From Walbury Hill G/SE-001 on Friday 3rd January 2014 we found our way to the A34, which we followed north to Oxford. The A40 towards Cheltenham afforded some spectacular views of the extent of the flooding, with the farms either side of the road being transformed to vast lakes as far as the eye could see. The A40 really felt like an isolated causeway through the middle of a huge sea at times.  Liam was getting to grips with the navigation and faultlessly guided me to the right turn for Whittington. Soon we were driving up the hill to Cleeve Common, and parking outside the radio station at the top. Again it seemed I had beaten the weather and dodged the storms with my chosen route and timings, and just a simple activation of Cleeve Hill G/CE-001 remained.

       

I walked about two thirds of the distance between the radio station and the trig point on Cleeve Common. This is essentially flat, with the summit less then 5m higher than the car park, and about 400m away. Ten contacts were made, aplit in the ratio 4:1 between CW and SSB. The same ratio applied to non-UK to G, although those non-UK QSOs were themselves in the ratio 7:1 between USA and Spain.

Despite driving back through the Midlands during Friday rush hour, we had an easy drive back to Cheshire. Marianne advised that we needed to eat en route, so we dined at the Weston Balti Raj just before getting home.  The calorific intake far outweighed energy expounded on these six activations, so from a fitness point of view, the trip was a disaster. However, to have got six SOTA activations done during three days that have generally precluded activating in the UK was a tactical triumph, and Liam had an enjoyable trip too. Bonus.  Many thanks to all chasers.