Two new stamps - Dartmoor Letterboxing Archive

NanoRuler

2007-10-28 11:43:31

I've made two stamps but have yet to place them out. Neither stamp will be "officially" registered.

The 1st is an image of Blackaton cross, which was the 1st of the Dartmoor stone crosses I've ever seen. Needless to say it'd be placed near the cross itself.

The second stamp was inspired by Tim Sandles' Little Drummer Boy story on his site, www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk. Not usually being a great fan of ghost stories, I was nevertheless very touched by this one and whether the events are actual of fictitious changes nothing about the story itself.

It may take some time to find a good location for this stamp.

Below is an image of both stamps:

~~[img="~~http://lh5.google.co.uk/NanoRuler/RyRz2cl_UCI/AAAAAAAAABs/P9VEmGFyNns/Stamps.jpg" alt=""]

NanoRuler

2007-10-28 11:57:51

Forgot to add, both stamps are handmade. Also, given the amount of letterboxes being stolen (and despite Tim Sandles' advice of not taking stolen stamps personally) I'd rather these two remain on the moor as long as possible. This is why I will NOT be publically disclosing the clues.

Steve from the Jones family did me a huge favour by giving me some WOM clues, while explaining that apparently boxers not yet up to 100 stamps aren't usually given such clues.

In view of this, I will share the clues to these two boxes to legitimate boxers that PM me, PROVIDED I can verify they're "ligitimate", and I won't expect any clues in return. Please don't be offended by this approach - I'm concerned that apparently even WOM boxes are being stolen! Additionally, as a newbie that is still to meet even ONE other boxer, verifying identity might be difficult at times!

As the result of a network server requiring my urgent attention I won't be able to make it to today's Autumn meet, which is a major disappointment.

Nik - KOTM

2007-10-28 21:09:51

I like the idea behind your thinking - have also PM'ed you

NanoRuler

2007-10-31 23:18:05

Worried after being alerted by Nik that I placed the "Drummer Boy" stamp smack bang in the most-pinched-from part of the moor (in the Devil's Elbow area) I went back with a view to potentially re-siting it.

I learned a few things from that:

1) Your own letterbox site looks much different in the pouring rain, while placing it out, compared to a gorgous sunny autumn day when you go back to find it!

2) Compass bearings must be HIGHLY accurate and ideally you want more than three

3) Sometimes you have to search 1/2 an hour for the box you had placed out yourself just a few days ago! :oops:

4) Nobody's found it yet (of course, it was only placed out VERY recently and few would have had the chance to venture out there and even fewer have the clues)

Although my original bearings were true, I still struggled, so I took a few more bearings! And to play it safe I also took several photos with key navigational points included, so in a month or two I can find it a tad sooner!

Crafty Jo

2007-11-01 08:59:19

Hi NanoRuler,

Your posting did make me laugh - especially the bit about not being able to find your own box! Dizzy and I have taken 10 digit GPS bearings for the boxes we have put out - just for our own benefit - no one else will have such an easy walk to find them!

Glad you found your box eventually - hope you don't loose it again! :lol:

NanoRuler

2007-11-01 09:44:03

Errmmm...yes....welll.....

NOT exactly my brightest moment! :oops:

I don't suppose international cargo containers are allowed as letterboxes, are they? Aside from the obvious (ruining the landscape, plug-ugly, hugely difficult to move, etc.) at least I should be able to find it again! :wink:

James&Jenny

2007-11-01 10:33:15

Hi NanoRuler!

Don't worry, we took photos of our boxes when we sited them, as we were also worried that we would not be able to find them again! :oops:

J&J

moorland wizard

2007-11-01 11:38:35

put homing beacons on your boxes or get blood hounds...

NanoRuler

2007-11-01 11:45:34

I was considering flashing strobe lights, now that you mention it! :wink:

But to be serious for a moment, I'm quite happy that I struggled - the box ISN'T easy to find at all, so it lessons the chances of the thief taking it!

In fact, provided somebody with the clues doesn't go there when the grass is full of dew, or doesn't plant a golf flag to show the location it should be reasonably safe even if casual observers watched the letterboxer looking for it.

moorland wizard

2007-11-01 12:14:49

how many stamps have you got now?

Fulchet

2007-11-01 17:12:19

Oh poor you Nano but lessons learned.

Like Dizzy and Jo I took 10 figure GPS readings for my boxes and meant to send 6 figures for the Clue Book. Unfortunately, when I sent them the first with the 6 figures, the clues were accidentally not printed, so I sent the clues again, forgetting to remove the 10 figures, so my first two boxes will be fairly easy to find. However, when I put the next ones out, it will be 4 or 6 figures only (just 10 for me).

Tina

Dizzy

2007-11-02 09:20:40

Hi Tina, not many stamps to go for you hey! Yes, let's not make things to easy for the letterboxing thief.

Dizzy

Generation Gap

2007-11-16 13:24:18

Hi, NanoRuler

We have also had problems finding a box that we knew (or thought we knew!) its location.

Thought we'd look for the very first letterbox that we had found, back in March. At the height of the summer (summer?!!), with everything looking entirely different and overgrown, we had major problems even finding the large rock that it was hidden under - let alone negotiating the foliage to get to it!

Eventually succeeded, but felt quite daft.

Would much appreciate your clues by PM; happy to provide our contact details for verification. We abhor TLBT (The LetterBox Thief), and worry about our one (to date) box going missing. :x

Regards,

Generation Gap

(Howard n Sue)