The JACK's cache London!!!

Ahhh here I am again after not having anything to write about as I haven't been doing much caching over the last few weeks, so I thought it was about time to put fingers to keyboard again. Now that I'm sitting here and thinking what to write, I realise that I have actually missed my blog, nearly as much as I miss my trips out caching. For me writing about my exploits is part and parcel of my addiction to caching. I just can't get enough of it.

Our first caching expedition in what seemed like ages took us to London. A few weeks ago I promised the geokids a trip away to somewhere that was their choice and after what seemed like forever they both decided that the would like to visit the Imperial War Museum. Rather than take them to Manchester we thought it would be a great idea to go further afield and take them to the city to show them the sights. I've never seen the girls so excited leading up to a trip, it got so bad that they could hardly sleep. On the journey down it felt like I had a pair of crickets in the back of the car chirping away.

We arrived at our destination mid Friday evening and settled in to our travelodge. What we didn't realise at the time was the travelodge that we had chosen was situated in such a great place for easy access to the city. Secure carparking right next to the hotel and the train station to Waterloo just 3 minutes walk. We also had a 24 hour ASDA right next door to us. What more could you ask for.

Day one, Saturday morning we were up bright and early and with a hearty breakfast inside us we all trooped to the station.

The Girls at Feltham Station ready for the day

We caught the train from Feltham to Waterloo station where we met up with one of my very old friends Greg and his partner Lorraine. For a number of months now, Greg has constantly taken the mickey out of me for my geocaching addiction so imagine my surprise when he said that he had bought himself a GPSr and that he wanted to join in the fun of caching. I jumped right on this and throughout the day we managed to complete a total of 10 caches whilst seeing the sights of London. Greg and Lorraine now are fully addicted to this great hobby and even went out the next day and completed a couple more caches on their own. Thats it Greg....mickey taking over matey....when's our next trip?

We R Lost 2, The Bignall Boppers & Leprechaun JACK

Outside the Lyceum Theatre

The girls really enjoyed seeing the London Eye, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. They were also impressed with Horseguards parade and pretended to march across the parade square then giggled as they tried to tick tock, which had us falling around in laughter. We then ventured along Pall Mall towards Buckingham Palace before hopping on the tube train to take us to Covent Garden. This was probably one of their highlight as they had never been on a tube train before. We finished our day stuffing our faces with a Macdonalds in Leicester Square before making our way back to our hotel tired but happy.

The Girls outside the barracks

Day 2 had us visiting the Imperial War Museum. By the time we had packed, loaded the car, had breakfast and travelled, it was nearly lunch time. They couldn't wait to have a look round and to learn things that they could share with their class mates. This term they are learning about World War 2 so although it might have been surprising that 2 girls would choose a war museum to visit on a weekend, there was a good reason why. They certainly weren't disappointed with what they saw. Our favourite part about the whole day was the Blitz Experience and although we had to queue for about 20 minutes to get in, they were still enthusiastic. We went into a little room which was all made to look like the interior of an Anderson Shelter and listened to the voice of the warden with the sounds of aircraft above and bombs going off all around us. It felt very real especially when there seemed to be a bomb going off right beside us and all of the seats jolted us forward making everyone jump and scream. We then went on a tour of what it would have looked like when they left the Anderson Shelters after the bomb had hit. We walked along a cobbled street with houses demolished all around us and fires burning in the distance. What a fabulous exhibition that was and very real.

The Imperial War Museum

We took a break mid afternoon to go back outside for fresh air and couldn't resist finding the nearby cache in the Tibetian Peace Garden. The area was just as it said, very very peaceful and a place for quiet contemplation, not rally the place to be rummaging around in bushes I suppose, but nontheless, a fabulous place to hide a micro.

Tibetian Peace Garden

Unfortunately it was all too soon time to leave the museum and head towards home, but not before walking the 0.35miles to Elephant and Castle for another cache before catching the tube back into London and onwards from Waterloo back to Feltham. We then had the long drive back to the midlands and after eating a lovely dinner in a small village somewhere near Marlow, we joined the M40 northbound and ticked off the miles. Within minutes the girls were softly snoring in the back of the car signifying a happy but tiring trip. When will we return.....knowing the girls, they will want it very soon.

Caching in Rudyard, Staffordshire

Caches around Rudyard Lake

We had really wanted our day trip out as being on our mountain bikes doing some trails however we never got round to doing the planning for it. I had a night out last night with the girls in Stafford and in the early hours of the morning, the last thing that I wanted to be doing was running pocket queries and getting myself ready for what wasn't even the next day. So it ended up as a day clearing the local caches with my parents of The Bignall Boppers. I was feeling rather groggy the whole of the day through lack of sleep and anyone who knows me knows of my love of sleep. I can sleep for England!!!!

Rudyard Lake Station

Now we all are very familiar with this particular area as we have spent a lot of time here and my parents lived here for a while so when we discovered that one of the caches was disabled as it had the wrong co-ords published we thought we would go looking for it. Named the Kissing Gate, we knew pretty much where it would be and we weren't disappointed. We had a really easy find on this one which allowed us to complete the rest of the caches with ease. Only until we returned home did we find that another one had been published after the pocket query had been run the night before. Doh..that means another trip back to a place that we have cleared of caches.

The Canal Feeder

The walk to the other caches was a nice peaceful one especially the Canal Feeder cache. Along a small footpath with a stream running by the side of it. This one was a regular cache and was a lovely quick find. I sat myself on the bridge when the log was handed to me and ended up nettling my back. Every countryside cache I go to, I always get stung!!. Horrid things these nettles and I'm sure, the cachers worst nightmare.

Steam Train

The station is right by the parking co-ords given and runs every weekend and holidays up the lake and back. Its so lovely to see and hear the steam train chugging by. They even do special gala events such as Santa's Steam, Easter Egg specials and Halloween events. Trips generally cost about £3.50 for adults and £2 for children for a 3 mile return journey. Not bad!!!

At our trip to Rudyard we found the 3 caches that we had planned on completing and found a further 7 throughout the afternoon.

Caching Curtailed...but only slightly!!!!

Well today see's me back in work for my second day after having 8 weeks off work. I'm not going to go into details of the reason why I have been off for that long but needless to say, I wasn't on Annual Leave.

The last 8 weeks have been pretty tough but one of the thing's that has got me back on track has been the trips out caching. I have to say, I don't feel at all guilty for all the caching that I have done lately (around 500) especially when I can put it down to .... "Doctor's orders".  She did tell me that exercise is good for me and that I must do the things that I enjoy doing. So that's caching. I have been out on long walks but they have all been arranged around the amount of caches in a particular area. I've also got back into cycling and have done trails with caches on....all good for your health.

But now what am I going to do without being able to cache all week. Well one thing I have learnt is the importance of a really good work/life balance. I've made lots of changes so if I want to cache after work, then the washing up can wait and there is still the weekends. The kids have also got a new found interest in caching after I got them their own swap bags, so now its no longer...."do we have to mummy?" to .."Yeah OK...now where did I put my swap bag"? But then theres always every other weekend when they are with their Dad. So I get to do "Long haul caching" and stay up late!!!

So, would you say that I was obsessed with caching....well so what if I am!!! I'm fit, I'm healthy and I'm happy, and if thats what caching does to you, then who am I to argue!

My Caching Companion

My wonderful working Blue Roan Cocker Spaniel SPROCKET. Pedigree name Warburton's St Louis born on the 22/06/08.

Sprocket loves going caching especially as the team that I cache with, The Bignall Boppers who are also my parents have 2 Cocker Spaniels of their own from the same family. Little Sinders is Sprocket's sister and Harley who is 2 weeks older is their half brother.

All 3 enjoy nothing more than a really good walk and love leaping though long grass, jumping on and off rocks and swimming in rivers and streams. Yes they may get us absolutely filthy and often in knots but it just wouldn't be the same caching without them.

I vowed I would never get another dog as I have often felt tied in the past by not being able to go to certain places but I had my mind changed on a local walk. We had decided to do a couple of local caches when we first started and were minding our own business on a quiet lane when a huge dog came bounding out of a local yard. We didn't know what to expect especially when its a huge Rottweiler however he turned out to be about 9 months old and the friendliest thing you have ever come across. Apparantly he was supposed to be training as a guard dog. We tried to take him back but he kept running out with us and eventually followed us all the way on our 5 mile walk. We had a great time with him and he was absolutely hilarious. He was also really well behaved and considering we didn't know his name and had no lead, he obeyed our commands. At the end of the walk we put him in the back of our truck and took him home. I wish I hadn't bothered really as one of the workmen shut him in a barn...you should have heard him cry, it was awful. If I wasn't such an honest person, I would now be the proud owner of a really really huge friendly rotty.

But now I have my Sprocket...my little boy who is asleep on my bed by the side of me.

Rain, Rain and more Rain

Been stuck in at home all day and getting withdrawal symptoms...need to find some tupperware.

Is that the thing living less than 40 miles from Rainy City....it chucks it down all the time and ruins the outdoor pursuits

Bring on the summer sun