--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: was virtually certain of that. As the…" description: "\"“was virtually certain of that. As the coach drew into St. Giles’, the sky was an open blue, and the sunlight gleamed on the cinnamon-coloured stone al..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/colin-dexter-22150_martyrs_was-virtually-certain-of-that-as-the-coa_1501375.jpg" --- # was virtually certain of that. As the coach drew into St… ![“was virtually certain of that. As the coach drew into St. Giles’, the sky was an open blue, and the sunlight gleamed on the cinnamon-coloured stone along the broad tree-lined avenue. “Here we are, in St. Giles.’ ” (Ashenden slipped into over-drive now.) “You can see the plane trees on either side…” quote by Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/colin-dexter-22150_martyrs_was-virtually-certain-of-that-as-the-coa_1501375.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/colin-dexter-22150_martyrs_was-virtually-certain-of-that-as-the-coa_1501375.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/colin-dexter-22150_martyrs_was-virtually-certain-of-that-as-the-coa_1501375.jpg) > ““was virtually certain of that. As the coach drew into St. Giles’, the sky was an open blue, and the sunlight gleamed on the cinnamon-coloured stone along the broad tree-lined avenue. “Here we are, in St. Giles.’ ” (Ashenden slipped into over-drive now.) “You can see the plane trees on either side of us, ablaze with the beautifully golden tints of autumn—and, on the left here, St. John’s College—and Balliol just beyond. And here in front of us, the famous Martyrs’ Memorial, modelled on the Eleanor Crosses of Edward the First, and designed by Gilbert Scott to honour the great Protestant martyrs—Cranmer and Latimer and, er …” “Nicholas Ridley,” supplied Mrs. Roscoe, as the coach turned right at the traffic lights and almost immediately pulled in on the left of Beaumont Street beneath the tall neo-Gothic façade of The Randolph Hotel. “At last!” cried Laura Stratton, with what might have been”” [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator describes a vivid autumn scene in St. Giles, noting historic landmarks and the coach’s journey. **In simple terms:** A detailed, atmospheric description of a travel moment. Key Takeaway Observe surroundings to enrich experience. Themes travel history description Mood descriptive evocative Type literary historical When to use this quote - tourism - historical study - creative writing - photography Key Concepts sensory detail place‑setting historical context Questions to Reflect On - What emotions does the setting evoke? - How does setting influence character mood? A Different Perspective May distract from plot progression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Martyrs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/martyrs/) ## Related quotes > [The protestant martyrs and their monuments testify to the fact that they died, not on account of ecclesial differences, but because the issue was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-begg/the-protestant-martyrs-and-their-monuments-testify-to-the-fact-that/) [Alistair Begg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-begg/) > [Through all history, from the beginning, a noble army of martyrs have fought fiercely and fallen bravely for that unseen mistress, their country. So,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-william-curtis/through-all-history-from-the-beginning-a-noble-army-of-martyrs-have/) [George William Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-william-curtis/) > [“We must all make the mental leap from the pious histories we have read in the martyrologies to the reality of living flesh and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-d-o-brien/we-must-all-make-the-mental-leap-from-the-pious-histories-we-have/) [Michael D. O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-d-o-brien/) > [“I could have been 23 next July I gambled on what mattered most, the dice were cast. I lost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-senesh/i-could-have-been-23-next-july-i-gambled-on-what-mattered-most-the/) Hannah Senesh > [Take away the contests of the martyrs, and you have taken away their crowns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-ambrose/take-away-the-contests-of-the-martyrs-and-you-have-taken-away-their/) [Saint Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-ambrose/) > [They're not put on earth to be martyrs; they have to want to come out. It depends on your culture, where you work, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-jean-king/they-re-not-put-on-earth-to-be-martyrs-they-have-to-want-to-come-out/) [Billie Jean King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-jean-king/) > [Those who die for their country are martyrs and those who live for their country are greater martyrs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhagat-puran-singh/those-who-die-for-their-country-are-martyrs-and-those-who-live-for/) Bhagat Puran Singh > [The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/the-blood-of-the-martyrs-is-the-seed-of-the-church/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [“Actually it is hard to find “martyrs for science.” Though one can find examples under materialist, atheistic systems as, for example, during the French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/actually-it-is-hard-to-find-martyrs-for-science-though-one-can-find/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Christians are being martyred across the globe at alarmingly increasing rates. The ‘Voices of the Martyrs’ website reveals just how serious this killing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-price/christians-are-being-martyred-across-the-globe-at-alarmingly/) [John Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-price/) > [Twenty-two martyrs were recognized, but there were many more, and not only Catholics. There were also Anglicans and some Mohammedans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-paul-vi/twenty-two-martyrs-were-recognized-but-there-were-many-more-and-not/) [Pope Paul VI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-paul-vi/) > [ There are martyrs \[between Mexican people\], now I will canonize two. It is a population that you can't explain, you can't explain it because… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/there-are-martyrs-between-mexican-people-now-i-will-canonize-two-it/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [In the long, fierce struggle for freedom of opinion, the press, like the Church, counted its martyrs by thousands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/in-the-long-fierce-struggle-for-freedom-of-opinion-the-press-like-the/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [All of us have a secret desire to be seen as saints, heroes, martyrs. We are afraid to be children, to be ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/all-of-us-have-a-secret-desire-to-be-seen-as-saints-heroes-martyrs-we/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [Martyrs do not underrate the body, they allow it to be elevated on the cross. In this they are at one with their antagonists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/martyrs-do-not-underrate-the-body-they-allow-it-to-be-elevated-on-the/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) ## More by Colin Dexter > [“He'd no time for reports. He suspected that about 95% of the written word was never read by anyone anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/he-d-no-time-for-reports-he-suspected-that-about-95-of-the-written/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) > [“Morse poured himself a can of beer. "Champagne's a lovely drink, but it makes you thirsty, doesn't it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/morse-poured-himself-a-can-of-beer-champagne-s-a-lovely-drink-but-it/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) > [“Walters looked quizzically at Morse, who sat reading one of the glossy 'porno' magazines he had brought from upstairs. "You still sex-mad, I see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/walters-looked-quizzically-at-morse-who-sat-reading-one-of-the-glossy/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) > [“He sighed and knew that life was full of ‘if only’ for everyone”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/he-sighed-and-knew-that-life-was-full-of-if-only-for-everyone/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) > [I think that you've got to be prepared to write a load of nonsense to start with and then you can tart it up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/i-think-that-you-ve-got-to-be-prepared-to-write-a-load-of-nonsense-to/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) > [We read so much about incompetence and corruption in all sorts of places. I'm not just thinking of the United Kingdom and the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/we-read-so-much-about-incompetence-and-corruption-in-all-sorts-of/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) > [“It is strange to relate (for a man in his profession) that in addition to incurable acrophobia, arachnophobia, myophobia, and ornithophobia, Morse also suffered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/it-is-strange-to-relate-for-a-man-in-his-profession-that-in-addition/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) > [“and Lewis felt excitement, and gratification. Somebody—some”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/and-lewis-felt-excitement-and-gratification-somebody-some/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) > [I've not much faith in the future of the planet and I'm not just thinking about Mr. Bush or global warming. I feel that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/i-ve-not-much-faith-in-the-future-of-the-planet-and-i-m-not-just/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) > [“Nothing quite like it in the whole history of music," announced Morse magisterially, after Brünnhilde had ridden into the flames and the waves of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/nothing-quite-like-it-in-the-whole-history-of-music-announced-morse/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) > [“As he lay abed on Sunday, 21 September, Morse was beset by the nagging feeling that there was so much to be done if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/as-he-lay-abed-on-sunday-21-september-morse-was-beset-by-the-nagging/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) > [“you’ve never seen any evidence of drugs—any packets of drugs? Crack? Speed? Ecstasy? Anything? Anything at all?” Had she? “No,” she said. Almost truthfully.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/you-ve-never-seen-any-evidence-of-drugs-any-packets-of-drugs-crack/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) > [“A man is little use when his wife’s a widow. Scottish proverb”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/a-man-is-little-use-when-his-wife-s-a-widow-scottish-proverb/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) > [“As he lay abed on Sunday, 21 September, Morse was beset by the nagging feeling that there was so much to be done if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/as-he-lay-abed-on-sunday-21-september-morse-was-beset-by-the-nagging-2/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) > [“This was exactly why holidays were so valuable, he told himself: they allowed you to stand back a bit, and see where you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/this-was-exactly-why-holidays-were-so-valuable-he-told-himself-they/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) [Explore all 28 Colin Dexter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) ## More Martyrs quotes > [Martyrs do not underrate the body, they allow it to be elevated on the cross. In this they are at one with their antagonists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/martyrs-do-not-underrate-the-body-they-allow-it-to-be-elevated-on-the/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [All of us have a secret desire to be seen as saints, heroes, martyrs. We are afraid to be children, to be ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/all-of-us-have-a-secret-desire-to-be-seen-as-saints-heroes-martyrs-we/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [In the long, fierce struggle for freedom of opinion, the press, like the Church, counted its martyrs by thousands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/in-the-long-fierce-struggle-for-freedom-of-opinion-the-press-like-the/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [ There are martyrs \[between Mexican people\], now I will canonize two. It is a population that you can't explain, you can't explain it because… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/there-are-martyrs-between-mexican-people-now-i-will-canonize-two-it/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Twenty-two martyrs were recognized, but there were many more, and not only Catholics. There were also Anglicans and some Mohammedans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-paul-vi/twenty-two-martyrs-were-recognized-but-there-were-many-more-and-not/) [Pope Paul VI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-paul-vi/) > [“Christians are being martyred across the globe at alarmingly increasing rates. The ‘Voices of the Martyrs’ website reveals just how serious this killing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-price/christians-are-being-martyred-across-the-globe-at-alarmingly/) [John Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-price/) > [“Actually it is hard to find “martyrs for science.” Though one can find examples under materialist, atheistic systems as, for example, during the French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/actually-it-is-hard-to-find-martyrs-for-science-though-one-can-find/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/the-blood-of-the-martyrs-is-the-seed-of-the-church/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [Those who die for their country are martyrs and those who live for their country are greater martyrs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhagat-puran-singh/those-who-die-for-their-country-are-martyrs-and-those-who-live-for/) Bhagat Puran Singh > [They're not put on earth to be martyrs; they have to want to come out. It depends on your culture, where you work, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-jean-king/they-re-not-put-on-earth-to-be-martyrs-they-have-to-want-to-come-out/) [Billie Jean King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-jean-king/) > [Take away the contests of the martyrs, and you have taken away their crowns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-ambrose/take-away-the-contests-of-the-martyrs-and-you-have-taken-away-their/) [Saint Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-ambrose/) > [“I could have been 23 next July I gambled on what mattered most, the dice were cast. I lost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-senesh/i-could-have-been-23-next-july-i-gambled-on-what-mattered-most-the/) Hannah Senesh > [“We must all make the mental leap from the pious histories we have read in the martyrologies to the reality of living flesh and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-d-o-brien/we-must-all-make-the-mental-leap-from-the-pious-histories-we-have/) [Michael D. O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-d-o-brien/) > [Through all history, from the beginning, a noble army of martyrs have fought fiercely and fallen bravely for that unseen mistress, their country. So,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-william-curtis/through-all-history-from-the-beginning-a-noble-army-of-martyrs-have/) [George William Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-william-curtis/) > [“We live together,we act on, and react to, one another; but always and in all circumstances we are by ourselves. The martyrs go hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/we-live-together-we-act-on-and-react-to-one-another-but-always-and-in/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) [Browse all 133 Martyrs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/martyrs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“was virtually certain of that. As the coach drew into St. Giles’, the sky was an open blue, and the sunlight gleamed on the cinnamon-coloured stone along the broad tree-lined avenue. “Here we are, in St. Giles.’ ” (Ashenden slipped into over-drive now.) “You can see the plane trees on either side of us, ablaze with the beautifully golden tints of autumn—and, on the left here, St. John’s College—and Balliol just beyond. And here in front of us, the famous Martyrs’ Memorial, modelled on the Eleanor Crosses of Edward the First, and designed by Gilbert Scott to honour the great Protestant martyrs—Cranmer and Latimer and, er …” “Nicholas Ridley,” supplied Mrs. Roscoe, as the coach turned right at the traffic lights and almost immediately pulled in on the left of Beaumont Street beneath the tall neo-Gothic façade of The Randolph Hotel. “At last!” cried Laura Stratton, with what might have been”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Colin Dexter" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/was-virtually-certain-of-that-as-the-coach-drew-into-st-giles-the-sky/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Martyrs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/was-virtually-certain-of-that-as-the-coach-drew-into-st-giles-the-sky/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/colin-dexter-22150_martyrs_was-virtually-certain-of-that-as-the-coa_1501375.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/colin-dexter-22150_martyrs_was-virtually-certain-of-that-as-the-coa_1501375.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/colin-dexter-22150_martyrs_was-virtually-certain-of-that-as-the-coa_1501375.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“was virtually certain of that. 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