It was bitterly cold as we headed for the start. The sky was grey, (and a first for a foxhunt evening),
snow was hammering against the windscreen! The snow stopped as we lined up for the first transmission
and a grand total of four intrepid teams waited for the first transmission.
Nothing heard...so it was pot-luck as to which way we headed to try to get a sniff of a signal.
Three teams headed towards Dorket Head and one to Porchester Road.
As we arrived at there we saw G6HRN and G7WFM both looking bemused at the lack of signals.
Eventually Tim and Adey set off down the long hill towards the A60/A614 whilst we back-tracked to Porchester Road.
Unbeknown to us, Tim had picked up a whiff of a signal from a northerly direction and decided to head up the A60,
whilst we heard nothing. So it was on to find another high spot and after several missed transmissions we arrived
by the 'lightning tree' at Stanton-by-Dale.
At last! a faint signal could be heard and we drew our vector on the map. The line passed through the
centre of Mansfield and so we set off following the line northwards. Meanwhile Tim had made good progress
and was well on his way up the A60, past Papplewick and on towards Ravenshead , consistently hearing faint snippets of signal.
20:00 Signals getting stronger, G6HRN is now heading down towards the centre of Mansfield, G7WFM is in the area too.
Keeping to the high ground we pressed on, Shipley Common, Heanor and Codnor and all traces of signal had disappeared.
Back along the A610 to junction 26, more snow, and northwards to Junction 27. Top of the world up here (180 metres)
and still not a sniff, maybe we have passed him?
20:30 Tim has been driving up and down past the pub car park where the fox is hiding without any success.
Although the location seems right there are no likely looking cars that might contain the fox.
The wily fox has a decoy, a young lady in the front of the car, to fool the hunters.
We head back down the M1 trying to pick up a faint trace in the last half hour, still no signals so we head back to
Stanton by Dale to hear the final transmission and location.
Meanwhile Adey has grasped the nettle, approached the young lady and earned himself 30 points.
Tim 'kicking himself' was talked in whilst we sat on a remote hilltop and cursed the fact that we didn't continue
to follow that line on the map!
Well done Adey, and thanks to G4EKW for his excellent foxing!
Dave G6UWO
19/4/01 | 17/5/01 | 21/6/01 | 19/7/01 | 16/8/01 | 20/9/01 | 18/10/01
copyright © silent design associates. 2001. all rights reserved.
| |
