2012-08-04 51 -0

Location

This hash falls just inside the M25 London Ring Road, in a little town called Rickmansworth. I'd never in fact heard of Rickmansworth before, but since when has that been a problem?

According to Google Maps (an invaluable tool) the hash itself lay in some lucky soul's front garden - about ten metres from their front gate, at the junction of Nightingale Road and Meadow Way. Given the usual accuracy of GMaps, I'd be perfectly happy to reach the front gate.

Participants

Huinesoron

Plans

The reason for my choosing this particular geohash was simple: I had a planned journey from my home graticule of 51 0 to 52 -3 (round the M25, up the M40, then the A 458 across Wales... far too long a drive, in my opinion. Wales should be closer), which would carry me and my family through a total of six graticules. "Surely," I thought, "there must be one hash within range of that trip!"

There was. And it should only be a ten-minute diversion from The Trek. That's easy enough for an Easy Geohash ribbon... if it works.

Expedition

We set off at some unearthly hour in the morning - this was not going to be a 4pm meetup hash - heading for the clear blue/grey cloudy skies of Wales. Google Maps told me that it would only take ten extra minutes to hit the hash, so after cajoling my wife for some time, we turned off at Junction 18 and headed into Rickmansworth.

Some commentary followed concerning the delightful buildings of said town, and how it's clearly quite a well-to-do area, and then - the turning!

I didn't turn. I didn't turn, because when GMaps shows that you have to go down and round the roundabout to reach Nightingale Road, it apparently knows what it's talking about. I intensely dislike No Right Turn signs.

Having obeyed the whims of Rickmansworth town planning, we sailed on down Nightingale Road, eyes wide for a sight of Meadow Way.

"Oh, I think that was it..."

Three-point-turn in a road packed with parked cars. Is there space to park here? Not much of it, so let's head down Meadow Way. Well, there's plenty of space here... oh, that's because it's all No Parking. Curse you, Rickmansworth Town Planning! Time for another three-point-turn, and back to Nightingale.

I did eventually find a place to park, and abandoned my wife and two-year-old son to hike up to the hash. All right, 50 metres isn't much of a hike, but it counts, right? Victory was mine!

My victory was slightly tainted by the fact that, on the way back to the car, I realised I'd never bothered to clear the camera out. So, with a sigh, I hit Delete All... and turned around to get photos at the hashpoint again. Then I got back in the car and... went on driving.