From the NARSA FB page…
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So far looking good. Audrey & Rob G4RQJ, Simon G4TJC, Colin M1BUU, Geoff G6MZX and myself will be manning the stand. I have some SOTA hats, baseball caps, flags, stickers, badges for sale, Audrey will have some of her delicious baking.
I normally activate a summit on the way to stay at Geoff’s but the forecast suggests the end of the world is coming so I wont be doing anything on Saturday. I have some alerts in for Monday when the WX forecast is much better though.
Blowing a hoodie here in Blackpool. (Well Thornton Cleveleys to be precise). Forecast to be like this until 2am Sunday, then relatively it doesn’t look too bad for the rally.
If you get the chance, please drop by and see us on the WAB stand. (Right opposite the roller shutter doors).
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Poles packed for the SOTA stand (a free gift from SOTABEAMS). WX horrible here so I packed the car before it gets worse.
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Good to see everyone at the UK’s premier SOTA meet-up! My wife is now the proud owner of a very smart SOTA summer hat. Thanks Andy! Quite jealous actually - they look excellent.
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Great to meet the Sota Team today and looking forward to the pictures from resident camera man John. Also to John for the complete of Calf Top whilst I was mobile as a back seat passenger (c/o G8PNN/M) whilst on the M6 southbound.
Regards
David
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Hi to all once again.
I really enjoyed the rally - again it was the people and not the products, though I did get quite a few WAB pens and a cup. I thought the fiver was well worth it even for just the afternoon.
Sad that our good friend Roy could not be there. Poor Roy is not good on mobility these days and has other problems which make it difficult to leave home. However, thanks for Roy’s card which was organised by Andy MM0FMF and which was signed by all the SOTA stand passers by. I took it along today and he really appreciated the fact that so many people cared. Unfortunately I went there this evening and he’s fallen again. Soft landing so no damage done on this occasion thankfully.
Many thanks to NARSA for their hard work and to those who organised and manned the stands (including SOTA and WAB) for us to enjoy and as a centre point to meeting up with our friends. Thanks to Audrey for the cakes too. A tradition that we’d be all the poorer without.
Judging by the names on Roy’s card I missed quite a few by not being there until 1pm. The price of activating in the morning.
Missing their photos being taken this year: Paul G4MD; Gerald G4OIG; Stuart G0MJG; Emily 2E1AEQ; Carolyn G6WRW; Helen M0YHB; Edward 2E0NSR; Mike G4BLH; Adrian G4AZS; Allan GW4VPX and Keith G0OXV.
(If anyone wants to know what they look like, you might find some of the above on last year’s report for G/NP-004 & Blackpool Rally… G4YSS: G/NP-004 & Blackpool Rally, on 10th April 2016)
Setting up on G/NP-022 for two hours in the morning was rewarding with 29 stations in the log. Out of those approx. 20 were either on their way to the rally, about to set off or were already there waiting for the doors to open. There will be a report for NP22 in due course. It was a good choice overlooking the M6 as it does.
While I remember. Thank you for the Beaufighter grid reference Geoff (G6MZX). I hope to look for that.
Camera (a prize from a Christmas cracker?) and photographer not up to much but here’s the few I brought home:
Above: SOTA co-founder Richard G3CWI practicing his sales technique. Too good apparently - he’d sold out of Wolfwaves by noon!
Above: Our SOTA DX expert Mike 2E0YYY still trying to retire from selling batteries but never quite getting there. He must love it. On the cusp of 100 SOTA antipodean S2S’s and 1000 VK contacts! Hope I got that right?
Above: Neil Neil is G0WPO who with Mike, explained the virtues of LifePo batteries to me.
Above: Rob G4RQJ & Audrey having ‘escaped.’
Above: Rob & Audrey ‘recaptured.’ Take care of that eye Rob!
Above: Andy MM0FMF (SOTA Database Mgr.) with the much appreciated card for Roy G4SSH. Simon G4TJC (SOTA MT) seated, supervising the cakes and showing admirable will power.
Above: Sue G1OHH, Mum, Grandma, Great Grandma from Lancaster and a banker on 2m-FM
Above: Geoff GM4WHA (or G4WHA/A from the computer shop) with Sue. A recent move to the Carlisle shop from Penrith has rather cramped Geoff’s reputation for instant response to activators.
Above Group (L to R): Martyn M1MAJ and Caroline M3ZCB (often with an ‘M’ inserted in their callsigns). Eileen G7GQM (available in dire emergencies - the 3 QSO scenario) with John G0TDM (another attentive chaser) and Geoff.
Above: A good one of Martyn and Caroline (M1MAJ & M3ZCB)
Above: New acquaintances to me (though I’ve worked them numerous times) Ken & Christine GM0AXY and GM4YMM, regular SOTA ops from Edinburgh. Great to meet you two at last!
Above: G0EVV - more often /P and using power; having enjoyed a ‘complete’ moment /M on the way to the rally. (NP22)
Above: Geoff G6MZX, Craven Radio Club callsign holder, who (like me) enjoys a spot of WW2 aircraft archeology and Colin M1BUU (ex M0CGH) who (also like me) loves Standard Ten’s.
Above: Dave G3TQQ from Pickering and fellow Scarborough Amateur Radio Society member.
Above: Dave G3TQQ, Nick G4OOE (also ZC4EE) from Scarborough and Dave G3TQQ proving that he can run faster than the speed of light. (Actually Dave’s twin brother Philip.)
Above: Dave G4IAR and Paul M1AIB manning the WAB stand; selling pens, cups and book numbers. Thanks Dave - I will try your suggestion soon ref the OV00 report. Hope I left you with enough pens for the rest of the rally.
Above: Judith G4IAQ (XYL of Dave G4IAR) and an officer in BYLARA. Sorry Judith, this was unfair play. No warning at all! Enjoyed our excellent chat. Sad I missed the party!
Above: BYLARA members Helen M0TMD (SOTA Activator and chaser from Glossop) with Sharon 2E0SHZ, seen after their party. Good party by the look of things!
Above: Helen and (OM) Simon (M0TMD & G4TJC). SOTA activators.
Well, that’s it for another year. Super day out!
73, John
G4YSS
(GX0OOO/P)
Please report errors. I’ve found loads!
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Reporting the errors 
Hi John
Great pics. Sorry I missed you and especially Ken and Christine. We had a long journey South so we left early afternoon just before you arrived. Enjoyed the morning meeting everyone and didn’t spend too much money
73 Allan GW4VPX
Hi John,
Thanks for the report, lots of good people I missed seeing!
Alan @GW4VPX - I think John must have substituted the "0"s to signify that he didn’t see us 
I enjoyed the day, and spent very little too
73
Adrian G4AZS
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Hi Allan & Adrian,
Errors corrected along with a few others! Hopefully the other ‘victims’ didn’t read this thread yet. Apologies. Seems I demoted you and put Allan in another country - maybe 'cos he didn’t spend much money? Next time I’ll put you in Yorkshire and you won’t need to spend any!
There were a few others I didn’t see. Amongst them Tom, Jack and Barry. The latter two due the distance of course. They can’t be expected to make it every year. It’s bad enough for me at nearly three hours each way.
Sorry we didn’t meet due to the timing. Maybe next time?
73, John
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Oops!
I would have loved a G prefix but alas, being licenced in 1997, I missed the boat by about a year.
Great to catch up John!
73,
Colin
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Paul and I can echo the words that Allan wrote. We were certainly sorry to have missed you John… also Ken and Christine and a number of others. It appears that we QSY’d a little too early. 
73, Gerald G4OIG
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Another one fixed - thanks Colin. Any more? I hadn’t realised that the M prefix had been going that long.
Yes, pity we didn’t meet up this time but you’ve got a heck of a way to go home Gerald. Ken & Christine were rare special treats!
Yes, many thanks for the write-up and pics John, very sorry we missed you but good to get a glimpse of “the ones that got away!”
Had a great day though, very glad to have met those we did and managed not to buy anything that had to be sneaked into the house whilst the XYL wasn’t looking 
73 de Paul G4MD
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Three day trip for me (and two overnights to include). I certainly didn’t miss my shoes sticking to the carpet at Norbreck!
Even the Scottish rally in Glasgow requires an overnight.
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Neil is G0WPO.
Thanks for the pictures 
Sorry John, one more error, Emily’s callsign is 2E1AEQ, not 2E0AEQ. I know this because her son Edward @2E0NSR has been a good friemd of mine since primary school and I know when this that Emily got the old 2E1 Novice licence bavk in the early 1990’s just before Edward when born. I guess Edward won’t have seen your above post yet as he would normally correct you straight away if he’d have seen it. Edward’s dad Ray G0DMV normally goes to the rally as well and I’m sure he would have been there with Emily and Edward Sunday just gone, I but don’t see him mentioned above.
Jimmy M0HGY
Oh woe is me!!
Another two. Must be my age. The onset of cloth ears is responsible for the Neil error but Emily’s callsign is plain as day on Roy’s card. I know I did this when tired but I must have alienated half the amateur fraternity! There’s nothing worse than getting someone’s pride and joy callsign wrong.
Any more??
…………………
Paul:
You remind me of the aftermath of the Scarborough Amateur Radio junk sales. The missus must see only the departing and not the arrival. I used to leave it in the car boot and dribble it in! Sounds like you do something similar. I fear my loft will cave in one day.
Barry:
Yes, you did well to get down the other year. It’s no day trip that’s for sure and you can’t afford 3-days that often with all the orders you have to get out! Maybe another time. Hope so.
Helen:
Pleasure. Yours came out particularly well. Sorry I was confused at the rally. I was mixing you up with another lady op in Holme Firth but I did recall our QSO’s in the end. After today I will be known as Mr. Confused.
Thanks Jimmy:
You explained that in such a sensitive way. You correctly sussed out that I am upset and embarrassed enough!
37, Nojh
SY4SG
(OX0GOOP/)
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Thanks John for correcting this, sorry to have sounded sensitive to you on this and if you did upset you I am sorry although I guess yu are joking anyway. Thank you for expaining that the callsign on Roy G4SSH’s card was written as 2E0AEQ rather than 2E1AEQ, I may message this tgread to Emily 2E1AEQ as she isn’t registrered on this reflector so she can see this along with those great photos of yours. Looks like you had a great day at the rally and you enjoyed meeting and catching up with the SOTA people there. Me and my dad Tom M1EYP couldn’t be at the rally this year due to my dad gigging in Workington that evening.
Jimmy M0HGY
Yes, only kidding. I’m not upset at all of course and even the embarrassment is minor as luckily people (not least my family) realise I’m a bit nutty anyway and probably half expect mistakes. I will certainly encourage error spotting on my reports in future. Judging by this thread they must be full of them! My son just texted me to say there were two in my WAB OV00 report too. I put that on today so maybe I’m having one of those bad 24 hours.
Emily had written her call correctly as 2E1AEQ on Roy’s card by the way. It was plain to see.
OK on the gig. I thought it might be one of your Dad’s other hobbies that prevented him coming but also thought he might have gone before I arrived.
Glad you liked the photos and I never ever thanked you for looking after G summits so I’ll do it here.
Thanks for that Jimmy.
73, John