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Saturday 13th January 2018 - Billinge Hill G/SP-017. A gig in Liverpool led me to this appalling summit just 13 days after my last activation of it. It was surprisingly close to my satnav route to the venue anyway. I walked up through Beacon Farm from Crank Lane hoping for a quick and easy 2m FM handheld activation.
Seven QSOs in five minutes and no local transmitter QRM was all most welcome, and allowed me to be on time for the soundcheck! Thanks to the chasers.
I’d already done Billinge for the activator point this year, but the evening’s tour date was at Southport Theatre, and this summit was pretty much on the route. I parked just off Crank Road and walked up between some houses and behind a yard full of motorhomes. The ground beyond was much less boggy than the previous couple of occasions, and I walked up and selected the side of the graffiti-ridden brick structure on the summit, taking care to avoid stepping on the tied polythene bags of dog excrement. (I’m selling this one well, aren’t I?)
I set up the 20m groundplane, and soon had a run of nine SOTA chasers, including five into the USA. The band seemed to close pretty suddenly shortly after 4pm though, which surprised me.
Over on 2m FM, I worked two stations on analogue FM, and three on digital C4FM. Before packing away, I tried again on 20m, this time on SSB. I managed to work YO8BFC, but that was all, and it was time for me to get on the rest of the way to Southport.
I was surprised at how big the theatre was when we got there, and as ever, it was a good show.
Wednesday 5th September 2018 - Billinge Hill G/SP-017
Gig: Joe Longthorne Venue: Theatre Royal, St Helens
The original intention was to bag a quick (pointless) activation of this appalling “summit” on the way to soundcheck in nearby St Helens. (This hill is the “county top” of that well-known country St Helens Unitary Authority, and formerly was the county top of Merseyside). Having only got home from the previous night’s gig at 0730 that morning, I ran out of time to do even that. So, first to the theatre for set-up and soundcheck, and then to a fabulous Indian restaurant in St Helens for some very delicious food. I had a house special dish which was lamb served on a sizzling hot plate and flambed with brandy when served at the table - stunning.
With the walk back through town to the theatre, I’d got up to 5000 steps as indicated on my Fitbit watch. We did the show, which went really well, and I got away quickly after packdown in order to grab my activation for the day. The good thing about theatre gigs is that you can be on the road away from them by 10pm - for wedding gigs it’s more like 1am!
Earlier, I had switched the order of the theatre and Billinge Hill on my satnav, so it was now directing me home - via Crank Road! I backed into the space in front of the gates to the transmitter compound beside the road, which I assumed would be OK at this late hour. The headtorch was not required for the first part of the walk up the private lane to some business and residential properties, but I flicked it on once into the field behind. It was a nice mild evening under a clear night sky, and the walk was as enjoyable as it could ever be on Billinge Hill. You almost couldn’t see the graffiti.
My calls on 2m FM brought in three QSOs. It seemed a fourth was going to be rather trying, but as I’d already bagged the activation point earlier in 2018, I didn’t try too hard, and switched off after a few unanswered calls. Tiredness won again despite the shorter drive home, and I had to resort to reclining the driver’s seat and getting my head down for an hour in a petrol station in Warrington. That’s the glamour of showbusiness for you.
Gig: Joe Longthorne Venue: Viva Blackpool The show was a matinee, and I would have to get on the road again immediately afterwards for a wedding gig up in the North-East. With soundcheck for the afternoon gig called for 1130 BST, I would have to sneak a swift and easy SOTA in on the way to Blackpool. The route via Billinge Hill was showing as 20 minutes faster than that via Winter Hill G/SP-010 on Google Maps, so that got the nod. I parked on Crank Road as usual, and made the short walk to the summit. I operated with just the 2m FM handheld and made four QSOs. Next, it was back to the M6, then M55, and to work in Blackpool. The matinee show at Viva was fantastic, with Joe in fine voice. It was especially enjoyable for me as Liam and Marianne were in the audience, together with Maz’s friend Paula, and my goddaughter Merri. As soon as the curtain came down though, I was straight back on the road. Gig: Motown Gold Venue: Woodhill Hall, Otterburn It was a bit “ambitious” of me to accept an evening gig north of Newcastle-upon-Tyne after an afternoon gig in Blackpool, and it wasn’t made easier by three hours of appalling torrential rain coinciding exactly with my three hour drive from one to the other! However, I made soundcheck on time, and had a very enjoyable gig with a brilliant 8-piece Motown band. After the gig, I drove eight miles back south to YHA Bellingham. I had booked in here when I picked up the extra Motown Gold gig, and rapidly checked-in a few hours earlier as I homed in on Otterburn. The lady at the farmhouse, which now runs the hostel, told me that the main dormitory was full of Pennine Way walkers who might not appreciate being disturbed when I got in from my gig after midnight. As such, she had decided to put me in a different dormitory - which I had to myself - result! The following day's gig was up at Lanark in Scotland, so I factored in an activation of Shillhope Law G/SB-006 en route.
Gig: Joe Longthorne Venue: Viva Blackpool Early start from Macclesfield with a soundcheck called for 1130 BST - 71 miles away from home! I set off at 0900 in order to allow a SOTA en route - but only time for a VHF handheld effort from a very trivial summit! Thanks to Helen M0TMD and Greg M0NZO who were the only stations worked. Later that afternoon there was an amusing moment on stage in the middle of the show. In between songs, Joe surprised me by turning to me and asking “Have you been up a hill this morning?”. I told him, and he turned to the audience and asked “Any of you heard of Billinge Hill?”. To my further surprise, there was quite a loud and numerous response of “Yes”!
Gig: Joe Longthorne Venue: Viva Blackpool Why wouldn’t one want to visit this delight of the SOTA scheme? Well the above photo might be a clue. Quick walk to the summit, 2m FM with the handheld, nice S2S to Red Screes G/LD-017 with Mike G7HEM/P, four QSOs, then off to work.
The usual ‘variety show’ style opening to the show didn’t happen, so it was just the stand-up comedian then Joe. So work for the night was finished before 10pm and I had plenty of time to do a “double-bubble” activation on Winter Hill G/SP-010.
Gig: Joe Longthorne Venue: Lytham Hall So it was a different venue, a new one for me, but a familiar commute up to the Fylde coast. Therefore a familiar summit. There was a slight inconvenience of the strong winds and heavy rain battering everything from Scotland down to Wales at the time, so it was back to handheld activating for me. Erecting a wire antenna and operating FT8 was not feasible!
I operated for a few minutes and got five chasers in the log on 2m FM. Most told me I was mad. I admitted it. The gig at Lytham Hall was a really good one, playing for an event for the Joe Longthorne Fan Club. I was handed a copy of the newsletter, I which I was featured this edition - with SOTA getting a mention, of course!
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