Geograph Blog ::

Making the best of it

By David Howard

2011 and 12 began my quest for distant squares, after spending the previous few years simply taking everything I knew well and then loading them in here. But if you're not an early riser taking photos (while stopping every half a mile for the next red square) 50 miles and beyond from home would mean it inevitably got dark long before I could do anything even with the new camera. But my other targets are pre-Worboys road signs, which can be taken with a flash, and with the camera able to take Geographs in the dark now also allows a few extras as it needs enough street lighting near enough to the target, or a target near enough to the flash, means the winter (it's autumn but looks and feels exactly the same) hasn't meant a full hibernation.

TQ5269 : Pre-Worboys direction sign on School Lane, Swanley Village by David Howard TQ5255 : Pre 1933 direction sign on St Botolph's Road, Sevenoaks by David Howard

With little effort from me, either walking the streets online with Google or tips from other collectors, I've been to Markyate, Leighton Buzzard, Swanley and Sevenoaks so far, with both in Kent managing to complete before it got dark as a bonus.
TQ5255 : London Road, Sevenoaks by David Howard TQ5255 : St Botolphs Road, Sevenoaks by David Howard TQ2550 : Bancroft Road, Reigate by David Howard

Each provided new squares as the chances of covering the same route twice is pretty remote once I'm out of west London. There are more turning up in deepest Sussex, which would no doubt need driving long roads at night with no lighting, which us Londoners see as the equivalent of driving blind and will never get comfortable with. So I'll keep searching, there aren't any more left closer at the moment (after five years it's amazing they keep popping up) and anything beyond will have to wait till the spring.

Otherwise I may still get to Essex if I get a chance assuming the traffic doesn't mop up the time between leaving and sunset, as since they widened the A406 the trip east is now back on the agenda and used it many times this year to catch up and reach new myriads. I have my list for next year in place, comprising one new myriad, a north record, east record (just, the coast limits that one) and getting much further into SZ. Meanwhile as long as something turns up every now and then I'll keep going till the spring and keep adding new material one way or another in the limited hours available.


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When
Mon, 17 Dec 2012 at 17:24
Grid Square
geotagged! TQ4255

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