Meet the WM22 Crew!

Bob McLeish

"JollyJax", Chair

I've been caching since 2004 and have a a few over 12000 finds and have set around 260 over the years. I love geocaching, but now in moderation unlike the mad bad old days when UK caching was young :)

I enjoy a good walk, and it's even better if there is some Tupperware hidden along the way, and I love the friendships that I have made through the social side of Geocaching especially the UK Megas (sadly I missed Perth due to illness but have attended the rest).

If I was pushed, I would say that my favourite ever cache was "Your Mission..." by Pharisee (GCKZ29) sadly now archived and the best series in the West Midlands area would be the Alchemy Quest originally by MarcB (GCHJN4) which I completed with friends all in one day in August 2006.

Ralph Notmann

"3BearsUK", Vice-Chair

I'm Daddy Bear of the 3BearsUK, and I'm sometimes joined by my daughter, aka Baby Bear.

I have made many friends through Geocaching, and have been blessed to meet a very special lady in the latter part of 2020, with whom I regularly go caching, whenever we get the chance.

Other than geocaching, I love playing board games, visiting museums and National Trust properties, and watching films.

Ant Reid

"Sharant", Secretary

I'm the minor half of Sharant, and have been caching since 2009. In terms of experience I've organised many events and CITOs, am proud of the creative caches I've designed and own, and look for interesting and unusual caches more than simply going for the numbers. I was a Mega event helper in 2013, the last time we had a West Midlands event ‑ checking routes and placing caches, building the wherigo, and arranging the mega day CITO and webcam events. I was GAGB Seeker Editor for several years, and their secretary for a year, too. I live in Staffordshire, work full time, have two teenagers, maintain a blog, and am mad to be helping to organise this Mega event!

Simon Robinson

"Optimist on the run", Treasurer

Hi ‑ I'm Simon Robinson, known as Optimist on the run. Although I'd previously heard of geocaching, I didn't get involved until 2012, when a friend took me to a nearby crash barrier and told me to stick my hand in and see what I could find. I soon got hooked, and since then have found over 3,000 caches, hidden 50 caches, and organised a number of events. As a self-confessed railway enthusiast, I particularly enjoy the SideTracked series, and I'm currently organising a series of SideTracked events round the country based on the song Slow Train by Flanders and Swann.

Apart from SideTracked caches, my favourite caches are those which involve a good walk with relatively easy finds. My least favourite caches are Earthcaches, though I appreciate others like them and I've even hidden one of my own.

Faz Flintham

"Chillpad", Online Events Co-Ordinator

According to Geocaching.com I've been caching since 2009, however I only found 1 until 2014! I was very happy to get my 1000th cache in September in France and have so far geocached in France, Scotland (Mega!), Belgium, Germany, Wales, Luxembourg, England, Portugal, Iceland and can't wait to visit some more countries.

As a scout leader I also work with my groups to get the Scout Geocaching Badge and have one Scout Travel bug travelling in America and one that is just about to leave. One of the best hikes involved finding caches shaped as a squirrel, ducks, hedgehog, camo as well as normal boxes with scouts.

I enjoy geocaching in the West Midlands and recently finally solved the Birmingham New Street geocache (although have yet to find it).

Jo Nelson

"JoLeBus"

Hi, I'm Jo, better known as JoLeBus in the caching world. I joined the great world of caching on 26/12/2016 however my first find wasn't until 4/1/2017. Mind you, I had spent 8 days looking for it at the relief point (I'm now a bus driver after spending 35 years teaching the youth in the West Midlands mathematics).

I feel as though I'm still a novice as I've not yet found 1000 caches but I'm working on it. My best day caching was in July this year when along with another member of the team we found 55 caches on a walk around Banbury.

When I first joined the team I'd never been to a mega and didn't know what to expect - but now I have and I do! The journey so far has been fun, challenging and thought provoking - I'm looking forward to the challenges this venture will give me and of course meeting fellow cachers.

Emma Lifford

"Patch89"

Hi, I'm Patch89. Why 89, I hear you ask? It's to do with a silly prediction my father made when I was little and it stuck! I love geocaching because it has taken me to many special places that I may never have found. My favourite type of cache is event caches. I love to talk with people and share in many stories and adventures. My latest big adventure was 12 cities in 12 hours. This was fantastic fun and a great way to get to know people. I live by the sayings 'where the a will, there's a way' and 'people are important'. Thanks to many great friendships I have managed to fill in some of the harder D/T grids despite needing a wheelchair most of the time.

I would love to make this Mega as accessible to everyone as possible. So please come to events and meet with me and my assistance dog as we would love to chat with you.

Lyn Townsend

"Hedgegog3"

Hi, I'm Lyn. My caching name is hedgegog3. I love games, be it board games, card games or caching. I can spend hours solving puzzle caches as I don't like to be beaten!

I've only been caching a few years but visited many wonderful places. Italy is on the cards this year!

I love to camp, ride my bike and read. When caching and camping in York a spikey little friend came to visit our tent and as part of caching, it reminded me of how much we need to care for the environment and the creatures in it.

I look forward to meeting you all at CITO and other events.

Becky Leyshon

"becky_booh"

Hi, I'm Becky and I've been caching since 2014. I didn't find many for the first couple of years, then all of a sudden whoosh!! I was addicted. I love a good walk and being out in the countryside absorbing nature so geocaching is the perfect hobby.

It also led me to meet my lovely partner in 2020 during lockdown! Who'd of thought it!?

I've made so many friends through geocaching, it feels like a real community.

Liz Asquith

"Harry the furry squid"

I drifted into geocaching after buying a GPS to take letterboxing and then googling to see what else I could do with it, and have since found myself learning everything from classical cryptography to kayaking ... all in the pursuit of geocaches!

When not caching, I both compete in and coach target shooting, and spend the rest of my spare time hillwalking, climbing and letterboxing.

Gareth Evans

"GarthVader101"

Hi. I'm Gaz, known as GarthVader101. I got into geocaching in early 2015 after a friend found one by accident! I'm a bit of a pedestrian cacher as I'm not too fussed about the numbers and statistics, instead I focus on caches that seem interesting or are located in odd places I would otherwise never see.

As a social animal, I prefer caching with friends and enjoy going out for a good old-fashioned trail of caches to rack up some miles under foot, or sitting down as a group of friends and solving a good puzzle before heading off to find it.

I'm always happy to meet fellow cachers so if you see me about, come and say "Hi!"