Wylam was the birthplace of George Stevenson, known as the "Father of Railways" and inventor and creator of the eponymous Rocket, so what better place for a SideTracked FlashMob to celebrate the 11th annual SideTracked Day 2018? The cottage where he was born is a short walk away along the line of the dismantled Wylam Waggonway (now a National Cycleway); owned by the National Trust, the cottage is sadly now closed while its future is ‘re-evaluated’.
This will be a Flash Mob event lasting just 30 minutes
Where? At the eastern end of the public car park behind the War Memorial in the centre of Wylam (note NOT at Stevenson's Cottage!)
When? 6.30pm to 7pm on Friday 10 August 2018
Why? Because it's the 11th Annual SideTracked Day
Who? All cachers are welcome, young and young at heart, locals and visitors alike
I will have been visiting the Yorkshire Mega at Newby Hall near Ripon the week before, and decided to come on to Northumberland for a few days for some more caching, and to meet a few local and visiting cachers.
If you have never been to a Flash Mob before, you will be especially welcome. The idea is to suddenly assemble at 6.30pm out of nowhere, meet for 30 minutes, and then disperse just as suddenly and mysteriously. Bystanders will be left wondering what just happened! Try to avoid looking like a cacher until the appointed time, when a whistle will be blown (but probably not a steam whistle!) to mark the start of the event and the signal to reveal yourself. There will be a log for those who wish to mark their attendance, and a group photograph will be taken. It's anticipated that (as in previous years) a Profile Badge will be made available to attendees to add to their profile (now confirmed).
This car park is also the start point of the themed The Age of the Railway - where it began Wherigo, which I intend to complete earlier in the day. Nearby is the small Wylam Railway Museum housed in the old school, but apparently not open on Fridays.
More information on the series can be found on the SideTracked website.