17. Spirals in the Beeches -- Taped voice-overs and background
In the dim past again on a Mid-Thames event, Chris had selected a site on top of Selbourne Common. This common is located on the top and sides of the valley above Selbourne village in Hampshire, and contains some very large Beech trees. Unfortunately Beech woods have such a dense canopy that little will grow on the ground, this did not deter Chris, he place graham Taylor hidden up in the bowl of a large tree which had the spicky ‘Whitches Hat’ type of growth also from the bowl. This effectively hid Graham from below. Chris and Graham then erected a double helix spiral if wire around the tree extending out a ¼ l between each turn. The wire thus extended over a fallen tree, and brambles out from under the main tree. Graham later hid his lunch box and thermos under the fallen tree to tempt competitors into the tangle of branches.
Later that afternoon some of the competitors arrived from the eastern side, having dragged themselves up the 45o degree ‘Zig-Zag’ path from Selbourne itself and across the ½ mile to the tree. Of course they could find nothing must under the tree to hide under, not realising they were within 5’ of the transmitter. Being in the middle of the helical aerial didn’t help them either, bearings in all directions, even into the fallen Beech tree, following the lunch box trail. Chris and Graham also had another ruse up their sleeves, they had tape recorded sound effects of aircraft, trains and other misleading sounds and played them in the background of the speech.
Late on a thunder storm came over so Chris and young son Matthew(again) were sheltering under a tree, yes this big Beech tree. A few moments later they were joined by Eric Mollart, who asked ‘Where’s the transmitter then ...*****? Chris’s printable reply was ‘Seek and you shall find’ They were stood within arms reach of Graham , who was killing himself with quiet giggles.