About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breath taking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveller, but anyone else can go and find it too. More information can be found at the SideTracked Website
At publication, this cache is only the 5th virtual in the SideTracked series and is designed to complement the original Traditional SideTracked – Waterloo cache, GC1BFWV that has been in existence since 21/04/2008, placed by 37251. If you have not done it, then you need to leave the station via the Platform 1 exit and make your way over to it.
SideTracked - Waterloo (The Virtual)
This virtual cache has been placed to celebrate Britain’s largest and busiest railway station. The Waterloo Station terminus covers an area of 24.5 acres and remains Britain's busiest station, according to Office of Rail and Road (ORR) figures published Tuesday 14 January 2020. Between Sunday 1 April 2018 and Sunday 31 March 2019, the station saw 94.2m passenger entries and exits.
It is not surprising that Waterloo Station has developed an interesting catalogue of trivia and curiosities over the years, including “Meet me under the clock”, and is where you will be whilst at the published co-ordinates.
This famous four-sided clock has been a popular meeting point for Londoners (especially those on a romantic rendezvous) since the early 1920s. Manufactured by Gents of Leicester and hanging high over the main concourse, each panel has a diameter of 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m).
Although not mentioned directly, it is perhaps safe to assume that The Kinks had the clock in mind when writing their 1967 hit, Waterloo Sunset… which includes the lyric, “Terry meets Julie, Waterloo Station every Friday night.”
Waterloo’s clock played an important part in the much-loved BBC comedy, Only Fools and Horses. In the feature length episode, ‘Dates’ first broadcast on Christmas Day 1988, it is beneath the Waterloo clock that esteemed Londoner, Del Boy first meets his future wife, Raquel (although Del was worried about the rendezvous point at first - “the last girl I met at Waterloo Station got mugged on the escalator”!)
Access to see the clock up close is slightly easier these days with the balcony that was constructed as part of the station redevelopment and this is where you need to go to undertake your tasks. Take either one of the escalators or the lift up to the balcony.
Task 1: –
When you arrive on the balcony, head over to the enlarged replica of the Waterloo campaign medal. On the tablet there are 4 distinct blocks of text and from the 2nd block of text (the one that starts with "my heart....), make a note of the 1st word of the 4th line and call it word A
Task 2: –
Next, head over to the impressive stained glass window that depicts the London and South Western Railway crest. As you stand in front of the window, you will notice the balcony structure has covered up a “word” which was part of the original frieze which lists the counties served by the railway. Make a note of this and call it word B
Task 3: –
Turn around and face the clock, then walk over to the glass railing and take a picture of as much of yourself as you're happy to do, with the clock in the background or get someone else to take your picture (including the clock) for you and make sure you post it with your log.
Now send an email to wordA.wordB@gmail.com with your caching name in the subject field and if you are correct, you should receive an automated response which will allow you to log the find. REMEMBER to transpose the 2 x words that you have just found into the email address. If you don't receive a response back, then you have done something wrong. Any issues, then send a message to me directly via the caching page. I do hope you enjoyed your visit to Waterloo Station and this virtual cache.
For reasons that escape me, I understand that some cachers claim virtual finds without visiting GZ. Therefore logs without supporting photos and correct code messaged to me will be deleted without warning.
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.