Pink Floyd's Animals (1977)
Pink Floyd's tenth studio album, loosely based on George Orwell's Animal Farm, may not have been one of their creative high points, but it did have an iconic album cover!
Flying pigs were to become a staple of Pink Floyd's live shows, but the first was seen suspended between two chimneys of the Battersea Power Station in December 1976. During the photoshoot, the helium-filled pig broke free of its moorings and disappeared from view. It flew over Heathrow, resulting in panic and cancelled flights; it was even spotted in flight by pilots. The pig was recovered from a farm in Kent later that day.
Battersea Power Station
Battersea was in fact two power stations housed in a single building - the largest brick structure in Europe. Work started in 1929, with 'Battersea A' operational from 1935 to 1975. Completion of 'Battersea B' was delayed by the Second World War; it operated from 1955 to 1983. As the station came to the end of its operational life, there were concerns for the building's future. Thanks to a successful campaign, in 1980 the station was declared a heritage site and awarded Grade II listed status.
Since then, there have been many plans for redevelopment of the site: a theme park, a hotel, a new biomass power station, an eco-dome, and even a football stadium. Restoration work eventually began in 2013; the power station opened to the public in October 2022. It has been criticised as "a playground for the super-rich", with very expensive housing and luxury shops. Ironic, given Animals' focus on the social-political conditions of mid-1970s Britain!
The Cache
Around the power station, placed just inside the Circus Road perimeter, you'll find ten small information boards. You'll need to pay particular attention to five of them, grabbing a letter from each. They are ordered here as required for the email (see below), but you should be able to plan a more optimal route!
1. Before the Power Station (N 51° 28.901 W 000° 08.586)
V is the first letter of the crop known as 'Battersea Bundles'.
2. Extraordinary Scale (N 51° 28.944 W 000° 08.739)
W is the fourth - and last - letter of the name of the Saint.
3. The Chimneys (N 51° 28.890 W 000° 08.755)
X is the first initial of the designer.
4. Screen Icon (N 51° 28.856 W 000° 08.635)
Y is the first letter of the longer of the two words describing the pig.
5. The River Thames (N 51° 28.950 W 000° 08.605)
Z is the capital letter that appears twice in the last paragraph.
Logging requirements
There are two logging requirements to claim a find on this Virtual Cache.
1. Email
Please send an email to VWXYZ.animals@gmail.com, where VWXYZ are the five letters gathered from the information boards. Please include your geocaching name as the email subject. If your answers are correct, you should receive an immediate confirmation.
2. Photo
Take a photo of yourself (your face is not required) or a personal item in front of the power station, and attach it to your 'Found' log. (Imaginative photos are encouraged!)
The IceCold Crew at Battersea Power Station
Congratulations on the FTF to BoxHunter1991.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between 1 March 2022 and 1 March 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.