Brian Bristow, our usual reporter, was on holiday and not able to take part or write up a report. This report is not as good as usual because I spent so long recovering the antenna that I didn't get back to the pub for a chat before the rest had gone home.

The transmitter was located about a mile east of the village of Warborough close to a footpath and required a run of at least a kilometre. I was lying on the bed of a dried-up stream in the middle of some very dense undergrowth of brambles and blackthorn. The antenna was about 1000 feet of wire draped along the tall hedge around three sides of a field. The remote end was earthed down in a small piece of woodland. The station was about 11 km from the start.

Apparently the signal was very strong at the start and some people didn't travel far enough. First on site was Steve Stone who passed within about ten feet of me at about 8:17. Chris Plummer arrived at about the same time and they both tried to circle the nasty stuff I was in, looking for an entrance. Eventually Chris managed to crash his way through some brambles and threw his clock card at me, having been thwarted by the thickness of the vegetation. This newly-opened entrance was used by all the following competitors except Alan Simmons who came in the easier way on hands and knees under the worst of the blackthorn. Mark Coventry, one of our newcomers, did extremely well and came in third only a few minutes behind the winner.

It was great to see Ray Goodearl and Colin Boyce taking part, I hope they keep turning up in the future. Richard Wagner has been navigating for Brian recently and took the opportunity of Brian's absence to take part in his own right. John Champion acted as his navigator. Even though they didn't find the station, they weren't far away and had a good time. Keep it up, Richard.

Bill Pechey

Some extra words from Chris Plummer:

A good, strong, sharp signal was heard at the start at Cowlease Wood, which accounts for some competitors thinking the TX was quite close. Chris Plummer, looking at the map with the bearing tramping across the Oxford map, had thought of Bill hiding some years back on the banks of the Thames near Dorchester with a good earth in the Thames (which would have given a good distant signal). Several others had similar thoughts, including Alan Simmons & Steve Stone, so first thing was to navigate out through Watlington and Benson. Chris's Oxford map being somewhat old, Benson had grown causing some confusion and backtracking to get an idea where he was.

20:00 TX saw Chris North of Benson but the bearing was 120 degrees to where he expected it; and with a quick dash round the lanes got a good cross right on the little square of wood that Bill wanted us to beat up. Taking a flier from the East side of the square, Chris ran the bearing on the 20:15 transmission, to be surprised to find Steve Stone on site already (he had taken a flier from the west access route). As it happens Colin Boyce had been in the pub car park to the east of the site for 20:15 and had seen no sign of Chris running off down the bridle path, Colin tried driving the green lane but got shouted at by a local and so had to retreat to return on foot.

Back at the site, firstly Steve tracked along the 1000' long aerial, to find the earth stake in the wood, followed a few minutes later by Chris. No good came of it so we both backtracked to the ditch area at the other end of the aerial. Both Chris and Steve missed the hidden entrance, and Chris after staggering into the ditch 10' from Bill (not seeing him of course) being protected by an ex-army thornproof jacket, decided to make his own way in to the middle of the thorns. After partially penetrating the bushes Chris could see Bill but didn't want to make too much damage on the way in, so booked in by throwing his card in and backing out of the thick stuff. Alan Simmons arrived on site, and Keith, his navigator, accused Chris of having found Bill as he was too RELAXED.... (just pulling the thorns out). Alan then twigged where Bill was and found the easy way in. Unfortunately Steve didn't see him or Chris get in and was thus pipped at the post by Mark Coventry as well.

Overall a good event, and thanks to Bill, Eric, Derek etc. for keeping the rain off. The gathering afterwards was somewhat fragmented, with competitors finding about three or four ways to approach the site, thus arriving at the pub at different times. All missed Bill and Doreen, as Bill had decided to take the aerial down before it got all tangled up by the wind. The pub/village it seems will be used in the near future for an episode of Miss Marple mysteries, not just a gathering of total loonies (DFers).