Palujia

My good lady wife (aka she who must be obeyed) cannot walk far so when I started to plan my first series I decided that they would be cache and dash. It started out with 5 and ended up as a circular drive of eight. I tried to make them as interesting as possible and you can't really go wrong with our glorious Cotswold countryside. They are all trad caches and most have room for coins/tbs. I took advice from experienced cachers by attending meets and set my series out before I had 100 finds. I visit them every couple of months to check log books and "water tightness" and even after 6 months found that a couple needed replacing - those stupid keysafes are NOT watertight and the magnets are not much kop either. Have since visited several specialist caching shops and now have a really good supply of really strong magnets and several types of really good containers for my next series. I have had no complaints and more than a few compliments on the series. So I'm not sure that any specific number of finds should be necessary - but much thought and planning should be given to what, why and where you are putting caches

Beech nuts and what we always called cob nuts are just coming into season now. Was up on Birdlip hill today and the trees are full of them - still a bit green but not long to go now

All of the above, plus I usually carry a couple of 35mm film cans, a small lock and lock container - all marked up and spare logs just in case I find a broken or badly muggled cache (not forgetting to inform the owner when I get back home) I "found" a box of ARG**S pencils when they were converting to those small pens - still got a few left - they fit into most small containers, lots of small sealable bags and lastly a goodly supply of GAGB keyrings to use as giveaways.

Not long back from hols in our caravan in Mablethorpe and we noticed there were three plagues ! Hover flies (which look like wasps but are quieter and don't sting) Millions of Lady birds - in some places the ground was red with them - and hidden amongst the hover flies were the wasps. Bought a new wasp trap - one of those bottle thingies. Put a little beer in bottom and within hours it had about 40 or 50 wasps in ! Had to be careful with the hover flies when shooing them off - the only way was to listen - wasps actually "buzz". Our holiday companions, the Beauchiefs bought a tennis racquet type bug killer which worked like one of those "Blue light" traps in commercial kitchens. Sitting in the caravan awning in the evenings a lot of wasps were swatted and fried. Got back down to Oxfordshire at end of holidays and haven't seen a wasp since ?? weird or what !

Have a look on the GAGB forum site - at the top there is an "events" banner - this gives a day by day calendar throughout each month of events (uk) - click on the link in the event and it will bring you back to the Groundspeak and as long as you are booked in - will give you a location etc., just like a cache page. You will find we are a friendly lot - We felt a bit lost and isolated, went to a local caching "meet" at a pub and within minutes were right at home - getting advice and tips from more experienced cachers - ending with a walk round a series that the organiser had put out ! - got my very first "FTF" !! - come on in - the water's lovely !!

Thanks - let's hope the lid is back on this can of worms ! As the Yoga mantra goes - take long slow clearing breath and clear mind before taking action - We all want to enjoy caching, the joy of the fresh air, the navigation, the hunt and the find ! We should all concentrate on that! happy (and safe!) caching to all

It's like the game of golf - you can play like an idiot and score over a hundred, but put down lower numbers on your card for submission. You are only cheating yourself ! It does not matter in the great scheme of things, other than if they log a really great cache, in a really great location, or a complex puzzle without solving it, they have missed out on the walk, the view or perhaps the satisfaction of cracking the code - Their loss !!

Without wishing to stir up another can of worms (to nicely mix metaphors) This is one of the reasons that the GAGB has got involved in trying to liaise with various Police Forces, via ACPO, to ensure that police on the ground are aware of Geocaching and what it involves. I am sure that there are many Police Officers out there who know about caching and some actually caching themselves. As a retired Police Officer, and then 10 years as a Police Control Room Supervisor I have been involved in a lot of "suspicious" incidents concerning packages left in unusual places. Certainly within our force there were fairly rigid criteria for dealing with such incidents. These were primarily concerned with the safety of all (officers and civilians alike) The premise being "Better Safe than Sorry",in this day and age no one can be blamed for taking a conservative view of things. I am also aware of locations, types of containers and markings thereon. But again, safety being the main concern, who can critise an Officer for being, perhaps, over-zealous in his approach to what he may think is a "sus" container *ammo box*, perhaps. As one of the organisations concerned with supporting caching and cachers in the UK, GAGB is trying to address these problems with guidelines for putting out caches, markings etc., and liaising with Police re security etc., landowners for permissions and other caching organisations to try and assist all who are involved with caching. Not trying to tread on toes, or "laying down the law" (as some would have it). As all are aware, there are loads of cachers out there who do not read or participate in forums and put out caches without reference to land owners and, some without thought, to the prevalent "security" issues. These are the cachers we all need to reach and try to ensure that they are aware of the consequences. My real nightmare is that one day, someone with "malice aforthought" is going to put a device in a clearly marked geocache - does not bear thinking about !!!. In conclusion, all police actions are recorded and rigourously scrutinised these days, so anyone directly involved in any police incident can be sure that information regarding such incidents can be made available if required

Forgot to check - so have just looked up me profile - Har Har It's arrived in all its pictorial glory !!- jolly good

You can also play them !!

Was out today doing some cache maintenance and putting in some TBs from our recent hols in Lincs ! Have a cache in a nice location in Minster Lovell (Judith's circular cache no 5 - Don Quixote) Saw a man approach from the Wooded parking area across field and making straight for the tree in which the cache is located - thought - will give the standard Oxfordshire caching greeting "Wotcha, looking for the cache then ?", when he veered off into a bush next to the tree and had a W*****. Whoops ! nearly gave game away - strolled back to car and then thought perhaps he was trying a new caching tactic to put off muggles !! waited in car park for a bit - but no - he was really using the bushes as a urinal !

Dr Dick once told me that the best way to log was to use the note pad to write the log, then copy and paste it into the relevant place.If you save the pages they are a good archive !

The very first cache I put out,the first in a small circular "drive by" series, (my wife can't walk far, but she does like to maintain the caches) was called "Phone(y) Tree (GC28M2K). This was due to it being in close proximity to one of those mobile phone masts badly disquised as a fir tree. To my horror, this week the sods have come and taken the mast down. This not only invalidates the Cache title, but also the clue. Should I try and re-name it, or archive it and start again. It's a good location for a cache and the start and/or end of Judith's circlar drive ! I have had some logs (when the "Tree" was still up) saying that they did not understand the clue - How can you miss a very large, very badly disguised Fir tree mobile phone mast ?? so I'm tempted to leave it as it is ?

Going on hols to Mablethorpe for two weeks starting tomorrow with our friends the Beauchiefs. Looks like great caching - As with all hols where the other half is not over keen on spending the hol looking for plastic boxes in improbable places we have "caching days" followed by "non caching days" - The good news is that Saturday is the first caching day !!

Hi Cassandy, thanks for that ! It was nice meeting you at the mega and, had we known about the dogs we would have not brought them to the event ! It's not nice for them to be in the car for too long. We will research it better for next year - but you can always walk them anyway!! thanks again

It was quite a trek from the camp site to the Guild Hall - but found it eventually - only to find that although the mega was advertised as "dogs welcome" we were going to have to leave our pair in the car park - quite a warm day so not ideal. After going backwards and forwards every half hour to check on them She who must be obeyed gave up and I have to take her and dogs back to the camp site and return a round trip of about 40 miles! It was, however, a great event and we met lots of people we have corresponded with on the forums etc.,Great organisation, and a lot of work by all thanks again for the event, but slight niggle about the dogs !

GAGB is an organisation dedicated to helping and supporting all UK geocachers - there is no political spin, no attempt at "draconian" rules forced on others. All GAGB is trying to do is to ensure that all UK Geocachers are aware of the current problems, which in the current high terrorist risk environment, will no doubt get worse. That the Police and security organisations need educating is also a given. I suspect that there are a great number of cachers out there who have not really read the GS guidlines, and with the current publicity being given to the re-appraised wording put forward by the GAGB at least a lot more will have a better idea by the time the dust settles on this. I am a bit dismayed at the amount of animosity towards an organisation, whose only aims are to help and support all UK Geocachers. No one I know in GAGB sets themselves up to "feel important" and I am concerned that a series of sensible suggestions are being sniped at for reasons I cannot fathom. THIS IS MY OWN OPINION AND NOT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE ORGANISATION Paul B

When my renewal date came up I waited for some sign of life - but no one month went by still no word - second month still shown as premium member and no request - three weeks into third month - suddenly found I was downgraded with no warning - burgered up me weekly downloads ! - paid by pay pal and back on in a couple of days ! They do all the rate changes from pounds to dollars - about £20 roughly - but worth it for the premium caches and the pocket queries !!

Unless its cache and dash and can be seen from the car, She who must be obeyed is not interested and she never comes on to the caching forums. She spends her time on Border Terrier World and lost dogs sites !! So its only me - when we go on hols with our friends the Beauchiefs Its me and Mrs Beauchief that go caching and Her other half and mine get out the deck chairs and wait for return - So we have caching days and non caching days. On non caching days I drive she who must be obeyed around the sites (and shopping malls!!!!)Mrs Beauchief does most of the planning for the caching days - so we all get to do our thing (week in Wales - over 50 caches from Snowdon area - Shopping mall in Bangor, Craft shops in LLandudno) et al

As the owner of both an "Android" phone and a 550 I find both useful. If I go somewhere new and have not downloaded the area to the GPS I fire up the phone and look at the "Nearby caches" - I can then download the co-ords on to the GPS and use that to navigate whilst using the phone for the hints, descriptions, logs etc. I have found that sometimes the GPS is more accurate and sometimes the phone! As one becomes more experienced it usually becomes fairly obvious when you hit the right location. A case in point - last year We went to Wales on hols (after only caching for a couple of months) Looked for about an hour for a cache in Bed Gelert (Deep Pools) in a lovely location but DNF'd A year later walked down the field with both phone and GPS giving a good location and found in seconds !

In the Oxfordshire area there are several "difficult" caches - one I know of in Burford - the co-ordinates lead you to the area of the public loos - not a good idea to be hanging round in the area ! Another in the Ancient Butter cross monument in the centre of Witney. This has been damaged in the past by kids so the local police keep a good eye on it - the cache is a nano in the rafters so it can be difficult. Most cachers seem to get it late at night - with the increased foot patrols in the town centre this can cause "difficulties".They are not rubbish caches per se but I think even "cache and dash" drive bys are more fun and cause less problems than the ones put out in "over public" places such as playgrounds, centres of roundabouts, too near public monuments etc. When putting out caches a lot of thought should go in to it = which is why some organisations (like the GAGB) are giving awards for good caches !! My wife does not walk far so my first series is a drive by cache and dash with thought put into parking, and no more than a level 1 1/2 terrain It can be challenging to make them interesting but - so far mostly good comments ! enjoy the pastime and if some caches appear in dodgy areas for what ever reason - look at the maps ! and, as with all things - It's your decision whether to do them or not Happy caching# Palujia

Caravanning, golfing, radio control aircraft/helicopters, international leaper and ballonist extraordinary wine drinking and barbie - ing !

As previously stated and paraphrased by Dr Dick - Sorry but we tried and ended up on the cutting room floor as the film producers say !(Anyway I wasn't very photogenic !!)

Yes got a set of medium price ones - handy as she who must be obeyed does not walk far and likes to sit in the car and find out where I am

As earlier stated - this was not a serious piece on Geocaching. It was primarily a fun piece to encourage children to get fresh air and exercise. Several conversations were not put in, either due to time constraints on the piece, or perhaps, not in keeping with the "fun" element.The first cache was re-located by the cameraman before anyone had a chance to let him know that a puddle was not an ideal place. But, apparantly it was for the shot of kids, splashing about. It was put back in its correct spot in due course.Again the Coombe Hill venture was mainly for the kids. The shots where generally "non specific" in order to try and protect the actual location of the cache. But Mr Bushell wanted lots of kids scratting about in the bushes "finding"the cache,which obviously led to things getting a bit rowdy with the container.I'm sure he did not want things to go missing but we were several hours into the filming of this small piece and he was trying to keep up the kids interest. We did try to give a "grown up" view during the interviews, but again all cut out, although as I said earlier he did mention the landowner permissions in the studio piece. The most surprising thing of all, considering the 10 seconds of my interview, and the odd shot of simply Paul, I have had lots of friends and colleagues mentioning the fact that they "Saw us on TV!!" Any publicity is good publicity, even if a bit skewed and not terribly factual ! Lots more enquiries received by GAGB and, hopefully, more people getting involved in caching