After a two year hiatus, the Mardles are being switched back on and what better day to flick the switch than Blue Switch Day!
What Is A Mardle?
In Norfolk and Suffolk, a Mardle means to chat or to gather and this is usually done near a pond! The word Mardle was therefore used as a title for the monthly Geocaching meets in Norfolk/Suffolk. The very first Mardle was held on 15 November 2014 and was attended by 28 geocachers. The Mardles ran consistently for 5 ½ years with larger events like the May Mammoth Mardle (run by The Kitchpoos) and the Christmas Mardle (run by Geopathic*) becoming firm favourites and a date to look forward to each year! There is even a logbook, carefully guarded by the custodians (FuzzyBears), that has been signed at every event! Then in April 2020, the Mardles were paused and everything ground to a halt! After a two year break, we are therefore delighted to be switching the Mardles back on and we extend a warm welcome to experienced cachers as well as those just starting out.
What Is Blue Switch Day?
On 2 May 2000, the US government discontinued its use of Selective Availability in order to make GPS more responsive to civil and commercial users worldwide. 24 satellites around the globe processed their new orders and instantly the accuracy of GPS technology improved tenfold. Tens of thousands of GPS receivers around the world had an instant upgrade. Prior to this date, only the military had the availability to receive accurate GPS readings. Now the whole world could pinpoint their exact location! For reasons unknown, this is often referred to as the flipping of the “Big Blue Switch.”
The very next day, a computer consultant named Dave Ulmer hid a black bucket in the woods near Portland, Oregon. Along with a logbook and pencil, he left various prize items including videos, books, software and a slingshot, then posted the coordinates online. Three days later, the container was located by Mike Teague. Now, 22 years later, geocaching has become the wonderful hobby that it is!
The Event:
The Mardle will be held on the early May Bank Holiday from 12 - 3pm at The Worlds End in Mulbarton. Assuming that the weather is kind to us, we will be sat in the large pub garden to the rear. Food is available and this can be ordered directly from the bar. There is a large parking area to the right-hand side of the pub. The venue is also wheelchair accessible and welcomes well behaved dogs (and owners)!!
To celebrate Blue Switch Day and the long awaited return of the Mardles, we think it would be great to see everyone wearing an item of blue clothing, with a prize being awarded for the most BLUE! By logging this event (or any other cache over the bank holiday weekend), you will also automatically earn yourself the coveted Blue Switch Day souvenir!
We will have a pot for TB’s so feel free to bring them along! There are a number of existing caches in the area and a few more may also go live on the day of the event!
Please post your will attend if you plan to come along so we can let the pub know how many of us to expect. We very much look forward to seeing you all there!
Future of the Mardles:
Who Can Host a Mardle? Anyone! Even if you have not hosted an event before, please do get in touch as we are happy to guide you through the process!
Any Guidance for Hosting? It would be great if the event could last 1 hour or more and it can be held anywhere in Norfolk or Suffolk. Ideally, it should be held at a convenient time and day so that as many people as possible have a chance to attend.
How Do I Get Involved? Please contact me via the Geocaching Messaging Centre if you wish to host a Mardle.
Community Celebration Events - 2022
This Event is part of a limited release of Community Celebration Events to celebrate 20 years of geocaching. Geocachers hosted events between May 2, 2020 and December 31, 2022. Learn more about Community Celebration Events on the Geocaching Blog.