What a shock, it snowed overnight! A few urgent phone calls later we are told, "If you can get to the start then you can complete the route". Duly arrived at Morley Hays 10:00am, paid Vince the money, received instructions, then straight to the boot to sort out the treasures. "What do you mean the treasures are all photos we've got a boot full of stuff"! Anyway that'll even it up for the people that didn't load their boot. Off we go towards Breadsall, no clues on restricted roads, that'll improve the traffic flow. First clue got it OK get your foot down, second clue no sign we're now at the end of the road, decide to go back we've done two miles and backtracked one it could be a long morning. Mental note in future check if two clues are together. We're flowing now, hang on that looks familiar, YES! First treasure, Horsley Lodge Golf Club, well done keep going, by the way what's an anagram? We're starting to enjoy it now the scenery is covered in snow. What a picture.
Good directions keep us on course; we're now approaching Fritchley to be met by Clive and Rich coming the other way. "What's occurring men?", to be told that the hill is too steep they nearly had a 'coming together' with an Astra van, they're now off to find an alternate route, Wayne Knowles now turns up complete with mobile phone and confirms the alternate route is passable. We think we'll just go up the hill a bit to see if we can find one more clue, at this point we are met by the Astra van coming down, only he's doing it sideways, a smart bit of reversing by Neil gets us out of that, we get by and decide to turn round in a gateway, what a stroke of luck the gateway was question 36. Anyway now for the alternative route, if only we had a map. Stopped Mick Hollis approaching the hill told him the problem and took a look at his map. Back on course now picked up the remaining clues, avoided the geese! and on to the end.
"Enjoy the last two miles", was the instruction, "no clues till the end", one mile further on down a very narrow slippery hill, Neil tests the ABS on the car which brought us to a halt nicely parked on a grass verge just touching the hedge on the drivers side and not touching the 4x4 on my side, that is now occupying our bit of road! Smiles were exchanged with the lady driver and we made our way to the finish.
"How have we done?" Well we missed one treasure photo but we're not going back. Parked the car walked round the corner and saw the last treasure 'The Hardwick Inn'. Go inside get the last clue, now the treasure hunt really starts, "where's Vince?" you've guessed it he's in the last one of the six rooms we check, hand over the papers and go and get a well earned drink for our back seat treasure seekers Darren and Steve.
This treasure hunt took a lot of organising (especially the photos) and was a great success! We would like, on behalf of everyone that took part, to thank Vince for all the time and effort he put into this project. Well Done and can't wait for next year.
John and Neil Simpson