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Merry Christmas everyone! Yes, it's the end of another year, and a good time to reflect on what you've achieved during this year, and where you want to aim at in the next, whether it's a performance peak at the British Champs, getting gold standard at a local badge event, or just moving up to longer and more interesting colour coded courses.
Nor is performance at events the whole story: events don't happen by themselves, and I'm sure you'll all be aware of regular calls for volunteers to help from your club. If you've never tried planning an event before, why not make 2003 the year you do? It's not nearly as hard as you might think, there are comprehensive guidelines to help, and it's just as much fun as competing, if not more so. Or have you ever looked closely at a map after an event, and wondered how they're put together? Again, it's not hard to do, and seeing your first map in print is a satisfying experience. Look ahead to 2003, and think how you want to be involved!
For me, 2002 was made by two long weekends away, both to events in wonderful technical terrain. First was the Cambridge-Oxford Varsity Match, held just outside Stockholm in March, with snow on the ground in many places, and frozen lakes to offer route choice for the brave... A couple of months later, and to the British Championships in Northern Ireland, on sand dunes in brilliant sunshine. I think that this contrast in conditions exemplifies the challenge of orienteering, the way in which there are always new experiences to be had.
It's fair to say that towards the end of this year the number of events I've managed to get to has been limited to say the least, partly due to injury but mostly because I've just found myself too busy - the times when I'd go to an event every weekend are past for now. But I've rediscovered my motivation after a glorious day's training (on sand dunes near Barrow) earlier this month, and will be aiming to get to plenty more East Anglian events in the new year. I hope to see many of you there.
Mark Collis (DRONGO/WAOC)
It has been a busy time since the last edition of Points East. Many clubs have held their AGM in recent months, and I suspect all have struggled to fill all the positions without a great deal of arm twisting! However, new committees are in place with the stalwarts carrying on, familiar friends in new roles and some new faces as well. I intend producing an up-to-date list of club committees. I will circulate this via the EA E-group. (It may not be before Xmas though!)
The weekends have been full of orienteering events. I sometimes wonder if the calendar is a little too full. Perhaps this may be part of the problem in reduced attendance at events and fewer volunteers to run the events. Well done to Stragglers on their second place in the final of CompassSport Trophy and to their juniors on winning the regional round of the Yvette Baker and good luck in the final.
In fact the juniors in particular have been exceptionally busy with JHI's, a Start programme training weekend, Lakeside and Squad weekends in addition to the events that the rest of have been cramming in. I have no idea how they manage to fit in school work! And the good news is that the Junior Squad now has two new co-ordinators in the shape of Andy Malley and Clive Tant from SOS. Development of the talents of our young people are perhaps the most important work of the region. Without the next generation, there will be no orienteering.
Many congratulations to Chris Sellens (SOS) on his selection for the British Junior Squad and Suzy Robertson (SOS) on her selection to the Development Squad. They both deserve the recognition for their hard work-it is not just talent that gets you to this level. I'm sure they will get a great deal out of the opportunities that this will present to them. And what makes it more deserved, is that both these young people put a great deal back in to their club and to the region. Both of them have acted as assistant coaches at Lakeside and on the latest squad weekend, with Chris planning some of the exercises. They are an inspiration to us all.
And as this will be the last edition of 2002, I'll take this opportunity to wish you Good Orienteering in 2003.
Lyn West (SOS)
An exciting new development, and how SOS members hope to combine new woodlands with old friends remembered:
The Woodland Trust has recently announced the acquisition of 600 acres of farmland around Fordham, near Colchester, right in the heart of Straggler country. This land is to be returned to natural broadleaf woodland, wildflower meadows and wetlands beside the River Colne. The Woodland Trust's representative in Essex is Woodland Officer Geoff Sinclair (Tel: 01473 327771) who lives in Ipswich. He tells me that the Trust wants to involve the community in the use and enjoyment of the resource and, as he put it, to encourage "local ownership" of the site. Tree planting will begin in the Autumn of 2003 and we should have a large and mature wood on our doorsteps by about 2030! Yes, it will take a while, but the intention is for the area to become a resource for the community from the start with, for example, the development of schools educational trails.
Stragglers intend being involved with the Trust at Fordham from the outset, by producing an orienteering map of the area at an appropriate stage and by helping to develop the schools educational trails and a eventually a permanent orienteering course. The Trust is keen for this to happen.
Since the death of Mark Johnson in July, members of Essex Stragglers have been looking for a way of providing a tribute to him. Mark would have been characteristically enthusiastic at the future prospects of the Fordham Wood. The Woodland Trust allows dedication of a stand of trees to commemorate an event or person. The committee feels this would be an appropriate way to celebrate Mark's life and have established a fund to pay for such a memorial to Mark. If you would like to contribute to this fund, please send cheques payable to Essex Stragglers to the club treasurer, Steve Robertson, 9 Moatfields, Fordham, Colchester, Essex CO6 3PG.
Jack Isbester (SOS)
British Schools Championships
Or, how Barnardiston Hall take the Forest of Dean by storm...
Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School, members of both SUFFOC & SOS, came back from the British Schools at New Beechenhurst in the Forest of Dean in triumph. They were crowned Middle/Preparatory School Champions. Congratulations to the scoring team of Thomas King (Winner Year 8 Boys), Martha Crowhurst (2nd Year 5 Girls), Matthew Dickens (4th Year 8 Boys) and Alice Wilson (5th Year 6 Girls).
The school also had Year Team winners in Girls Year 5 (Martha, Sarah Roach & Robyn Durrant) and Year 6 (Alice, Alycia Gundersen and the pair of Abbi Pass & Alicia Cocks). The boys had to be content with second places-Year 5 (Bradley Kershaw, Thomas Greenwell & Christian Gregory), Year 6 (Stephen Dickens, Thomas Rae & Christopher Buckingham) and Year 8 (Thomas, Matthew & Elliott Swinney).
Wymondham College, members of NOR, had their Girls Year 8 team of Madeleine Last, Leanne Barnes and Ruth Taylor placed 6th. These 3 girls are new recruits to the junior squad so we hope to hear more of them in the future.
A number of other juniors from the region also ran. Congratulations to Helen Gardner (WAOC) on winning Girls Year 11. Other top ten places were Jo West (SOS, 5th GYr10), James Lyne (SOS, 8th BYr 9), Simon Gardner (WAOC, 10th BYr9) & Peter Gardner (WAOC, 9th BYr13). Well done to you all.
Lyn West (SOS)
and from a competitors point of view:On Saturday the 12th October I took part in the British Schools Score Championships at Lever Park in Bolton. We drove up on Friday night to stay with my grand parents and on Saturday headed from Burnley to Bolton. Myself, Jamie and Duncan were all competing. We started at about 10:30 at which time our 45 minutes started. The aim of the competition was to get to as many of the 23 controls as we could within the time limit. The nearest controls were worth fewer points than the furthest ones.
Jamie was competing in the Year 9 boys, for Mark Rutherford Upper School, Duncan the Year 5 boys for Hazeldene Lower School (even though he is a year below that age) and me the Year 7 girls for Goldington Middle School. All of our overall scores were fairly good and we all achieved a place in the top 20, with Jamie 7th. In the afternoon Jamie and Duncan watched Burnley FC beat Walsall. The next day we joined up with the East Anglia Junior Squad to do a badge event at Ogden Water on the Yorkshire Pennines.
On Sunday the 17th November the three of us also took part in the British Schools Championships in the Forest of Dean. This was not a score event and was a lot larger than the Score Champs. We had very late start times and did not start until noon. The courses were very simple and were completed in under 20 minutes for most people. Duncan came 12th from 54 competitors again in Year 5 (older than him) doing 1.8k in 14 mins, Jamie came 20th from 53 (losing places due to an ambitious off-path route choice) doing 3.1k in 26 mins, and I came 16th from 54 doing 1.9k in 16 mins.
When we had completed the courses we went and had a go at puzzle O. It was a mini course covering a small area. You were required to find controls, which had clues or symbols leading to the next control. They also had a tent where you could get a picture signed by two British squad orienteers, Jenny Whitehead and Oli Johnson. Even better, we got the next day off school to cycle through the forest with mum and dad, in the sun.
Overall I really enjoyed the two British schools events and I am looking forward to doing them again next year.
Katrina Taylor (WAOC)
Junior Home Internationals
When I was handed a white envelope at the Lakes 5 day in August I was thrilled to have been selected to go to the JHIs (Junior Home Internationals) as part of the 24 strong English team. Also selected from the region were Suzy Robertson (SOS), Chris Sellens (SOS), Helen Gardner (WAOC) and Ed Kelleher (NOR). This year the JHIs were held in Scotland near Pitlochry on the 5th/6th October. We left Doncaster station in a minibus at midday on the Friday and made our way north collecting various people en route. We arrived at our accommodation for the weekend, a caravan site, at about 8:30 and settled ourselves in.
The individual day was held on Errochty, a new area north of Pitlochry, tough but runnable although visibility was low. I finished 6th, Suzy 6th, Chris 3rd, Helen 2nd and Ed was unfortunately disqualified due to a mispunch. The situation after the individual races was that Scotland were lying ahead of England by just a few points: hopes were high that we could pull this back on the relays. Then for the socialising - the prize giving evening was held at a local country club and was followed by a disco/ceilidh run by a complete nutter (Scotsman masquerading as Rod Stewart)!
Up relatively early the next morning because we had to be packed up, then off to the relays held on Faskaly which was in my opinion a great relay area. Due to my performance on the Saturday I had been put in the fourth girls team, not something that inspires great orienteering but I was still determined to do my best. Suzy's team were the first English girls team home behind the first Scottish team, my team finished 5th just behind Helen's team but still ahead of the 2nd Scottish team. Ed made up for the individual with a great run helping his team to achieve 1st place and Chris' team did well to finish 4th. However, the English had not done enough - we had won the relay competition but this was not enough to take the weekend. The final result was a historic victory for the Scots, and they celebrated in a traditional way with the bagpipes skirling as we headed south.
Joanne West (SOS)
All of you who are members of BOF will have received your renewal notices by now, but if you haven't sent it back yet, read this. Due to an administrative error, the old-style individual association fee has resurfaced, so you're being asked for too much (e.g. by £7 for an individual senior). The correct BOF fees are £15/£3.50/£22.50 for senior/junior/family membership, plus whatever your club fees are if they're collected via BOF. They have suggested that you cross out the incorrect fee and replace it with the right one, adding a short note to explain why.
And if you're like me, and just paid what was asked without checking... the extra collected by BOF will be passed on to EAOA and be refunded to you.
Congratulations to Andrew Cordle (SOS), who wins for sending his solution to me within a matter of hours! An honourable mention also to John T Ward (NOR) for being the only other reader to complete it. (hopefully he's not the only other reader ;-)
And finally, remember that contributions to Points East are always welcome, please send either by email to mwc22@cam.ac.uk, or by post to Mark Collis, Pembroke College, Cambridge CB2 1RF.