2010-10-06 53 -1

Wed 6 Oct 2010 in 53,-1: 53.8475942, -1.6308949 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox

Location

at Horsforth Railway stration, possibly in the 'Woodlands Homecare' yard

Participants

myka and possibly Fergus

Plans

Take a bus from work at lunch. The point is only about 5km from the office.

Expedition

• My etrex gps is taking a long long time to acquire a location. It is thwarting first time i've tried room use it on this side of the world.

Also: busses here get expensive quickly. -- mykaDragonBlue [- i have no sig -] @53.8272,-1.5839 12:32, 6 October 2010 (UTC)

Photos

• 

  The hash is about 85m that way. @53.8472,-1.6298

• 

  Gps dance signals success! The hash is in the display shed fergus is guarding. @53.8478,-1.6306

Retro expedition 2011-01-25

Participants

amc, tgr, myka, and possibly Fergus.

Plans

• Train to Horsforth, arriving at 10:41am.
• My very first GPS Dance^tm and take photographic proof.

Retro Date Choice

I (amc) chose this date because the 2011-01-25's actual coordinates are inaccessible and very far away, and this date was the date I celebrated my last birthday on - a week late, thanks to ill health.

amc

Having missed my bus to Leeds, I was afraid there would be a mismatch in time co-ordinates with meeting myka and possibly Fergus. I caught the next one and rushed to the station. When I say "rushed", what I really mean is hobbled slightly quicker than usual.

After nearly walking past platform 3B, I finally found the right train, which at various points bore various destinations. Possibly to account for the quantum vortex at Horsforth which I'll mention later, but who knows? One check with the conductor later, and I was on my way.

I had a brief chat with the conductor on the way over. The carriage was empty so we got talking, because we recognised each other from a different train service, the one I normally take. I said that I was going geohashing in Horsforth. To such an obscure remark, I was expecting one of two things: "that's nice *walks off*" or "what's geohashing?" What I did not expect was "Why Horsforth?"

So one quick show of the retro co-ordinates later, we arrived. Yes, it was that short a journey. In fact, I barely had time to snap a photo of tgr enjoying the ride. I got off the train and looked around. It was there that I encountered two problems. One, that I had no idea what Myka looked like. And two, the aforementioned quantum vortex at Horsforth station.

At that point, myself and Myka being the only people waiting around Horsforth station, and also both swearing at our GPS units, made it quite obvious that:

1. We were both geohashers.
2. We had both arrived on precisely the same train.
3. Neither of us had accurate GPS directions.

We had Myka's last expedition to refer to so we knew roughly where we were going, yet my GPS assured me I was in fact 1.8 miles from the hash. I cleverly thought to double-check against my handwritten coordinates, and found that my GPS was programmed correctly. Therefore I can only assume there was a massive disruption of space/time between Horsforth railway station and Tiger Sheds just across the road therefrom, and I proceeded to walk the quickest two mile journey of my life.

Eventually, Myka discovered that I'd transposed two digits in the northing, both on my GPS and on paper, and so we were on our way. One GPS Dance^tm later, we'd found the hash, which was just outside a shed. Evidently, they'd reorganised their shed display at some point. tgr decided to come out and play, and before I could explain to him that you can only get the stacking achievement if you're not a hashscot, tgr was up on the roof of a shed next to the hash posing for a photo with me beneath, and Myka's GPS.

After we gathered our "proof", we headed off to a local coffee shop. Or, I should say, the local coffee shop, to compare notes and talk about absolutely nothing of importance. It was then that we both realised we had neglected to bring any games - and that even if we had, the one table in that coffee shop was too small for anything more than those travel ludo sets you get in expensive Christmas crackers.

We hadn't thought to bring a hashcake, so we headed to the Spar (which was indeed so near) and picked up some cherry bakewells. While having nothing to do with the hash in and of themselves, they made very tasty treats. From there, we went back to the station, Myka marvelled at the fact that disabled people travel for 50p each way, and we went home. After the train arrived, that is.

Photos

• 

  tgr enjoying the train ride to Horsforth.

• 

  Retro coordinates reached!

• 

  myka, with possibly Fergus.

• 

  tgr attempting to earn the not-yet-official Stacking achievement. Even though hashscots aren't eligible for achievements anyway.

Achievements (or complete lack thereof)

Is it true that amc and myka earned the Land geohash achievement? In principle, yes. But the expedition didn't happen on the right day. (2010-10-06 53 -1).

Is it true that amc and myka earned the Public transport geohash achievement? In principle, yes. But the expedition didn't happen on the right day. (2010-10-06 53 -1).

Is it true that amc and myka earned the Meet-up achievement? In principle, yes. But the expedition didn't happen on the right day. (2010-10-06 53 -1).

Is it true that amc and tgr earned the Stacking achievement (level 2)? In principle, yes. But the expedition didn't happen on the right day. And tgr is a hashscot and therefore sadly ineligible. (2010-10-06 53 -1).