that these are the first words Number 6 speaks, not “Where am I?” but “where is this place?” are quite revealing. Of course Number 6 knows where he is, he must have recognised the the iconic lighthouse at Beachy Head and the white chalky cliffs all along the coast there. So he must realise that he is back in England and so “Where is this place?” must be referring to the gipsy camp.

    When the Prisoner utters those immortal words “Where am I?” during the opening sequence of ‘the Prisoner’ it is because he is disorientated, having just woken up in what he thought to be his own home. But then looking out of the window he finds he isn’t home at all, hence “Where am I?”

Be seeing you