Organiser
I would just like to thank everyone who helped out on Sunday, they are to
numerous to mention but they know who they are. Also like to thank Steve
who like me turned up on Saturday to flatten the grass in the car park field.
Pity Steve had to destroy some of the wildlife, but then we do have to make
some sacrifices
Thanks must go to John for planning a most successful event and to Glyn as
controller, without them we could not have had an event. Once again thanks
to everyone and to all the competitors, some had travelled long
distances to
be there despite the weather that had been forecast, it turned out to be a
great day.
Karl Pickworth
Planner
It was clear talking to people in the car park that there were many
first-time orienteers in Stapleford today, and you must have enjoyed the short
courses because several people went back out for 2nd runs. The orange had a
couple of challenging legs, hence 126 was hung very high, but everyone got round
OK and some managed to cut a few corners which is what I was trying to
encourage. Several people commented that the light green and green courses were
too straightforward, but there were some long times too so I reckon they were
pitched about right. I hope that blue and brown competitors found a bit of
everything, making the most of Stapleford's excellent runnability early on and
again towards the end. Once the new stump banks have matured and the heath land
vegetation has moved in, those areas will offer some very challenging legs, I
let you off easy today! The same can't be said for the old fire damaged area
around 145/146/147, which is very technical with low visibility, and caused some
discussion. After the fast running legs many people simply didn't change down a
gear and make sure their compass work was accurate, but you rarely have to do
this in the East Midlands. I hope no one disturbed the snake Glyn and I saw in
there yesterday!
Finally, huge thanks to Glyn for his patience. Neither he nor I saw the finished
map until the Thursday before the event, not ideal but it cuts down on
controller's expenses! Thanks also to Ian Durrant who got the map printed at the
11th hour, you were nearly colouring your own in the car park!
John Bennett
Controller
I can only concur with John, that receiving the draft courses four days
before the event and the map three days before the event is not to be
advised and had John been a much less experienced planner then such events
might have invited disaster. However Johns' thoroughness meant that
everything was spot on first time leaving me free to actually do the job of
controller and act as a second pair of eyes.
John has already mentioned the discussion that arose around controls 145,146
& 147 which I read with interest. Having reflected on the comments made by a
much respected Grade 2 controller who ran the Blue I would with hindsight
have to concede that 146 should probably have been hung a little higher,
which would have made a difficult control in a difficult area a little
easier to find.
Brickbats
At least two people were seen running in a clearly marked out of bounds
area, and had I been able to have identified you, you would have been
disqualified (BOF Rule 7.2.6). However more importantly you might have blown
yourselves up as the out of bounds area is clearly signed as part of a
firing range on which the possibility of unexploded live shells being
present is a distinct possibility.
Secondly in the interests of fairness competitors running a second course
should declare themselves as non-competitive and not employ methods of
subterfuge such as entering under a slightly different name, or different
age category or indeed running the second course on a hire card. In addition
this was a galoppen event the rules of which also clearly state that only
the first run course should count.
Bouquets
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the helpers on the day,
who kept smiling despite getting totally drenched at both ends of the day
(hopefully the organiser will give you all a name check in his comments) and
last but not least a big thank you to everyone who came to support our event
despite the attractions elsewhere.
Glyn Mayley (LOG)
Controller