Eight teams arrived at the start to receive the first transmission from John Mullins (Mr Y). It was great to see Ray Goodearl back again with his wife Dot and for once after many a long time I stepped aside to let Andy Collett feel the need to return to competitive DFing.

With only slight sky movement a variety of bearings from 70 to 85 was taken giving a direction of bearing towards the Slough area. Andy managed to take a good bearing from Beaconsfield giving him a cross in Stoke Common. After arriving there and walking into the common area the third signal came on which was strong but definitely not on Stoke Common. Driving down the bearing towards Black Park and now on the West London map we came across various DF cars parked and with joy started the run in towards John's site.

Now I feel what its like to be a team searcher (without a DF set the strength is not in your legs!!). Eventually we catch up with the rest of the teams and with the next transmission on there was a flurry of activity around a swampy part of the wood. As a team searcher, I spotted a body hiding in a holly bush and shouted for Andy (which alerted everyone ) (stupid). I entered the bush only to find it was Mr X, John's friend. After a quick discussion I found that Andy had found John just a few metres away in view of us all.

It was a good night as all DF teams managed to find John before 21:00

Brian Bristow

The Operator's Report.

In the weeks before the event, I'd looked at a number of possible sites. One looked promising but turned out to be a landfill site - full of building rubble and glass - so ruled out. Another promising site involved lakes but also anglers so, with vivid recollections of the last time we encountered anglers on a DF, that was also ruled out. I initially explored the area of the chosen site by bicycle as there is a bridle path called Galleons Lane close by. Having cycled into Rowley Wood and seen that there were permissive paths and a nice swampy area, I decided that this would make a good DF site.

With the assistance of Mr.X, David Ryan, I put the aerial up on the Tuesday using the Graham Phillips method of a catapult, a lead weight and a fishing line. It worked remarkably well as we got the line over a high branch in a tall tree giving around 30/40 ft of vertical. The only snag was that the aerial wouldn't quite reach to my first choice hide, so I settled for the holly bush near the stream. A bit of judicious pruning made it into a reasonable hide. I'd originally intended to leave my car at the pub and walk across the footpath over the golf course but the police had blocked the road past Wexham Park Hospital so I was forced to detour round via Black Park and with time pressing I rather foolishly left my car at the nearest point to the site. I was relieved to find the aerial still there when I reached the site.

As expected, the first three transmissions were uneventful and I was prepared for teams to start arriving after the 8:30 transmission. And they did! Lots of torches approached rapidly and most attacked the rhododendron bush nearby where Mr.X was hiding. Steve Stone spotted me first and handed his key in followed by Andy, Peter and Graham in quick succession. The last competitors arrived just after the 8:50 transmission which meant we could pack up early and head for the pub.

After the first transmission, I was privileged to witness a sight I'd never seen before of a group of fox cubs who had been led out of their den by the vixen and were happily playing about 20 yards away from where I was sitting. With the arrival of Mr.X, walking along the path and talking loudly on his Blackberry, they all scampered back into their den!

John Mullins (Mr.Y)