Winter Series 2002-2003
Round 4 - 12th January 2003

Report by TX operator, Chris Heys:

Chat Moss is an area of peat bog, 12 square miles, only 5 miles west of the centre of Manchester. It is bisected by the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, built by George Stephenson in the 1830s. Many people thought it would be impossible to build the railway across it, and there were many problems encountered during its construction. The railway quite literally floats on top of the peat bog on a raft of timber. There is an interesting article about it here.

I decided to hide in a patch of woodland roughly in the middle of Chat Moss, thinking that competitors would have difficulty deciding from where to approach the site, either from Irlam on the south side, or the best way, Astley from the North.

It was a calm, crisp morning, perfect conditions for DFing. I parked on the road leading to the level crossing, directly opposite where the footpath below Moss Bank farm begins. I knew this would advertise the best way in, but as it was quite a walk with all the gear to carry I wasn't going to try and be clever on this occasion by parking somewhere else.

Although I arrived on site by 08:30, giving me 90 minutes to erect the aerial, I spend a most of that time getting the wire into and out of knots and was most frustrated! I was just ready by 10:00, and was pleased when told (by mobile) that I was audible from the start, and that there were 5 teams out to play.

I settled down with my flask of Choca Mocha, flap jack, mince pie, orange, apple and banana - just enough to keep me going until lunch. (Yes I'd had breakfast too - a bowl of Ready Brek).

Nothing beats the excitement of hiding. With one flick of a switch you know you are causing madmen, somewhere, to leap out of their cars with suspicious looking hand held devices, to the bemusement of on-lookers!

As the wood was thick with bracken, I was listening out for that first "snap" revealing a competitor nearby. Sure enough, shortly after the third transmission at 11:00, I could hear that someone was prowling around. Such is the standard of Mr Plummer's recent performances, that I automatically assumed "here must be Mr Plummer" and how right I was. He approached the best way, from the north having got a good double-take from the 10:42 transmission. Were I not well hidden he would have seen me, but as it was he wandered very close by, then to south of the railway line. But on the next transmission he soon came back, and found me at 11:18.

Dave Peacock was not far behind and was in 7 minutes later, before the next transmission. He had stood still when we didn't know he was there, and taken a bearing on Plummer's voice with his ears! Dave P reported that Mr Holland had also come down from Astley at the same time, but had continued on to the level crossing for another bearing, purposefully ignoring my car knowing that it might have been parked where it was as a decoy.

Sure enough Dave Holland was not far away, and was in on the next transmission. He was the first to let his set lead him in, as Chris Plummer and Dave Peacock had found me while I was off-air. A good performance considering his last solo DF was 5 years ago (Jan 1998). Mr Holland's bearings were spot-on, but old habits die hard - he had unfortunately plotted the first bearing from the old starting location at Norris Road in Sale, last used about 6 years ago!

Next in was athlete JJ at 11:46. He had approached from south of the railway, having driven along the rough, narrow tracks of Chat Moss, and across the level crossing.

In recent times I have frequently ended up leaving my car in the wrong place and running miles, so it was nice that Dave Chippendale, who won the last month's Foot DF had his comeuppance this time. With young Hayley in tow, they walked / ran almost 2 miles from the Bridgewater Canal, directly north of the site. With all that considered, he did well to get in for 12:01.

The pub was The Old Boathouse at Astley Green next to the Bridgewater Canal, and the food and beer were excellent.

Click a photo to enlarge!

My view from the hidey-hole	Food, hot drink, bin bag to sit on, and no Giles, luxury!
Test DF, Test DF, this is G3UHF Portable...	Cheeky Chops Hayley!
Cheers Donna!	Did Adam get any food into his mouth?
Eeee, we had a laugh!