This was a dreadful day for weather. It had rained for several days previously and the ground was very wet. While Peter Lisle was putting up the antenna he had to send home for two sets of dry clothes!

Five teams braved the elements and were rewarded with a pause in the rain for the start bearing. Peter's signal was quite strong but was affected a little by skywave. I think everyone got bearings of about 110 degrees which was, in fact, a little low. Knowing that Peter lives at Flackwell Heath, we all headed that way. I stopped at Little Marlow and got a bearing that crossed with the start one just east of Wooburn Green. Hoping for a good cross with the 8 pm bearing, I went a mile or two south of the cross for the next transmission. I was very surprised to find that the bearing went south and was very strong. I took one more bearing which confirmed that Peter was in a stretch of woodland on Berghers Hill. I drove round to the obvious way in and found two cars already there. Then the fun began!

It was now raining quite heavily and my spectacles were getting to be a problem. As I ran down the main path, the bearing suddenly turned to the right. I was pleased to see several torches in the direction of my bearing. We beat up the bushes for some time but found nothing.

I decided to return to the path because although the signal was loud it was not as loud as it should have been. This turned out to be correct as the signal then came right up and the bearing turned off left into some rhododendrons. I was pleased to find the antenna (the wrong end!) but was unable to follow it in the gloom and rain. I travelled down the slope on the other side of the path and fell over what turned out to be a wire fence protecting a pond covered with duckweed. I came very close to sliding into it. Once out of the fenced area, (harder to get out than in!) it all became easier and the signal led me to another, larger patch of rhododendrons. The set led me into Peter but some way behind the leaders.

I decided to drive to the pub and change in the car park. This idea was soon rejected as the car park was packed and extremely well lit. I found a quiet gateway and changed there.

The pub get-together was better than most with excellent beer even though the only place we could sit down was in the very grand smoking shelter. Luckily it was well ventilated and the smoke wasn't a problem.

Most of us enjoyed the event; once you're wet through you can't get any wetter so you just get on with it. Special thanks must go the Peter for running an event on such a dreadful day for weather.

Bill Pechey
(Brian is on holiday)