TheCat

I have just placed my first order with Bryan at Groundspeak it will ship on Monday. the order was for $1300. We are also going to produce some UK merchandise as well this will in some cases have both the G:UK logo and the geocaching.com logo on them. We will be paying a royalty to geocaching.com so it will help this site as well as ours. Having talked to Bryan on the phone I am sure that this is the begining of a long and lasting relationship between both sites. However we will not be producing Travel Bugs here in the UK as I feel there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

I can get anything that Geocaching.com supply. The only issue I will have is Import dutys and VAT which will be charged when the goods arrive in the UK. I hope to be able to sell items at the same price as other UK suppliers or a little below but delivery etc will be lower. I will also take orders and visit cache meets in the UK so cachers can buy there. In that case delivery will be little or nothing. I hope that cachers will buy from us as it is one way of supporting G:UK. It will also support Geocaching.com as well. I am in the process of placing my first order with Geocaching.com so if there is anything you would like please email me at mark@geocacheuk.com and I will see what I can do. I will have more of an idea of prices when the first order arrives as I will then know what duty I am charged. But I promise that items will be no more expensive than other Uk suppliers, and cheaper if I can make them so. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

I am pleased to announce that following my message to Jeremy G:UK are going to be setup as authorised Geocaching.com merchandise distributors here in the UK. Full details will be available on G:UK.com at the weekend. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

Well being indoors is a no go as far as GPS signals goes. As for the rest I am sure there will be some slight attenuation of signal from dense cloud cover but not enough to loose sat lock. Trees are another matter if there is a dense canopy you can lose lock but it is all part of the fun. A compas comes in handy then unless your GPS has one built in just make sure it is turnned on. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

Thank you for all those kind words. I love this passtime and am happy when out caching. I am planning another trip to europe this year for 2 weeks solid caching. As for running the GUK site it is a pleasure to give something back to the UK Geocachers. A nicer bunch of people I could never wish to meet. I have enjoied all the caches I have done even my first that took me a couple of hours to find. But then it was my first. As we all know the more you find the easier it gets as you know what to look for. Thanks to you all for your friendship and most of all your caches. See you when I get 200 hopefully not as long as the first 100 took. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

I agree with Teasel the Geocaching Travel Bug is the industry standard so why try to fix what is not broken. I will in the near future ask Jeremy if there is any way we can sell there merchandise in the UK. I am not sure if it will be allowed as there are a couple of distributers in the UK already. I can but try. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

Yep let me have a copy and I will host it in our media section. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

Just one post on this subject. We now have a new logo for GUK. I am now looking for a catch phrase to go with it. Please submit it to me at mark@geocacheuk.com. The winner will get themselves 5 Travel Bugs for there trouble. The sort of thing I am looking for is something like the geocaching.com one "Where you are the search engine" but something whitty to go with the logo would be great. You have 14 days to submit it. Then we will have a poll Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

Thank you for that SimonG. I will in the very near future be producing some merchandise including the new logo. The main reason for that is to try and get some income for the site. As I said when I first started the site there will never be a charge for the useres of the site no matter what features we put on it in the future. But the site has cost me over £1000 so far and still rising. So providing anyone that uses the logo is not using it for comercial gain feel free to use it as you see fit. I would however like an email from the user so I know what is being done with it. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

Thanks for that Hornet I have discoverd a setting in the poll software that will record IP addresses for the next poll. It will also block IP's that have voted before on a poll. Shame it has come to this but there you go. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

I have been sat here at work today watching the antics of a couple of people re the poll. In the last hour we have had loads of votes. I am sorry but it is a little suspicious when selections get loads of votes in a few mins. Then the other gets loads of votes. So I have closed the poll and going on past results I am declaring number 2 the winner. I know this might upset a few people out there but what can I do. The poll software uses cookies to not allow people to vote twice but if they are deleted you can vote again. The script I use cost me quite a bit of money but there you go. I have contacted the software vendor to see if they can do anything about it for future polls. It is a shame that a couple of people have decided to do this. I am also sure that I will of upset a few as well for that I am sorry. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

Here is a copy of a post in the GUK forums that might be of intrest. ------------------------------------ Hi all I think this was he forum where I put out a request for a geocaching rep to contribute to a community radio station in August last year. It seemed to go pretty well for us and your group. The opportunity exists again for this coming Saturday for a similar station - Moonraker FM which expects to have around 2000 listeners at around 8.30-9.00 am Any volunteer would be welcome. Nothing controversial just a simple description of the hobby (sport? - that's one question!) and info on how to take part. It will be fairly short 3 mins max. You can email me at dgarwood@btinternet.com but I need to know by 5pm Friday Oh, I should have said it wil be a phone interview to Trowbridge, Chippenham and Bradford on Avon Thanks Dave ---------------------------------------------- I hope someone can help. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

Hi Guys what a good Idea I will be submiting a bug from over the pond in the UK I hope it gets there in time. It will be on its way in the morning. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

Yep I would be up for that if you would like to email me at mark@geocacheuk.com we can work out some details. I have a nice teddy that would love the trip. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

But that would meen going all the way down south again to pick it up again. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

As I am going away for a weekend caching very early tomorow morning. I have reset the poll for the new logo. There are just three to select from now. So have your say. I will announce the winner Saturday morning 01/03/03. Oh and if you are in the Norfolk area I might bump into you. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

Well done sandstorm a great goal. I look forward to the ball traveling up my way soon. (well not to soon) or even not at all as I dont think the Odds have touched it yet. Mark (TheCat) PS. I think the ball has had more different people kicking it in the last couple of days than the last six months. www.geocacheuk.com

I have already emailed the guy and offered him some northern hospiality. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

And all I can say to that is About Time Too. Have fun guys. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

The main reason I took the ball down south was to give others a chance to play the game. It was going nowhere up here. We are not even at half time and the game has ben going for 6 months. I hope that you guys down south can now have a bit more of a game than us guys up North. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

I will post another message when they are born and ready for the wide world. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

Not wishing to steal Tim & Junes thunder but realising there is a dearth of T&J Bears up here I have decided to do something for the folks up north. I will be producing some Kittens (not personaly you understand) and just like the Bears will place one in each cache I visit. There will also be the odd special one. So I expect all new caches to be fitted out with litter trays etc. So look out in a cache near you soon for TheCat's Kittens. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

The Ball is now way down South so come on you Odds have a go if you dare. I have placed it in GCA34E If it ever comes back up north I will be ready on defence. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com

Well I am up for it no problems. I can arrange a Fox Hunt in the area. What say we meet up for a drink to sort something out. Email me to mark@geocacheuk.com and I will come over. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com [This message was edited by TheCat on February 16, 2003 at 03:32 PM.]

Ok Guys & Gals following the sugestion that we should have a fox hunt up North. I am willing to organize one. It would be good to also have a meet as well and show those Southerners we know how to party. (Anyone want to help organize the event) I can sort out the Fox Hunt. So please lets have some ideas for locations. Mark (TheCat) www.geocacheuk.com