How the Mighty have Fallen

Nine teams arrived at Cowleaze Wood to find that it was not Peter G3UJO operating but your scribe who almost forgot Peter was on holiday. With my bad back, I decided not to make it impossible to find. I decided to put the transmitter in Heath Wood just above the village of Hambleden. The site had around an acre of brambles with various paths throughout made by the local deer herds. I wanted to make it easy so I situated the Tx 80 metres from the road with just a single quarter wave wire end fed across the brambles. Just to make it slightly tricky I reduced the Tx power by a small amount.

By the third transmission I heard a car pull up quick and door slams, with 20 seconds still to go the beam of a torch became more noticeable. Off I clicked hoping that the torch would veer away. But NO it just kept coming and at 20.18 the torch shone in to my hide ( b***er, its that Peter Lisle again). After Peter had left I heard more doors slam shut. Steve Stone realised that Peter had been in and knew the station was not far away, so after navigating the bramble forest, managed to trace the aerial into my hide at 20:26. All that time other teams were arriving but they all made their way down the hill out of the brambles (and stayed there for two more transmissions). Screams were heard when Claire Barrell awoke some sleeping pheasants. Poor Alan Simmons unfortunately managed to get cut to bits in attempting to cross the bramble forest. Eight teams found me by the 9pm signal except one.

Guess who never responded to frantic calls over the air and Peter Lisle had to ring him to see if he had given up. Yes, it was our new National Champion who decided to walk from miles away and then gave up ! When he finally turned up at the pub he was heard to say "From champ to chump in five days!"

A good natter was had at the local pub in Hambleden where it was decided that there should be some form of handicap on Peter Lisle as he has won everything again this year. Well Done, Peter!

Brian Bristow