09-Sep-2003 -- First attempt
Tuesday, September 9th, 2003

I first learned about DCP when I joined IFRAA, International Fellowship of Rotarian Amateur Astronomers. Of course I already knew since childhood that I was born and now live close to N56E13, that is I always knew where on the globe I was.

I am a geographer, more precisely a social geographer, and my family has travelled widely and we also lived for 5 years in Tanzania. I got my first GPS for Christmas in 1995 I believe. I wish I had had one in Africa where I often navigated with compass and poor maps.

I used the GPS to note our travels, finding dive spots and also to find our way back to hotels in large cities. N56E13 is only 15 kilometres SSE of our home. I saw in the DCP that the spot had been visited by a Danish family and one day my husband and I decided to go there to have a look. This was on September 9th, 2003. We arrived there around 17.30 (5p.m.) and calculated sunset was 17,43 (daylight saving time)

I had made a LMK for N56E13 at home, then put the GPS in the GOTO mode, and as we drove the car in a southern direction I could easily follow as we closed in. There was a small road just as the Danes had written but I got the point away from that. Instead we turned into Plantvägen and parked in a farmyard. The old man owning the house was very interested in my explanation and wanted to know where this point would be.

In Sweden there is a Law on Everybody’s right to access all but fenced-in land. There was no trouble in walking over the harvested fields. I found the spot 140 m East of the “Danish” point. I checked the GPS and found it to be EPE 3 feet with 7 satellites. I shot the pictures in all four directions an as seen from them, the coming night is approaching fast. The pictures are very dark. The spot was in the middle of a field where the farmer had grown wheat. We went back to the old man and explained where the real point probably was. But, we added we were coming back for a further check. Just to make sure. The man promised to show any DCP people the spot and wished them welcome. We drove home in the twilight and discussed how to establish a more reliable definition of N56E13.

Visitors Helena and Bo Hesselmark

N56E13 – Second Attempt.

Wednesday, September 10th, 2003

Yesterday we visited N56E13 but as we found the confluence 140 m East of the earlier reported place we wanted to make sure that WE really were right. I phoned the council surveyor for the Municipality of Bjuv, where Ekeby is located. The direction to N56E13 states Skromberga as a geographical name in the neighbourhood. That name is no longer used on any maps in Sweden. The correct place to name is Truedstorp or Ekeby.

The surveyor, Mr Kjell-Arne Hakansson was very interested. I explained my dilemma and he was sympathetic. We could meet at 13.00 hours – in 2 hours at the spot. There was no need for me to ask to come to his office to check my GPS to his; he would come with me into the field. This time our son, Kristian came along. There where black clouds in the direction of Copenhagen---and N56E13. A light rain fell when we came closer but still weather was good. We were 15 minutes early and decided to look for the “Danish spot”. We found it precisely in the backyard mentioned in their report. The young lady of the house was at home and showed us where the grill used to be. It was no longer. I also explained that the closeness to a DC point is nothing dangerous as it is all an invention of man, to make maps.

We drove up to the farmyard and met the council surveyor. Kristian and I started walking the 100 m towards the previously visited site and got a lock at the same very spot. Then Heaven reacted and opened up. Tons of water flooded the field and we all but had to swim back. The surveyor and I postponed our confirmation to another day. He promised to phone when he was in the neighbourhood again. The old man of the farm wished us welcome back and waved us off.

Helena and Kristian Hesselmark

N56E13, Third Visit –the Confirmation of visit 1 and 2

Wednesday, September 17th, 2003

Council surveyor, Mr Kjell-Arne Hakansson from Municipality of Bjuv phoned at 09.10 (9.10 a.m.) telling me he was now close to N56E13. A week earlier we hade met to confirm N56E13 but heavy rains had prevented us from doing so.

Our two granddaughters, Emily 9 years old and Ida almost 7, were staying with us for some days. We were just moving out to pick apples in an orchard that once belonged to my father-in-law. It is situated only a few hundreds metres from our own house.

We quickly change our priorities. Picked up GPS and camera and drove off. This was the third trip for me in 8 days to this very spot. We met Mr Hakansson fully rigged in orange utility wear and with his impressing TRIMBLE 5700. Mounted in a backpack with a long antenna as a walking stick in his hand.

I checked my GPS to his and decided on the same reference code system WGS84 as this expedition was all for the benefit of the DCP. We walked passed the old man’s house. He was not at home. We converged on the same spot – the third time for me. The field was now ploughed and harrowed.

We saw the house where the Danes had been in a Western direction. The correlation of our two GPSes was good. The position had been the same all three times on my GPS, give or take 1-2 m. Specifications given by the Trimble 5700 GPS was

Horizontal precision 0,007 m
Vertical precision 0,011 m
Altitude was stated as 78,335 m

I believe we can now decide that N56E13 is visited and confirmed.

To make all Danes happy I will also include that both Emily and Ida are not only Swedish citizens, because of their Swedish mother, our daughter, but also Danish because of their father.

Visitors Helena and Bo Hesselmark with granddaughters Emily 9 years and Ida 7 years.

Bjuv Municipality surveyor Kjell-Arne Håkansson