Review of the year

365 days.  8760 hours.  525,600 minutes.  2014 has finally reached it's conclusion.  Time to reflect on what has been another year on Dartmoor, letterboxing.  Last Winter's storms gave way for a long settled Summer, and a dry Autumn which enabled long and enjoyable days on the Moor.  Perfect for photography too!

This year has marked the passing of several well known letterboxers.  These include Derek Newman who sadly passed away in October.  Derek famously married his partner Caroline Atchley at the remote Keble Martin Chapel in 1990, after they met whilst letterboxing.  In November, letterboxer Mary Restell died tragically in a diving accident in Gloucestershire.  An accident that left her husband Roy serious injured, but he is recovering.

On the Moor we have bid farewell this year to the poles and power lines that stretched across Walkhampton Common to Princetown.  This year also saw the removal of Dartmoor's smallest cross.  As the legacy of Bill Northmore: Hand Hill Cross was cemented to a prominent rock overlooking Fox Tor Mire.  Unfortunately it was presumed snapped off and lost in November.  Letterbox clues will never be the same again.

The theft of people's property remains a constant threat to this great hobby and the world of Dartmoor letterboxing still grapples to deal with the Dartmoor Letterbox Thief (DLT).  The disappearing boxes result in suspicion and loss of trust in fellow boxer.  Note to all letterbox thieves out there: One day you will be found and face justice - theft is a crime.  Thieves will never succeed wiping out Dartmoor letterboxing.

My 2014 in review:

Number of letterbox walks completed: 18

Number of letterboxes found: 249.  Leaving the grand total found at 15140 stamps.

Letterboxes sited: I've sited 13.  Of which 12 were subsequently recovered.  One missing, presumed stolen.

Distance walked:  Unknown.  Without GPS has meant that I can merely speculate about the distance I have covered.

Most successful walk/Most enjoyable days letterboxing:  In terms of boxes, it'll be the walk from Fernworthy to Cut Hill and back in the footsteps of letterbox pioneer James Perrott.  In terms of number of boxes found, and as a complete day's walk this was by far the successful and enjoyable for me this year.  Cut Hill makes such a fantastic target for a long walk on a sunny day.  I highly recommend it.

Least successful walk:  Littaford Tor January 2014.  Horrendous weather.  Horrendous clues (when you don't have a GPS!).

This year I have fallen completely for the social media outlet that is Twitter, which has opened up opportunities to support the future of letterboxing.  Interesting and exciting links have been made this way and I look forward to making more.  Follow me there @ twitter.com/witc_ian

My WITC blog, incredibly, is about to enter a 5th year of existence and I'm as keen as ever to continue posting.  Two letterbox series have already been prepared for siting in the next 12 months.

Happy New Year to all my blog readers.

This week: Part 2

The second objective during my short stay on Dartmoor was to bring in my Parliament of owls series.  Sited back in May, this set of 7 stamps around Longaford was due for removal.  One of the boxes - the final one of the set - had disappeared, presumed stolen back in October.  However the rest of the set were all on site, with just one stamp off it's backing.  

More than 50 letterboxers have found the series, based on the visitors books, which makes me happy.  Thanks for everyone's support.

This week: Part 1

I had two objectives for this week when the opportunity arose to spend a couple of days on the moor.  One was to do some Christmas walks.  Finding a festive series or two provides a perfect end to the letterboxing year.  Of course, it wouldn't be complete without freezing cold fingers, exchanging Christmas wishes in visitors books and a hail storm.

So I headed up to Cox Tor first to find a few boxes.  It was rumoured that snow would fall in Devon on the morning of my walk.  As is customary, hail fell instead where I was.  After Cox Tor, it was on to Aish Tor.  The oft overlooked rockpile on the River Dart's East bank.  From up here I was able to spy Bench Tor, where last Christmas I had my own letterbox walk sited.  This year, I have chosen not to site a Christmas series.  Though I have other plans instead...

Dear Santa...

I decided to pass on the shopping frenzy that is Black Friday, now universally recognised for the supermarket scrums. Yet we are about to meet the internet equivalent: 'Cyber Monday'  The year's biggest online shopping day, with just over 3 weeks till Christmas. WITC considers what deserves to be on the list to Santa this year...

There are loads of astonishing 2015 calendars available at the moment including this one by the Ordnance Survey. Reduced to £5.29, and only available through their website.  Ordnance Survey shop

I love a gadget, and surely they don't get more gadgety than global positioning. The GPSmap 62sc, a Garmin with added 21^st century stuff. Things like a 5 megapixel camera and internet connectivity.

On sale at Handtec at £227.88 Handtec.co.uk

If, like me, you are preparing for another very chilly letterboxing season, it was exciting to discover a revolutionary new type of handwarmer. It can be charged through the main or by USB port, and provides up to 6 hours of warmth. At £29.99, the Hot Rox isn't cheap, but it might be the only handwarmer you'll ever need.  presentsformen.co.uk

As I have a particular fondness for the magnificent scenery of Tavy Cleave, I'll be hoping for a photographic print of the Dartmoor valley.  One from The Green Lanes Shimmer aka landscape photographer Rachel Birch perhaps:  This large signed and mounted print is available at £22.09. thegreenlanesshimmer 

For the outdoorsy people in our lives, a couple of suggestions:

What about a personalised map jigsaw? Select one of 5 map styles, including 'circa 1805' or current OS Landranger, pick a postcode to centre on, and create a unique 400-piece puzzle for your loved one  to complete this Christmas.  (Remember: Princetown's postcode is PL20 6SS!)

Reduced to £23.79 at dash4it

Plus one for the kids: The Two Blondes have written a new childrens book 'The Dartmoor Christmas Tree', beautifully illustrated by Ali Marshall. If you haven't heard of the authors, the Two Blondes are the pair behind www.twoblondeswalking.com: Nominee for the TGO Outdoor Blog of the year 2014.

The book is available at Amazon.co.uk for £6.99 Amazon.co.uk

Happy shopping everyone!

Tuesday, November 12th 2014

A set of 12 cat stamps in the Lyd Valley was my target for my last trip to the moor.  After years of searching for and finding letterbox stamps dedicated to dogs, it was unusual, but not at all unwelcome to spend the day searching for a series of cats.  

The weather was showery, but not cold.  The wind was forecast to be strong, but was not bearing inhibitive.  I parked at Nodden gate, as the farmers were bringing sheep off the moor near the (now very closed) Dartmoor Inn, and car entry was a no-no.  The track, for your information, behind the Fox and Hounds pub has become rutted and must be treated with care when driving.

The boxes were relatively easy to find, and followed the well known path up the river, then back further up he hillside, taking in all the features along the way.  Autumn sunshine lent the scene a warm glow, and eventually, even Great Links appeared from out of the gloom too.

Creepy goings on

Happy Halloween!

In the darkness, a noise.  A shuffling.  Silence again.  Suddenly shadows moved and scurried to one side, then the other..  Then to the boot of the car, which I closed and then locked.

After my longest separation from the moor of the year, by the end of October, I was raring to go.  Clock change weekend of course means the Letterbox Meet at Lee Moor.  Although I was eager to attend (I missed April's Meet) last minute work commitments inevitably prevented this again.

However I was able to complete a short route around Top Tor and Pil Tor.  A few word-of-mouth series have been sited here in the past few months, yet the area is frequently overlooked in favour of higher, more distant spots.  Parking at Hemsworthy Cross, and heading straight for the summit of Top Tor, I wasn't surprised to see several day-trippers resting leaward side of the outcrops, keeping out of the chill wind.  The views were breathtaking in all directions, particularly up the Webbern valley between Hameldown and Chinkwell Tor.  Banks of cloud send short showers in from the West, but as I descended to Hollow Tor and the lesser visited Tunhill Rocks, the sun started to shine, warming the scene.  By the time I reached the cairn at Whitaburrow, a warm Autumn glow was in full effect.

Boxes were being found thick and fast.  I met the Stamping Staggs and compared notes (not clues!).  The area's proximity to the car parks belies its boxing opportunities.  Poor Emily had clearly been a victim of the letterbox thief before, and prepared her new letterbox for the worst.

12 boxes found, and a truly enjoyable return to the moor for Autumn.

The Tour of Britain 2014

I own a bicycle, but I'm not the most committed cycle nut.  I really enjoyed the cycling events I saw at London 2012, and the Tour de France coverage on TV this year was incredible.  So when I won a Twitter competition run by Dartmoor National Park, to join them on their open top bus at Haytor for the Tour of Britain this year, I was ecstatic!

A VIP ticket for the top car park, and a prime view at the summit of this King of the Mountain stage were on offer.  The 170km Devon section of this week long cycle event had several climbs, but this one was the headliner.  Thousands of spectators had walked, cycled or driven up to the moor to watch.  The route passed through Widecombe, Ponsworthy, Dartmeet, Two Bridges, Merrivale and Tavistock.  Then North to Lydford, Okehampton, and East back towards Exeter.  The NPA were understandably delighted by the turnout, and the weather.  Sir Bradley Wiggins, Marcel Kittel and Mark Cavendish were just three of a stellar line up of professional cyclists on the tour.  True - the build up, cyclists and race cars passed by within 20 minutes, but it made an exciting and unusual day out on the moor.

It was incredible to see the peloton speed up the hill, still chatting to each other as they cycled.  Massive congratulations to all the competitors.  If you haven't seen the Tour on the moor, then hope that it will return again soon.  It seems that the Rugby World Cup matches in Exeter in 2015 will prevent the event returning to the county next year.