Five teams assembled at the start in Cowleaze Wood. I was competing without a navigator and as Graham, G3XTZ, was on the transmitter there was a bit of kudos at stake. The rather weak signal at the start was mainly sky wave and it was very difficult to get a direction. Other teams seemed to do a bit better in this respect and suggested to me that East was a reasonable approximate bearing. I decided to head down the A40 towards West Wycombe. With the benefit of hindsight I should have headed down the M40 and made more progress eastwards. I eneded up near Bradenham for the 2000 transmission. The signal was a bit stronger than at the start and indicated a bearing that was roughly East - so not much better than at the start. Unfortunately, in the Chilterns, the roads follow the valleys which run north-south, so I had to retrace my steps back to the A40 and head for High Wycombe. I decided to make for Holmer Green, between Wycombe and Amersham on the A404. Progress through High Wycombe was slow and I was forced to miss the 2015 transmission. At 2025, I managed to find a spot away from the main road near to Penn Street. The signal at 2030 was really strong with a sharp null and indicated that the transmitter was due North of my location. I needed to get a cross bearing as this was my first decent bearing so I headed towards Amersham to get another bearing at 2040. I arrived near Shardeloes on the outskirts of Amersham where the signal was weaker than the previous one and with a null at 250 degrees. The two bearings crossed near a place called Mop End, quite close to Penn Street so I retraced my steps, found the little lane to Mop End, just in time for the next transmission at 2050. This confirmed that the transmitter was in the nearby woods. I parked at the end of the lane by a footpath leading into the woods. Alan's car was parked there so this was probably a good call. The 2100 transmission led me further into the woods, eventually coming across a small group of smug looking DFers who had obviously found Graham. After a bit of searching, the bright LEDs on the transmitter gave him away, hiding under some ferns. Not my best DF but I wasn't quite last! Thanks Bill! All five teams managed to find Graham before closedown.

Thanks to Graham and Roger for running the event. All of us then adjourned to Penn Street for a quick pint or two!

John Mullins M0MRY