I have renamed this thread to be more representative of the theme that has developed!
Today I wanted more winter bonus points - but I also wanted to go to the match. That meant a 5am get-up!
Pendle Hill G/SP-005
After a quiet and uneventful early morning drive, I was parking on the lane in Barley just as daybreak was hinting at occurring.
I could see headlamps on the path angling right up to Pendle Big End. I later caught them up and overtook them - I must be getting fitter!
I reached the summit trig shortly after 8am. My first CQ call was answered by M0MZB/P on Robinson G/LD-021 for a surprise S2S.
Contacts then came slowly at a rate of about one every three minutes. With five in the log, I began my descent using the other path off the summit.
Boulsworth Hill G/SP-008
I parked close to the 392m spot height south-west of the hill and approached via the long track the heads north east and terminates about 10-15 minutes final ascent from the summit.
This was a proper triumph for a 2m FM handheld + rubber duck activation! I had a mini pile-up to work through and ended with twelve QSOs in the log. One caller, a local, advised me that the summit I was at was simply Boulsworth Hill, and that Lad Law was a different part of the hill. The OS 1:25000 sheet suggests that Lad Law IS the summit of G/SP-008.
On the return walk, a passing Walker asked me if I was M1EYP! It was a G7 who said he’d heard my final call just before setting off from home to walk his dogs - though he wasn’t activating himself.
Back to the car, and the satnav was now heading for the last of the programmed positions - Charnock Richard FC. 22 years ago, Macclesfield were playing Manchester City, Stoke City and Fulham. Today we were to be playing a motorway service station!
Still, it’s football, and I’m enjoying the ride. Come on you Silkmen!