Blog

POTA Activation Report: Ham Common

Written on Friday 3 Jan 2025

From my regular childhood haunts, to this place—despite being in my home town, I don’t think I have ever been here before. This is Ham Common, POTA ref. GB-1302, an area of heathland with a large fishing lake and two look-out points to enjoy scenic views of Poole Harbour. And...

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POTA Activation Report: Upton Country Park

Written on Thursday 2 Jan 2025

Since I discovered that POTA had an award for activating in the first week of the new year, naturally I had to kick off 2025 by getting my nerd on in a field. January 1st was a write-off, with wind and warnings in place and a G4 solar storm lighting...

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POTA Activation Report: Moors Valley

Written on Saturday 28 Dec 2024

We are continuing working our way around local parks, nerding out on the radio in all the places we haven’t previously nerded before. This afternoon it was the turn of Moors Valley Country Park, POTA ref. GB-1724. This place is the peak of childhood days out, aged about 6-10. There’s...

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POTA Activation Report: Canford Heath

Written on Monday 23 Dec 2024

From the smallest local SSSI, to the largest! Completing the trifecta of local heathland areas that I recently asked to be added to Parks on the Air, this is Canford Heath Site of Significant Scientific Interest (GB-3623, GFF-0315). It’s one of the largest protected heathland areas in Dorset, and it’s...

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POTA Activation Report: Turbary Common

Written on Thursday 19 Dec 2024

When I realised I was leaving home with only two hours to go until sunset, should I have taken the hint? When I realised I’d forgotten the camp chair, and my activation spot would be a bramble-covered tree stump, should I have taken the hint? When the rain started blowing...

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Billy Bass Basket Case (Alt. Ver.)

Written on Wednesday 18 Dec 2024

Earlier this year, Green Day announced a number of special releases to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their album Dookie. My first reaction was, of course, “oh god what no, it’s not thirty… of fuck, please stop reminding me that I am middle-aged!” Once I got over the shock, I...

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POTA Activation Report: Talbot Heath

Written on Tuesday 17 Dec 2024

It’s another one of those limbo days, where I’m not at work but the rest of the household are out doing their normal weekday things. After so many years of family and working life, I have to remind myself that it’s actually possible to just go out and do something—no...

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POTA Activation Report: Holton Heath

Written on Saturday 16 Nov 2024

Ever since our first Brownsea Island activation I’ve been thinking of ticking off other nearby parks that are still sat unactivated. A recent update added pretty much every scrap of green space in Christchurch, but all of those were quickly snapped up. A weird outlier nearby, though, is GB-0093 Dorset...

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POTA Activation Report: River Hamble Country Park

Written on Tuesday 12 Nov 2024

My work off-site finished at lunchtime, leaving me with little to do besides drive most of the M27 and sit around at home. A better idea: do some radio nerd stuff in a field instead. The BBQ field at River Hamble Country Park GB-2465, River Hamble Country Park is sited...

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POTA Activation Report: Poor Common

Written on Thursday 31 Oct 2024

There are dozens, if not hundreds of places in the UK called “Poor Common”; land granted many centuries ago by the local Lord to ordinary people so that they had somewhere to graze their livestock. But this one, GB-1723 Poor Common Nature Reserve is the only one in the POTA...

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