natterjacktoad

Dumbing-down well and truly hits geocaching. What a load of dross. This really IS going to encourage high-quality submissions........NOT

PLEASE listen to what almost everyone is saying; BRING BACK THE DATES - numerous PROPER challenges rely on caches being logged within certain time frames LOSE THE AVATARS - unnecessary space-fillers LOSE THE CHALLENGES - what on earth has this got to do with geocaching?????

It's very good. However, pulling up wood, dead or alive, isn't very environmentally sound. Dead wood is an incredibly important habitat and I thought we, as geocachers, tried not to have a negative impact on the countryside

I have some of my Natterjacktoad coins for sale on ebay and they are open to offers.

Correct! This one is black nickel with the same standard back as the one illustrated here.

Oh I wouldn't be posting here about a pathtag.

Absolutely anything! I'm sure I've seen one of your trackables in a cache!

I have had a personal coin/tag minted by Cache Addict. Most have been offered as prizes in my Geocoin Quest caches (one currently active another to be published soon) but I have some I would like to trade. As they are a little smaller than the average coin, I am happy to trade for micros or to offer two for larger coins I am in the UK. Coin

In that case, we should definitely have her phone number Right. I've got an idea. If she doesn't hand out her mobile number for ROW advice, we can get her on the Trade Descriptions Act. She should have been NatterJilltoad surely......... OK, dial 999 and ask for Toadline..........

Ha ha It's a few years now since I worked in PROW so I'm not completely up to date, but the basics stay the same. Dr Solly is spot on and, although I probably shouldn't say, the highways authority I worked for had no up-to-date land ownership information so we sometimes struggled to find the landowner too! Oh, and BTW, I'm actually a girl toad!

Of course a land owner may use an electric fence as long as a safe method for crossing is provided. A plastic pipe or insulated handle for opening a section would be acceptable. Having to work out for yourself that you need to push it down with a boot or lift out a stake wouldn't. Having worked for many years in rights of way and walked them for many more, I agree that many landowners are just trying to honestly earn a living. However, I have been involved in enforcement and prosecution of others who really couldn't give a dadgum about public rights of way.

Not quite correct. The landowner MAY grow a crop on the line of a footpath as long as the route is visible and the crop does not obstruct the path (see time limits above).

Just a couple of minor points - it is not illegal to place barbed wire on a stile but it is dangerous and unnecessary and if you were to injure yourself, you would have a legal claim against the landowner. The legal time for reinstating the line of a right of way is indeed 14 days FOR THE FIRST DISTURBANCE. Second and subsequent disturbances have a much shorter reinstatement time.

Very well-written and spot on.

Spot on and I think it's actually the same issue. We now have several generations of people who have no idea of responsibility but every single detail of their 'rights'. On my cheerier days I serious believe that this country has gone to the dogs. No pun intended

Any public right of way is a highway and thus the responsibility of the local highways authority which is usually the county council. They will have a rights of way department. Electric fences are allowed on prows IF there is a safe way of opening the fence (an insulated handle). Otherwise it is an obstruction, which is illegal but don't expect anything to happen quickly! A good way to ensure more speed is to involve your local county councillor, if you can get their support. I worked in prow for several years and the words 'member involvement' on an investigation sheet was the equivalent of a cattle prod!!!

All main roads clear around here (Haslemere, Surrey) and we went around Guildford area no problem. No accidents, no hold-ups. We did do some minor roads out at Puttenham which I wouldn't recommend without a 4x4. Having said that, we've had a fair bit of rain this evening, which will be washing the snow away........as long as it doesn't freeze tonight!

Replace the word 'dogs' with the word 'humans' in that sentence and it works quite well too. Completely right, but not PC to say so - so nothing changes. This country (and the world) is completely doomed unless there are massive population cuts.

One of my biology teachers used to moan at us for sitting 'with our thumbs in our b*ms and our minds in neutral'! That's my 3!

One of Mr NJT's one-liners (said to an old geezer moaning non-stop in a queue) 'I bet it's being so cheerful that keeps you going!' (the bloke's wife thought it was hilarious!)

OK, here's a starter...... 'You have no option about growing old, but you don't have to grow up!'

Super coin! We have always loved Somerset - we spent our honeymoon in Glastonbury! Will the coins be available from the UK (to avoid the cost of overseas postage?)

Love them! But not when they are stuck 'just anywhere' for the sake of hiding a cache.

Hmmmm, amazing that they are 'polite and upset' when the police turn up on their doorstep but that wasn't the impression you gave of their reaction when you were bitten. I hope, for the sake of other walkers, that the police have checked that the dog is no longer allowed free access to the public right of way.

You HAVE to make a fuss - to protect others, if nothing else. Keep on at the police to make sure they follow it through. The owner should be prosecuted even if the dog is not destroyed. Please also contact your local County Council as they are the highways authority and responsible for public rights of way. I would also recommend contacting the local papers and/or local TV/radio news. Idiots like that should not be in charge of a dog. Just imagine - the height of your hip would have been a child's face.........