Creighton-Ward Manor
Creighton-Ward Manor, (COMIC: The Vanishing Ray) also known as Creighton-Ward Mansion, (COMIC: Mr. Steelman [+]Loading...["Mr. Steelman (comic story)"]) Creighton Mansion (COMIC: Eve of War) and the Creighton-Ward Estate, (COMIC: The Great Silver Robbery!) was Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward's home, located in Kent not far from the Doctor's house on Allen Road. (PROSE: The Dying Days)
Features
Its windows were bullet-proof and it had a plethora of other defences to deter tresspassers including several explosive mines in the garden. (COMIC: Mr. Steelman [+]Loading...["Mr. Steelman (comic story)"]) Additionally, when the alarm was turned on the gates would electrocute those who touched them and anyone scaling the perimeter wall would find themselves incapacitated by restraints protruding from it. If the gates were ever activated, an alert was sent to the local police station informing them of the invasion attempt. (COMIC: The Vanishing Ray [+]Loading...["The Vanishing Ray (comic story)"])
Inside, there were screens linked to cameras from which Lady Penelope could watch a live feed of events outside (COMIC: Mr. Steelman [+]Loading...["Mr. Steelman (comic story)"]) as well as record them. They could also depict a digital map linking to the location of various tracker devices in Lady Penelope's possession.
Creighton-Ward Manor had a library containing "every cookery book ever published" as well as a garage for Lady Penelope's car FAB 1. (COMIC: The Vanishing Ray [+]Loading...["The Vanishing Ray (comic story)"]) The estate also had a large garden, where Lady Penelope could often relax. (COMIC: The Great Silver Robbery!)
History
In 2065, men hired by Mr Steelman attempted to storm Creighton-Ward Manor and retrieve some blueprints which Lady Penelope had stolen from the Luthvian embassy. The house's defences eventually forced them to retreat after several of them were killed and they instead elected to kidnap Roger Lyon, whom the plans had been entrusted to for the purpose of destroying them. (COMIC: Mr. Steelman [+]Loading...["Mr. Steelman (comic story)"]) In an account dated to July 2088, when Action 21 revealed that they were beginning a special series of adaptations based on the autobiography of Lady Penelope, the annoucement was accompanied by a photograph of Penelope in her home. (PROSE: 'Jinx Ship' Blasts Off For Mars)
Lady Penelope watched the Astran Kaplan's visit to Earth on television and witnessed his assassination in Unity City. After Bob Newawk told his viewers that his viewers that Universal Television would be following Steve Zodiac as the crisis continued, she told Parker this meant nobody would be watching them. Parker asked if he should get FAB 1 (COMIC: Assassination!) and the two set off for an airport in order to track down the murderer. (COMIC: On the Trail of the Kaplan's Killer...)
Lady Penelope received a phone call from the editor of TV Century 21 in Creighton-Ward Manor requesting that she go to Paris to write an article on the rebuilding of the city. She and Parker set off for London Airport in FAB 1 soon after. (COMIC: The Return of Mr. Steelman)
One day, an invisible ray torch was delivered annoymously to Creighton-Ward Manor. The Hood and MI5 agent Steel both subsequently visited the Mansion, both masquerading as salesmen for the Univeral Cook Book, in their attempts to steal the device. They were unsuccessful though the Hood was able to get away with an ordinary flashlight. After realising the deceit, the Hood hired Big George's men to help him break-in to the property but the house's defences made arresting the would-be theives an easy job for Simms and the other police officers attending the scene. Meanwhile, after the British Secret Service realised that the torch had been pickpocketed from Steel, agents were sent there to bring Lady Penelope and Parker in for interrogation. On a final attempt to obtain the torch, the Hood gained access to the Manor by impersonating a police officer but when he revealed his true intentions Penelope knocked him unconscious with a falling chandelier. After the excitement was over, Jeff Tracy and Brains visited the house to explain the mysterious origins of the torch and offer Penelope a job as the London agent for International Rescue. (COMIC: The Vanishing Ray [+]Loading...["The Vanishing Ray (comic story)"])
Lady Penelope was visited by an inspector and a sergeant regarding the whereabouts of Parker, who was wanted for questioning in relation to the robbery at the London Silver Vaults. After he returned from doing some shopping, he was arrested by the two police officers and taken to the police station. Later, Mr Steelman sent one of his gynoids to kill Penelope. She was granted access by Parker after informing him she had a personal message for her but immediately upon facing Penelope, the robot threw a knife at her and when it missed she drew another. Parker was initially thrown to the ground but managed to tackle her in such a way that he covered her eyes, stopping the light from reaching the functioning cells. They both examined her, finding a threatening note from Steelman, and then left the Mansion for the Law Stationers Company, by whom the paper was watermarked. (COMIC: The Great Silver Robbery!)
Upon their return from Australia, Lady Penelope and Parker found a letter from Century 21 Film Productions which had been posted to the address while they were away. It said that the casting director wished for her to visit him at the studios, which she scheduled for the following week. She was offered an acting role in a film while there but it was ultimately cancelled after the leading star Paul Carson was killed in a car crash during the location work in California while trying to conceal his status as a Bereznik spy. Penelope and Parker returned to Creighton-Ward Manor after this, at which point Parker made a cup of tea and Penelope decided that acting was far more strenuous than being a secret agent. (COMIC: Desert Drama)
Behind the scenes
The exact name of Lady Penelope's home varies between sources. In its debut, Mr. Steelman, it is referred to as Creighton-Ward Mansion while The Daleks comic story Eve of War refers to it as Creighton Mansion. However, Jeff Tracy sends Penelope a postcard in The Vanishing Ray wherein the property's postal address is given as Creighton-Ward Manor and it is this name which lends itself to the title of this article.
