Geocaching - UK Style

1. Having introduced Dad to geocaching, he took me to the point of his first find - well, to the gateway anyway. He parked up, and left me to find the cache myself, as he sat in the car and watched. I looked around one gatepost, and then the other. Nothing too obvious. Then a saw a snail, which looked out of place (in as much as a snail can look out of place!). I tentatively picked it up, and, sure enough, it was a snail shell, with a tiny sealed capsule inside, with the log rolled up inside it. Very clever.

2. The next time I went out, was with the two Tims. For the first one, only (son) Tim was able to go, and we strolled past the Racecourse towards gz (ground zero). Hmm. Problem. It was race day, and the whole area was full of people. This made it rather difficult for us to find the public footpath, as we had to walk around the field that everyone parks in first, to find the right track! Finally (after asking someone) we found the footpath, so off we went. A quick diversion off the path, and Tim was soon rummaging inside a hollow tree "found it".

We were then joined by (son-in-law) Tim, so off we went looking for more. We had trouble finding the tiny caches, and were even joined by their friend Liam, so the next stop was actually near Alton Towers. We walked down to the Chained Oak (of spooky tale fame) and I quickly found the cache near there. In convoy, we set off to Croxden, and Liam found that one (after a nasty lady told us where NOT to park!). A diversion through a ford, and Tim (S) found that one. Perfect - one find for each of us. Brilliant day.

3. Jess wanted to go with me too, so, on the Sunday, we went out again. This time, we had a geocoin with us, which had originated in Alaska. The owner was born in the UK, to an American forces father, and had never been able to return. In his place, he had sent the coin, to travel England for him, asking people to take pictures wherever his coin went. How clever. We left it in the cache we found at Stafford Castle, before Jess and I went on to find some more at Doveridge and Uttoxeter. She was very good, and even found a small one, shaped like a small stone, next to a fence post.