Er David, you operate the radio and the horse jumps the fence. It's easy, no?

International Waendel Weekend

All routes started and finished at The Castle,Castle Way, Wellingborough,
Routes of 15km,25km, & 42km on both days which started at 07.30hrs all routes were to be finished by 1900hrs.

Having attended this event for the last 12 years or so, we think we have all the problems weighed up before they materialise (we think).
On the walk side nothing really stretched us. On the radio side, well that was another matter. No names, no packdrill, but someone forgot to recharge the car battery for powering the talkthrough unit following the Saturday drain.
It cost me at the time £45 for a replacement at short notice.
On the Saturday, Dave G4SFB realised that a cycle route sign at Earl's Barton had been removed which necessitated a chase after cyclists.
Talking of G4SFB. A walker approached Dave and handed over a dog who had followed them along the route. He put the canine into the back of his pick up truck and returned to the checkpoint at The Cuckoo at Wollaston.As he was reporting the loss to Raynet control a lady started banging on his car window. It took him quite a while to shut her up so that he could finish his message to ask control to contact the lady that lost the dog and to let her know that it was safe an in the back of his vehicle. When Dave had finished and finally let he woman speak it turned out that she was the owner of the dog trying to reclaim it. They had a very tender reunion!!
At the "Mad Mile" checkpoint the marshalls went OTT and informed the Police that they needed water desperately.When the water vehicle arrived they still had plenty!!
On Sunday myself and G6EGO and 2E1CZF initiated a search for 4 young cyclists reported in a field!!
They informed us that they were doing the 42 km WALKING route by cycle.We got them back onto the road eventually after a very funny incident where a herd of cows started to run towards the boys. They panicked and ran towards the stile which unfortunately was extremely high. After a few blue words they threw their cycles over the stile to freedom.We followed them but eventually sent them to the finish via the road.

The Gas pumping station story
While completing the sweep on the day 2, AQX was driving past the Mears Ashby Gas Pipeline Pumping Station and noticed a distinct smell of gas. He radioed this in the EGO who was temporarily controlling the event from the Mears Ashby Checkpoint. Being aware of not wanting to give Raynet a bad name by calling in a false alarm, EGO relocated to the Pumping Station to double check the report. The smell of gas was quite distinct and there was a loud hissing. He moved to a safe location and phoned the gas emergency line, the call went something like this.
(HelpLine) ‘Gas Emergency Help line’
(G6EGO)   ‘Hello, I have just driven past your 'Location No. 45' and there is a significant smell of gas’
(HL) ‘Could you tell me where you are?’
(EGO)  ‘I’m outside your 'Location Number 45'’
(HL)  ‘Which Town is that’?
(EGO)  ‘It’s not in a town it in the middle of the countryside’
(HL)  ‘What is the name of the road’?
(EGO)  ‘It doesn’t have a name it’s the road between Mears Ashby and Wilby’
(HL)  ‘A road near Ashby?’
(EGO)  ‘No. Mears Ashby, M. E. A. R. S.’
(HL)  ‘Oh. Mears Ashby’
(EGO)  ‘Yes’
A pause for a few seconds while it is looked up on the computer.
(HL) ‘Is that the one with 'Location 45' on the sign on the gate’
(EGO) ‘YES.’
… … …   and so on.

To their credit they had a vehicle passing Wilby heading towards it within minutes.
The event ended as far as we were concerned a few minutes later when the Wilby checkpoint was informed on the amount of competitors still to come and descriptions were passed of the last 2 to look out for.
 

In all it turned out a pretty normal event!!!

Malcolm Ogle, Controller, Daventry Raynet Group.
 

Adrian - M1AQX

Dave – G6FEO in the water wagon

Report (Include all notable incidents/emergencies and any items for debrief.)
This year’s event took place on Tuesday 11th June and, as usual, was based at Weedon Village Hall.
The race was due to start at 19:45.  Control (operated by Neil - G8XCD) opened at 19:00 so that talk-in could be provided to any operators unfamiliar with the area.
At around 19:25, the first RAYNET folk made contact with control as they approached the village and soon after, four operators (Dave - G1ZJK, Shelagh – G4UUH, another Dave – G6EGO and Anita – 2E1CZF) had deployed directly to checkpoints around the course with G8XCD remaining on the field behind the Village Hall next to the Red Cross who were the “User Service”.
During the event, operators moved to cover other checkpoints as the race passed their original locations.
Having started on time, the last runners arrived back at the finish at about 20:50.
The event passed without incident and, following the return of the last competitors, control was closed at 20:53.
Date of Report:
14th June 2002 Report Written by:
Neil Burrows – G8XCD

Statistics
Number of Notable Incidents Nil Total Effort (Person-Hours) 7.75

ISE VALLEY VAGABONDS WALKING CLUB

Sunday 6th October 2002 Rugby Lions Football Club Grounds Webb Ellis Road,Rugby under 8s,9s,10s,11s and under 12 year olds

Operators ( Malcolm - G1DLH,Chris - M0RTM, Dave – G6FEO, Kallum - M3UTC, Dave – G6EGO, Anita – 2E1CZF )

Malcolm - G1DLH  RUNING CONTROL FROM THE BAR

Kallum - M3UTC OUR YOUNG'S MEMBER

Teams of Scouts checked in at H.Q. ready to relocate to six different start / incident points around an area encompassing the villages of Flecknoe, Sawbridge, Nethercote and Wolfhamcote.
Start was at 21:00, and teams then progressed to the next numerical checkpoint to perform a team task. Well, that was the plan!
The incident at checkpoint 6 was a drive in a go cart. Because there was not enough space at the designated area, the people running the checkpoint decided to move it to somewhere with more space. Unfortunately this was only 300 yds.from the next checkpoint!This then caused a bottleneck at the next checkpoint.
It defies logic that when following a circular course that some teams were hell bent in setting off in the same direction from whence they came!!. In fact twice, when challenged by myself, two group members said that that was what their map told them. Talking maps. Whatever next!!!
One team actually ended up way south of the course and luckily were found by a steward. They had actually thumbed a lift to the nearest village. Worries you sick, doesn’t it?
Talk through failed dismally from kickoff with a spurrious signal holding open the receive at the base station. So G1 WVS was resited on a high piece of ground on a nearby trading estate overlooking the course and ran from his car.
The course was mostly a mixture of driveable and 4WD accessible (unclassified roads) and as such was successful in keeping the majority of teams on course.
Well done Ashby Fields Scout Group for a well organised event.
Operators  Malcolm - G1DLH,Chris - M0RTM, Peter - G1WVS,Neil - G8XCD,John - G6NMH,Shelagh – G4UUH,
and Anne now M3NUM
Malcolm Ogle, Controller.
 

This is the route the Scouts walked

SOME OF THE RUNNERS

COMMING IN LAST BUT ENJOYING IT ALL  THE WAY