Map frustrations

Having trouble loading up my stats at itsnotaboutthenumbers.com, which means that my usual county map is not updating.

In desperation, I've turned to "UK Geocachers" for the time being. Their county map is interesting in some respects, not least for its acknowledgement of Rutland as a county (and it also breaks up Dyfed, where I have amassed my largest amount of caches).

However, the colours on the new map do not relate to a specific number of cache finds - they change apparently of their own free will to reflect a rough proportion of finds for each county, with no indication of the thresholds one must pass to change the colours of the counties. I.E. there is no Key to the map - pretty much a hanging offence as far as I'm concerned.

One last gripe, this new map barely highlights the counties where I have found 1 cache. On the old map, it was sky blue. It was a light colour, but at least it was distinct enough to register on the eye. This new map barely shows my new gains in Lancashire, Derbyshire and Cornwall at all. Bah. I think the problem with itsnotaboutthenumbers something to do with zip files and virus checkers on my own computer. Humph.

Carnforth: the Brief Encounter clock

The clock made famous in the Brief Encounter movie.

Carnforth: the Beeching axe

The mainline to Glasgow passes through the haunting, disused platforms at Carnforth (although the station is still open for the branch line to Barrow)

Carnforth station approach

Maalierama #6: Maalie Court name plate

Maalierama #5: The Compass Table

Maalierama #4: Front view of Maalie Court

Maalierama #3: the Shrine of Life

Maalierama #2: Shetland McEwen's Export mosaic

Maalierama #1: Last Resort Bar

Sunset, south of Askam in Furness

View of cliff where a geocache was located, on the coast about a mile south of Askam. I have now done all 5 caches in the immediate vicinity of Askam in Furness, a nice heartland from which to work out of...

I beg your pardon?

Location of the "Rose Garden" geocache, Ulverston

Laurel and Hardy statue, Ulverston

Barrow v AFC Wimbledon

A view of Holker Street

Spotted near Ulverston

Old Slaggy

View of Barrow from "Old Slaggy", a landscaped slag tip in Barrow, where 4 caches are placed.

Geocache @ Julian Feary Sculpture, Victoria, London

"This Big Painting Sculpture is by painter Patrick Heron, architect Julian Feary and structural engineers Ove Arup and Partners and was installed in 1998.

It is made of aluminium yacht masts with stainless steel rigging support coloured plastic, glass-reinforced flat disks, illuminated at night by neon tubes. It was intended to break up the wind tunnel effect of the surrounding buildings, The idea was that you could walk though it but this is discouraged by compromised by the addition of unsympathetic paving possibly to stop people doing naughty things to the sculpture such as placing caches on it! However you can walk though it,enjoy the design and find the cache."

Geocache at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden!

My favourite London view?

Taken from "Wobbly Bridge" near Tate Modern.

Colby

The seaside at Amroth, combined with the woodlands at Colby, has just become one of my favourite places..

Amroth

Freedom of the city

After an animated meeting with TCA at a pub in Waterloo, I cached my back to the hotel down the banks of the Thames, with mixed success. Despite a few DNF (and an increasingly troubling ear infection) I was very pleased with this photo of "From a Swan to the Canary: Custom House".

Event cache!

London Event @ the Royal Oak, Borough


Only my 3rd geocaching event, this was a small one organisaed by "Goldpot", a prolific London cacher (pictured) who was celebrating 1,000 days of geocaching. A very diverse and friendly crowd

Arrrgh! A mouse!

Spotted on the Northern Line @ Borough.

Tottenham Cake

My regular east London treat: a slice of Tottenham Cake from Percy Ingle in Watney Street Market, Shadwell.

QPR 4-1 Reading

As the night drew in, I cut my losses having found 9 caches, and caught the tube from Hangar Lane Gyratory to watch QPR thrash Reading in an entertaining game.

300th Cache!

Found at Alperton, after struggling with a few DNFs.

Canal turn

This barge on the Great Union Canal put me in mind of other canal-based caches in times gone by.

WTF series

Took the tube to Greenford in order to tackle some of the "WTF" (Water to follow) series in northwest London, which takes in the canal network. I worked my way eastwards from Greenford towards Alperton. This was the first cache I found on this late autumn afternoon. The cache actually sticks into the top of the "Public Footpath" sign in the background.

Spotted in Cardiff

County line

Taken after sunset from "Sugar Loaf" near Cynghordy, on the A483 on the Powys / Carmarthenshire boundary, where I have quite a popular cache hide.