How I became a Boxaholic

A brief description on how you were bitten by the letterbox bug

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Gold Coast Green Man

How I became a Boxaholic

Post by Gold Coast Green Man »

It started many years ago, too many to be absolutely sure of it but sometime around 1990 .... give or take a year or so.

We were on holiday at the time and on our last day came across a book on boxing in a gift shop at Lydford. We were hooked...lined and sinkered and made trips to the moor on average once a month for many years. We'd be out from breakfast until forced off by sunset.

The first 50/60 boxes we found without clues and then we came across some people with travelling boxes who told us about a group that met in a Princetown pub. We added a few travellers to our collection that night and within a few weeks had got up to 100.

Then followed our first meet, first catalogues, first charity walks and membership of the 100 Club...white, blue, yellow and 1000 badges. Treks to Fur Tor and Cranmere Pool.

Even when the kids came along we still pounded the moor, first with them in back packs, then three wheeled strollers until they were old enough to run off ahead of us and set the pace.

Then it all stopped when we moved to Oz 3 years ago and I missed it so very much. Not just the boxing but also the moors.

In Jan we were back in the UK for a week and stayed at Bovisand but spent the whole week on the moor with the kids who are now in their mid teens and still as keen on boxing as we are. We were having a search around the back of Kings Tor without any clues and were delighted to find Kings Scout again, a stamp that we found many years earlier.

Wistmans Wood was always one of our favourite locations but not much to be found there now, I read from this site that its been turned into a newtake. Bit of a shame as such a great place and with a good walk round by the leat. Anyone remember A Dartmoor Jigsaw? I recall finding a few pieces there years ago.

Although I love Australia there is nothing like Dartmoor here - that freedom to roam, the ageless rugged beauty of the scenery, the granite workings, stone rows and circles, the history.

Now working on plans for another visit next year and a full 2 weeks out on the hills.
Nik - KOTM
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Post by Nik - KOTM »

Just reading your post.... seems you started around the same time as me... Loads of water under the bridge etc but I do recall the Dartmoor Jigsaw that was sited up and around Wistmans Wood - do you remember the stamp that used to hang from one of the trees - I never found it - though it was there for a long time... ah better days without the Dartmoor letterbox theif....

I can understand your pining for the moor - I know what it is like as I am now based up the line in London and cant get down as much as I like though Oz to Dartmoor is a bit further than I would want to travel... I suppose once bitten by the Dartmoor bug - you never want to leave it
Nik 245 to go
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