2009-10-01 51 -0

Thu 1 Oct 2009 in 51,-0: 51.2291655, -0.1952627 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox

Location

Someone's back garden in Reigate, Surrey.

Participants

• davidc

Expedition

Seeing that I grew up for the first 15 years of my life in Reigate, and that the hashpoint was a few hundred metres from my prep school, I felt this was a lucky coincidence that I happened to be in England at the same time. The satellite map revealed the location to be at the border of two private gardens - I hoped that if I arrived late in the day when the owners might be home, I would convince one of them to let me in.

I arrived around 18:30 in Furzefield Crescent. As I was standing in front of the likely looking house, positioning myself from my printed satellite map, the owner arrived home, a middle-aged lady who I turned around to find waiting to turn into her own driveway. I explained the challenge to her, showed her the satellite map and the Ambassador form. I explained that I only wanted a picture of myself, not of her property. I felt I was quite convincing but being typically English she refused me access. "I know it sounds strange but I'd just rather not".

Still, the next door garden would provide equal access. They were under serious construction and I almost fell into a large hole walking a plank across their mauled front yard. Even though I'm meek and inoffensive and there were three of them home, they still wouldn't let me in, claiming there was a "Rotty" in the back yard. Fuck the English and their closed-mindedness.

So in the end, although I was probably 20m from the hashpoint, this one also has to be chalked up as "Failed - No Public Access".

This geohash was part of davidc's European tour in Autumn 2009:

England:

1. 2009-09-27 50 -1 - Eastleigh, Hampshire.
2. 2009-09-29 51 -0 - Stoke D'Abernon, Surrey (Failed: No Public Access)
3. 1978-11-27 51 -0 on 2009-09-29 - my Origin Geohash in Bramley, Surrey.
4. 2009-09-29 51 -1 - Ashmansworth. Speed racer!
5. 2009-09-30 52 -2 - Herefordshire. Virgin graticule!
6. 2009-09-30 52 -1 - Sibford Gower, Oxfordshire.
7. 2009-10-01 51 -0 - Reigate, Surrey (Failed Ambassador)

Portugal:

1. 2009-10-07 38 -9 - Cabo Espichel, Sesimbra

Photos

• 

  Sad at another failure.

• 

  GPS at the previous photo point, not the closest I got, but I couldn't take photos at their front door.

Ribbons

davidc earned the No trespassing consolation prize by almost reaching the (51, -0) geohash on 2009-10-01.