Carlos & The Birdie Crew

We have a stamp but only one that has text. Our name, a T4TC and 2 forward slashes to allow the date to be filled in are all thats included and sized to fit a film can log book. Our stamp came about following a "good idea" by John Stead who remarked that less damage is done to a damp log with a stamp. I like the unusual stamps that people have made though, Bolas Heathens and The Mars Bars spring to mind on that one but (pet hate time) I HATE stickers. They have a place but IMHO that isn't on a cache log. By all means leave calling cards in a cache but stickers can affect a log immensely, especially micros. I've even come across a sticker that sealed the rolled up micro log in a roll!

Hear Hear Nobby Nobbs! "So really we all need to amend our ways, whether walking or cycling, and if we come accross a cache that has a badly eroded path leading to it then suggest that it should be temp. archived to give the path a chance to recover. cool.gif" Unless I'm on fer a milestone Carlos

I'm still following this thread after hijacking it early on in its life. It's funny how I am now looking (whilst walking) for tyre tracks, their type and the damage they appear to be doing. On the last few walks I've done there were cycle tracks but the damage done is soley dependant on how muddy the ground is. My feet for instance in that level of mud did more damage to the pathway than one cycle had done in my opinion. Interestingly, as I was studying the mud (sad case that I am) a quad came flying down the path and was creating an unholy mire of the path and creating a new parallel path not 3 feet away. So we have the circumstance that other vehicles can do more permanent damage yet the cyclist (pushed or ridden) is berated for what amounts to lesser "wear" than the walker. Carlos

Point taken on board Tony (again) Cycling on a footpath (as opposed to a footway (as defined by the Highways Act 1980) is not illegal - ie it is not a criminal offence to ride on a footpath - as long as no local byelaw makes it such. However, unless cycling is expressly permitted, the cyclist is trespassing (a civil wrong), and it will be possible for the landowner to sue for damages - where the landowner can show that he has suffered a loss as a direct result of the trespass..... Incidentally, in such cases a cyclist is a person riding OR PUSHING a bike. Does anyone know of this being carried out? I may have to get a lighter bike and carry it

Without Prejudice Being the "guilty" party referred to at the head of this thread (point 2) I feel I must clarify some points and also take the punishment too. I did ride on public footpaths on the day in question I rode on them for maybe a mile in total (an estimate). Much of that distance was getting to the nearest road from Withered Post GC10YH4 because at the time I was totally knackered and riding was the lazy thing to do . From Barrier GCZ5DR (and I mention this in my logs) I pushed the bike so there would still be tyre tracks and I also make reference (in the log) to the fact that bikes aren't allowed (to be ridden) but as I was originally intending to go over the hill I wasn't going to leave it behind. In fact it was a great help getting over the mud in places, acting a sort of zimmer frame for my poor legs. As for the rest of the route ; I was on and off the bike for all sorts of obstacles such as styles and rocks and bridges and (something that occurred every 700 feet or so) CACHES Feel free to hurl abuse in my direction for my misdemeanor over this and I'm sure I may be guilty in the future too but I will promise to check the attributes more thoroughly in future. Respectful regards, Steve Wright (also known as Carlos) Walker & Cyclist

Well well me old Gingerloaf. Scotland eh! I know the guy's up there will give good advice but I will insist that you DO get up to Arthurs Seat (it's fab) also you can nab Let's Get Radical GCN1G2 whilst on't way up or down (only you must do the Totally radical Route as I did ). Others may not agree but try for Stark GCVFMT as an unusual one. It was both creepy and peacefull but you'll have to visit to see what I mean. Deffo an "Aura" about the place.... Whatever you do buddy, have a great time Carlos PS Don't forget there a bit of a power trail too. See Dean Bridge GC76AE which is one of them.

Hi Guys, I was oover in Durban at the end of Oct, early Nov and managed to bag a couple of caches whilst there. I also managed to meet the infamous Noddy who was kind enough to show me round a little . I thought the South African caching community would have been much sparser that it turned out to be but it's "alive and kicking", keep it up!. You have such a great landscape to exploit and what with the ingenuity of some of the hides I came across, I was well impressed. I started off quite nervous but fears were quickly dispelled and have to say that of the caches I did, Diminishing View was one of the best for me with the Kites that were wheeling over me all the time (bit of a birdwatcher on the side). The most ingenious hide was Retail Therapy #3 and Umhlanga Lighthouse was the easiest but it took 3 attempt to get . If you ever get to the UK be sure to drop me a line and I'll see if I can help in any way. My kids (the Birdies) were most jealous of my trip and wanted to keep the SA geocoin I managed to collect whilst there but, alas, it's already making new friends with other cachers over here. Have a great Christmas everybody... Carlos and the Birdie Crew

If I may join in on this one... The Birdie Crew (my lads) love swaps but tend to choose differing items. The eldest (11) loves anything techy, compass clips or the like. The youngest actually likes tat (what I think anyway) like superballs. What I'd like to know though is where you buy your bits from. When we visit different places that have souveniers you can pay far too much for a ideal swap item. We paid £5 for 3 items and 2 of them were pencils. Does anyone have suggestions on suppliers? Cheers Carlos

Whilst out with a Gingerbreadman, Jorf'n and Daddy Mars Bar on PuP's new Pongi cache, I managed to carefully place my rucksack down and watched it drop straight into the stream beneath Pongi's Bridge. Carlos

Thanks for the comments If I'm honest I'd never have got so far so fast with the Birdies (until they're a bit older maybe) but I was fed up of seeing the line of dots on my PDA on MMap. I was trying for 61 (for 700) to be honest but I didn't realise the task at hand. I have new found respect for those "big number crunchers in a day" types. The remaining 16 had to wait till Sunday. Cheers Carlos PS Ooooohhh me bum......

I know what this is but am going to bed. BUT It's similar to a town and a very nearby village in Lancashire. South of Preston and North of Horwich and Adlington. The village is near the Leeds Liverpool canal. Not got it? Tell you in the morning......... NN everybody.

Awww, fanks!! Griffin 7.45 pm Wednesday (bring yer brain cell) Carlos

Thanks lakeuk, obviously I didn't look at the site too well so I've save the link. All done now, thanks again.

Hi all, I'm looking for a copy of Fransons' GPS Gate program version 1. I've downloaded the latest from the web site but my PDA won't run it (it's getting old now ). All I have left since my PDA ran flat is a note of my registration but not the program. Thanks in advance Carlos

Ignore my response - I never scrolled the page down :I

A band of the time - The KLF?

There was a bearded guy called Gann (I hope). Carlos

So keen was I to get to 400, I completely missed your 700. Sorry mate!! I hope you will enjoy working tonight as we enjoy a pint or three in the Griffin, celebrating you fantastic acheivement. (Dave) Mars Bars will probably admit to misleading you to all your DNFs by phone (personally). Well done & see ya soon. Carlos and the Birdie Crew

It has to be a big Congratulations on this massive amount of caches The Birdies and I say "Well Done!!" We'll find some razor wire and bend it in the shape of a three and a zero and a zero and another zero (joke honest!)

....... we had a mini meet. Armed with the correct time info we ran out of the pub at 9:30 (ish) and saw The International Space Station!! Is this a loggable virtual? we asked ourselves. That's what I'm asking. Does anybody know? Thanks in advance, Carlos

The building site road has gates/fence about 25m into the road so I pulled up there outside the gate. My arrow was pointing 90 degrees to the right as I was facing the gates so I headed of that way. I understand that the coords have changed so I must have struck lucky. Hope to see your log soon. Cheers Carlos

Was the finding of this cache a challenge?? Nope, very easy although the area has some severe industrial waste dotted about. 200 litre drums and the like The building works access road was where I chose to park and a quick walk in the wood, staying near the road until at the coords. I returned to the car via the pavement 12 metres away. The small cache looks brand new and in a camo bag. Signed the log without disturbance. Get this off your Nemesis lists as soon as possible Cheers Carlos

Well you learn something new everyday. I had no idea about Nixie Tubes. Sorry Rutson... I was looking for such common things as Laptops, LCD TVs, Scanners, PDAs and Faxmachines to name a few. Who wins the Ding? Crazy Druid with his laptop or Team Balders with flourescent tubes (are they not neon lighting anyway?) I'll toss a coin "flip". Team Balders gets the ding

Neon is OK Laptop is OK Nixie ??? Next (different) item gets the Ding

I remember reading an article about the Tobacco sponsors just before the recent Aussie GP My question is Name 3 common items that use Cold Cathode Tubes Remember No Googling Carlos