Sezincote Stroll and a kids cache - 21/08/10

Distance Walked - 9 Miles
Caches Found - 20
Starting Cache - http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=550b1ac7-701d-4360-81b8-7a19a024746b

Currently reading the dice man by luke rhinehart - so decided to put todays walk / caching activity down to chance.  Three regular walks and three cache circles were chosen and the dice settled on this one - starting at Bourton on the Hill.

Get dressed in walking gear and the dog fears the worst and takes a low profile.  Coerce her into the car.

There are two trails here - the Sezincote Stroll (10 caches) which can be joined at Longborough with a kids (i felt guilty) mystery cache where you have to decipher nursery rhymes to find 6 and a bonus.  Add in three on the route, including two from another series and you have 20 caches on a good figure of 8 walk

Park the car almost opposite the Heart of England Way.

Start of the Path - Heart of England Path

Head down through good paths past the majestic Sezincote Hall, picking up 4 before arriving at Longborough.  Pass the glampers (I thought these were a middle class myth!) on the left, with the hall on the right.

Glampers!

Sezincote Hall - Nice Roof

Longborough is a lovely, classic cotswolds village.  Nice spring in the centre of town and the dog takes a dunk. I have walked here before, I remember stopping at the coach and horses, but today its to early.

Early Bath

Now going on a loop to the south of Longborough for the Kids Cachewalker series.  Had to work out the positions last night to have them programmed in for this morning.  The series is straightforward and there is a huge bonus at the end - which unfortunately muggled whilst retrieving.  The lady says nothing to me, other than replying to my hello!  During the series, you pass a memorial to the Battle of Stow in the English Civil War..... this walk has more than caches - a nice history lesson.

Battle Ground - There would be if she could get off her lead and get at the sheep.

Back north on the Sezincote Stroll series - more great paths all the way back to number 10 - when we run into a bit of trouble in a field of cows, that get a bit frisky.  Lots of stamping a bellowing, but fortunately, I was the right size of a barbed wire fence!  They ganged up on me when I got behind the stile/gate and performed a victory dance...

Scary Cows

So, weather was rubbish but the walk was excellent and the high number of cache an unexpected bonus.

18/08/10 - London (Day 2)

Over to East London on the bus.   Ordered off the bus, as the one in front had broken down and they were replacing the faulty one with mine!  Into a presentation with 15 customers and then out to snaffle a couple of caches before heading home on the train.

Caching is not always glamourous locations - take a look at the photo for http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=c507c5e8-f700-435f-b18d-e0a66c08eac7 my second flonopoly cache in two days.  Thats my suitcase, perched in an alley around the back of KFC.  Thankfully a very quiet location for an easy find but.

The down to tower 42 for a perfectly sized cache for its hiding place for http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=2371072b-2234-4f43-9c10-d80f41d12aa5. Another easy grab with all the passing muggles.

As they say London will be great when it is finished - here is the photo from GZ.

Thats it for caching until the weekend for now....

August 17th - London

Caches Found = 3

Venturing out of Worcesterhire and making sure that I make the most of the light evenings.  I am staying in the Strand Palace hotel.  This is a big old hotel that I havent been in for years.  The last time involved an incident with an ashtray, that i dont really want to discuss.

Popped out for a quick circular walk through the Victoria Embankment Gardens - looking for http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=388c51bb-bc8d-464f-a71d-29c332a39fd5.  The place is muggle central and I particulary like the drinkers at the wine bar who stand directly outside the office block - that must be a great place to work!  The cache was an easy find and how furtive cachers havent been noticed by the coffee seller, I will never know.

Then move onto a micro at cleopatras needle - http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=e7f66789-d86d-4853-847b-dd58426bc291.  This place is one of my earliest memories of London for some reason.  My dad must have pointed it out on a boat trip or something.  It was also the first of "the carry on" series that are scattered all over london that I have managed to find.  A great place - look left and you can see St Pauls over Waterloo Bridge, look right and you have the gothic houses of parliament.  Directly opposite, the London Eye.  Pay attention to the Sphinx's - one of them has bomb damage from the first air raid on London - in WW1!

Stopped for a pint on the boat in the picture - felt sea sick.

There is an off-set cache in Victoria embankements http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=4021c1be-6e7f-4dcc-93d6-e5e39b651a59 .  This involves looking for a clue on a statue and deciphering the location with a bit of path.  I had high hopes for finding this one when it plotted me further down the embankment.  However, despite some serious furtive action at an object that matched the clue, I only found cobwebs.  Recorded my only dnf.

Pop around by Big Ben - stopping for another pint at St Stephens Tavern - a favorite for the location and then headed up to trafalgar square for http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=388c51bb-bc8d-464f-a71d-29c332a39fd5 - part of the Flonopoly series that I have been finding over the months.  A good find through the power of touch.

I think that caches are like Rats in london and you are never more than a few feet from one.

Now for something to eat.

Bridgnorth - 15/08/2010

Starting cache - http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=698e43ed-c3ce-4d51-a849-e3375d50adfe

Number found = 5

OK - I wasn't going caching today.... we went to party at someones else last night (ended with 8 in a hot tub, but it wasnt that sort of party).  I had to drop the mrs off to collect the car - so headed on up to repeat one of my favorite walks of all time.

You can find it in the AA 1001 Walks book - it starts at the cemetary and a stiff climb up high rock and then around to Rindleford - which is a very strange place indeed - completely isolated hamlet with a lovely stream and some very strange vegetation.  This is the 1st time that I have completed the walk since caching and was pleased to see that there were potentailly six to be got.

The first one coulnt be easier - with a nice view of the cemetary (believe it or not).  The 2nd was an excellent off set multi - where you have to find the date that lovers Tony and Marian have carved into the rockface to find a good sized Ammo box.  Then you can completed the four in the Rindleford Series.  I could only find three - as the vegetation - truely triffid size - has completed covered ground zero!

Then a bit of a long walk back with no caches..... but a good day.

The Illey Round - 14/08/10

Starting cache - http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=afbe8267-d6bf-4f42-9ce8-9aa382ec4de4

Number found = 10

The aim was to complete the IQ series - this has eight and a bonus, based on getting letters from the back of the log books.  All caches are in a great condition and there is one nice surprise, where someone has reused what looks like a lego or playmobile treasure chest!  There is a very nasty road section between number 4 and 5 - which is a shame, as there have been some nice footpaths along the way.  On the second half of the walk, you will pass the remains of a disused abbey - which I did not know was there, despite driving past it every week for years!

I also took in the Frankly services one, from the car, one the way back for the start of the premiership.  I have looked fwd to this since the debacle of the world cup - and then the Albion get a 6-0 drumming. 

Oh well - back to caching.

Introduction

OK - thought I would start a blog off to show Worcestershire Cachers what I have been up to.

My aim is to reach 1000 caches by the end of 2010.  I started at the end of 2008 - on Christmas Eve.  I had head a couple of people talk about caching and I though it might be a way to spice up my primary outdoor pursuit - which is walking the Labradoodle.  Here is a picture of her up Bredon Hill.

Caching certainly added some spice to my walks and allowed me to revist old walks with renewed interest.  Things ticked along nicely until I subscibed and started downloads Pocket Queries in July 2008.  Armed with my PDA and cachemate, I was able to go out armed with all the cache in an area and the numbers steadily increased.

Now it has become a little bit of an addiction.

This blog is intended as my own on line diary.  I'll inlcude a link in my profile page and see if anyone noticing.  Probably Mrs Mappiman will be the first - she has an unhealthy interest in googling me.