Eight teams started this first Collier Cup event with special guest Andy Collett on the Tx. It was also a pleasure to see Geoffrey Foster and his right hand man Robert Vickers starting the season with full enthusiasm.

An audible signal was received by all with no noticeable sky wave movement. The average bearing appeared to be circa 275 which when plotted onto both the maps used passed towards Abingdon. Peter Lisle decided to approach the area from the North whilst most attacked the area via Dorchester. The 8pm signal was indeed stronger but still not a positive bearing to suggest where Andy might be. After tackling the traffic through Abingdon the 8:15 bearing at last crossed near to the village of Newbridge unknown by me all the other teams also suffered awkward bearings as Andy's hide was situated by some large lakes and festooned by Pylons which in turn appeared to all radiate.

It was only after the 8:30 signal that it was fairly clear to me where Andy was situated, after driving down a suitable track towards the lakes I found Peter Lisle also driving down and on reaching the end "hooray" Andy's car was there.

Peter ran one way and I the other until the next signal when it was clear Andy's site was on the opposite side of the lake. After puffing my way around this fairly large lake the signal took me to the perimeter fence which was radiating at max. After running one way and then the other heard the sounds over the air that we all dread (Someone's found the Tx). After searching a few more minutes found Andy hiding besides a small bridge path. A little later, Mark Coventry, with a few choice words, completed all that succeeded this evening to find Andy as most other teams decided to run from a distance away plagued with the Pylons sending the wrong directions.

It was incredible that Andy had only a short antenna linked to the long fence, but with the help of the Pylons managed to get a signal 34km to the start.

Brian Bristow.