WCH Brindley Heath event

[Rich]

Many WCH events in the past have been signposted in the past where Adventure Racer suggested and I'm guessing Peter expected sign posting to be here also. The internet is great for finding out grid references and directions but still not all people have access to it, clubs must remember this and good clear direction should be given on fliers.

Only last week I had problems finding the SHUOC event at Rivelin. You had to take the A57 out of Sheffield towards Rivelin, and the event was just off to the left after the Sportsman Pub. I took the wrong fork in the road at a junction and unfortunately found a pub called the Sportman but a couple of miles from where I should have been. I did find it but more by luck than judgement.

[guest]

One of my pet hates are event details without a grid reference, or more usually with just the grid reference of the middle of the area, which simply say 'signposted from'. Given the tendency for signs to turn round, disappear, or even not get put out in the first place, sensible directions right to the event car park should always be included.

[distracted]

This reminds me of a topic from a while back - why are the signposts for events generally so small? I know clubs like Chasers now have the big vertical banners which are very visible, but you can only see them if you've found the event!

Are we a secretive sport, or do we want to attract new people? There's bound to be a few people who would investigate further having seen a sign advertising a nearby orienteering event on a Sunday morning, even if they weren't intending to when they set out. What harm can it do?

[HOCOLITE]

Not a gripe re the event, but I got really pissed off with one competitor, who was following, she tagged onto me for a while but was quicker over terrain so then followed a mass on the green. She came to grief when the green and light green controls were different then waited to see where I went. Only satisfaction I have is that she didn't beat me and certainly didn't learn how to navigate.

[rosco]

I am now very good at U and 3-point turns because of my orienteering experience...

[SYO Member]

Not locating the event happened to me once. It was Easter Saturday 1985 and foregoing the JK at Kyloe, I went for a few days holiday to the south coast with my non-O fiancé (now wife but still non-O) with a plan to call in at an NGOC local event at Parkend in the Forest of Dean (GR 609115) and go round a course together. This was of course in pre-internet days but I did have the OS map, so other than phoning the organiser which I hadn’t, there was no real way of knowing if the event was definitely on.

The Grid Ref. was just the junction of the 2 B-roads crossing the Forest of Dean, and I assumed that the event would be signposted from there or in the vicinity. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case and after driving around the area looking for where I thought the event should be (a bit like when some people can’t find a control!), concluded that the event had been cancelled.

As this was the first event Joy would have been to, I had to convince her that orienteering was not finding the event but finding your way round a course once you’ve got to the event! Incidentally, to satisfy my curiosity after 21 years, would any NGOC member know if the event on 6th April 1985 did take place and where it actually was?

Ray

[pmats]

Peter B

I am also sorry your comments were negative, it is a shame to make a remark like that, having clearly not read the instructions correctly. I got to the roundabout mentioned and followed the signs not only to the event, but once there I even got signed to my exact parking space!

As for the event, you missed an eyeballs out blast around the forrest / open heathland. Good planning and the joy of watching a few local pikeys pushing over the port-a-loos (presumably enhabiting the very industrial estate you found - which is just off the map!).

[King Penguin]

A great event which I thoroughly enjoyed. I arrived early (before 10:00) and the only sign I saw at that time (coming up the A460 from Cannock) was the one into the carpark itself. Not a problem for me as I knew where I was going anyway.

On the subject of signs - a lesson learnt re. prior knowledge. I'm used to WCH always having a large finish banner, so get to last control, quick glance at map, out to veg boundary, turn left, sprint to finish. Spotted control in re-entrant to left, thought "that must be final control on another course" and kept going. Just before download thought "this can't be right", stopped, checked map, turned round and went back to finish, which was the control I had just run past.

Moral : always check control description, even on run-in to finish and don't assume there will be a finish banner - esp. if you have an early start.

As I drove out of the carpark on the way home I saw someone carrying a banner towards the finish.

[Adventure Racer]

Banner was around the back of the finish control when I was there (late start - was arriving as you left), but still subtle enough that whilst I didn't quite run past it, I still lost a place on the run in! Same note taken, to keep navigating to the finish and not assume it will be obvious. Just wish I'd had better legs yesterday, as it would have really suited me if I'd been fresh enough to run flat out.

[NeilC]

Moral : always check control description, even on run-in to finish and don't assume there will be a finish banner - esp. if you have an early start.

I'm impressed that your pacing skills are good enough to get you to the finish accurately, especially at speed.

[HOCOLITE]

Saw you do that King Penguin, and was confused as expected to see banner. Later saw white banner behind control and thought it had been there before and had blown upside down.

[OCM45]

Adventure Racer wrote ....I still lost a place on the run in!

Apologies to AR, King Penguin and others affected by this. We only had one Finish banner and it was across the road at the main Finish, used by the 6 shorter courses. However, I thought the runners on the 2 longer course would prefer the contrast of Brindley Heath (now sadly shorn of most of its trees) along with the slightly more taxing Hednesford Camp. Rather than have you cross a busy road twice, I decided to have a second finish next to the Car Park. Once we realised some of the early starters were having a problem spotting the Finish control (although it was out in the open and the correct distance from the last control!) we put a banner there. It didn't actually say Finish on it, but it seemed to do the trick.

I think I also spoiled the fun of some of those people who seem to love comparing run-in split times by having the two run-ins of different length!

Meanwhile thanks for all the nice comments on the thread about the courses. Makes all the effort worthwhile. (Sorry Peter B didn't have the chance to test one of them out.)

[tim sleepless]

While we're on a whinge about signing... what I especially enjoy is night events that are signposted by normal small o-signs at ground level, away from any lighting.

[Oldman]

I also found no signs in the usual place to the left of the A460 as you approach, and that point you over the railway. Indeed, I went past, assuming there was another way in and had to turn round in the next lay-by and return, using the Multimap printout I'd armed myself with. There were no signs until the car park turn. Mind you, as others have said, and had it not been for a Nopesport thread, I'd have been puzzled by the error in the GR given.

I think it would good to have a standard that "the event will be signposted from ..." was always included in the description: not everyone gets a flyer. The ... could eg be a clear road junction, which is why the NGOC 1985 event is disappointing, but then I always struggle to find NGOC events!

I suppose this also relates to the other thread about searchable fixtures where there is discussion of this same issue.

[Adventure Racer]

had it not been for a Nopesport thread, I'd have been puzzled by the error in the GR given.

I'm guessing that was where I noticed the flag on AH's site was in the middle of Wales rather than north of Birmingham, so chalk one up for his site being useful!