Seven teams started this fine evening event with John Champion on the Tx. All teams heard John with most taking a bearing of circa 300 degrees. However, teams split in which direction they turned from the start. Geoffrey Foster and I arrived around the Stadhampton area. The 8pm signal showed that John may possibly be near Shotover Plain near Oxford. I arrived in the centre of Shotover only to find that the DF set I was using for the first time on a full event did not really tell me how close I was to John's site. with the help of 4x4 I drove right across the plain into a fairly thick wood. Once again, the next signal said John was back along to where the last signal was taken. I decided to run in at this point,but when the next signal came on it took me over two fields and one wood onto a tarmac road and then down a larger field. I was beginning to feel this was not my evening, and found a small footpath going westwards towards the area where my vehicle was parked. After a while, I heard dull voices which appeared to be across to my right side and looking down the path saw Bill Pechey. This gave me hope and a few steps more found the rest of the teams taking breath after finding John hiding in a old disused railway cutting. Apart from Graham Phillips, who found John at 8:22:54 (Mr. X actually found an aerial), the signal took most teams away from John's hide. It was good to find John as I was beginning to think of the ridicule that would follow (perhaps it's my age).
Thanks to John for an excellent event (without a lake)
Brian Bristow
Position | Competitor | Finish |
---|---|---|
1 | Graham Phillips | 20:22:54 |
2 | Geoffrey Foster | 20:54:33 |
3 | Steve Stone | 20:56:23 |
4 | Mark Coventry | 20:57:49 |
5 | Alan Simmons | 20:57:56 |
6 | Brian Bristow | 21:00:03 |
7 | Bill Pechey | 21:00:09 |