I drove down the M6 after work on Friday 2nd July 2010, listening to the Nadal-Murray Wimbledon semi-final on BBC Radio 5 Live. Sadly Murray was beaten rather convincingly despite playing well, and my disappointment was soon compounded by a very bad one hour traffic jam on the M6 Toll, for which I had just parted with a fiver for the privilege.

I noted some new stations on the car radio - 107.5 Switch Radio, 89.1 Big City Radio and 91.3 Raaj FM. Eventually, I did make it to the Premiere Classe Inn in Coventry to check-in and have a bite to eat while watching the first minutes of Ghana versus Uruguay in the World Cup quarter-final.

Then it was down to the Coventry ARS to deliver my Pennine Way 2006 presentation to a good sized audience. It was an enjoyable evening, and it tempted out one particular XYL of a club member. She told me she had no interest in radio, but was a keen walker!  The slide where Mike G4BLH is seen intercepting Jimmy and I at Blishmere Close (in-between Fountains Fell G/NP-017 and Pen-y-ghent G/NP-010) prompted comment from one of the members who originally hailed from Lancashire and recognised Mike!

   

After a sleep back at the hotel, I rose early on Saturday 3rd July 2010, grabbed a continental breakfast in reception and hit the road. I followed the M69, and then the M1 to junction 22. Then it was a case of working my way around the roads on the Eastern outskirts of Coalville to find Vercor Close and the start point for Bardon Hill G/CE-004.

   

The walk up is not too taxing, and I was at the summit in about 20 minutes. The day was very nice, and the views excellent from the summit. On 30m CW, I worked 12 contacts, including S2S with Heinz OE5EEP/P on OE/OO-113. On 2m FM, I worked just one station before descending to the car.  Another new broadcast FM station was logged on the journey home - 107.8 Ikhlas FM in the Derby area.