Winter Series 2000-2001
Round 2 - 19th November 2000

Report by TX operator, Dave Chippendale:

After being on the edge of the map or at the tops of the hills on previous DF's I fancied a change for this event. The area chosen is under part of the "Bury" town name on the 109 map, and is a small triangle of waste land with small trees. To the south is a public footpath which goes under the East Lancashire Railway Line. A car scrap yard backs on to the north of the site. Tesco's supermarket hides one end of the footpath to the east, and to the west the path goes under the town centre bypass with very limited access further restricted by the river Irwell.

Hiding at the base of a small tree the aerial curved about 10 feet up in the trees towards the brambles and over to the corrugated iron sheets of the scrap yard fence. I was not very comfortable in my hide when just after a transmission at 11.30, silently he's there! 50ft away, and those words wiz through your brain, but daren't utter a word because he might hear you, bloody hell! It's Plummer! So I try and copy a chameleon and slide slowly down low behind the tree, as he continues on past me and going on under the aerial wire into the brambles, as I breath a sigh of relief and turn round, by 'eck its my stepson David P, stood on the same spot I'd first seen Chris, do I shout him so that he can be first in, No! Chris would also hear, do I move so that he can see me, no chance, you don't take prisoners in this game, not when for the first time he's got more points than me following my disastrous DNF last time out! As I try to melt into my hide thinking I'm safe for now, David follows Chris into the brambles, and a smile crosses my face as shouts of pain reach my ears. As Chris returns into view he's checking possible hides as he approaches me and I know the game's up as the TX goes on for the timed transmission at 11.45 with David P following in second place at 11.46. After a brief discussion on how they gained access to the site they both leave.

After another transmission things are still quiet so I nip out and retrieve the dummy aerial that hadn't been seen. It wasn't until 12.21 that John Heath turned up with his bush beater spotting me immediately, even though I was back in my original hiding place. John then gloatingly rings young Chris Heys to say he's in, but sadly young Chris got a DNF for this outing, which could be said was his just reward because he was the organiser for my DNF last month.

The Pub! It's first time we have been to the Jolly Carter on the A58 out of Bury towards Bolton. Chris Plummer was there about 12:00 and had finished his meal by 12.50 when we got there. The last four of us waited an hour and a half after ordering our food for it to arrive, not getting served until 2.20, and even then the food was over-done and dry, so this must surely be one to miss in future events.