Midland Champs

[Oldman]

Next year it's more central again, on an area that I have ghastly memories of, and will take a fair amount of persuasion that it'll be up to scratch for a top class event

And Awk ... remind me to piss on your next event before it happens.

Well said, Mrs H!

[awk]

And Awk - as no one's been in there in yonks your memory must be playing tricks on you

Very possibly, but have just checked with OH, and she has similar memories. There was no intention of p*ssing on any event so sorry if that was the effect. What i was trying to emphasise is how how perceptions can affect people's willingness to travel, whatever the 'reality', and that even Level A events need selling. But you of all people know that already.

What's the event the day before?

[Mrs H]

Well -your "perception' is causing other people who have no experience of the area to have "pre-conceptions" which may be entirely erroneous simply to make a point about another event entirely.

And since you ask - the day before should be the first Malvern Urban Race - the nope cartel have been informed in the hope it may be included in the league - but even if it is not - it will be fantastic - and may possibly form part of a Midland Urban League . Malvern has evereything - quaint town, commons, parks and proper terrain within a couple 100 metres of the town centre.

It will be occupying a great deal of my and Mr Hs time as soon as SinS 2011 is over.

[DaveK]

Next year it's more central again, on an area that I have ghastly memories of, and will take a fair amount of persuasion that it'll be up to scratch for a top class event, especially given what other terrain is available in the West Midlands.

And Awk - as no one's been in there in yonks your memory must be playing tricks on you - anyway the event the day before will be worth traveling for alone - and remind me to piss on your next event before it happens.

Well, I if I don't ask someone will, where will it be held?

[IanD]

Well, I if I don't ask someone will, where will it be held?

The BOF website has the answer:
http://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/index.php?pg=event&action=details&id=58105

[seabird]

My memories of it were not that bad. And it's earlier in the year this time.

But its further from this bit of the north than Sheringham - so I still probably won't go.

Memories of Sheringham from BOC 19?? have it as the clearly superior of the two areas.

Finally, awk's and my club's last event was literally pissed on, albeit not in advance. We need no help Mrs H.

[awk]

Malvern has evereything - quaint town, commons, parks and proper terrain within a couple 100 metres of the town centre.

Sounds good!

[Clive Coles]

I have never been to Foxley and Garnstone ~ if Major events and the Controller are happy that the area provides sufficient technical challenge for a level A event we should back their judgement. Quite content therefore for the organisiers to make this a great weekend next year. I am sure they will.

I have always enjoyed my trips across to your part of the world Mrs H. SINS in my experience has always lived up to it's billing ~ so no reason why the Midland Champs shouldn't either.

[Homer]

I'm sure I must have been to Foxley and Garnstone before. I was thinking it was BOC 2000 but, having checked my maps, that was Haugh Wood and Fownhope Park. That was a pretty good area, especially for part of the country not blessed with some of the best terrain. What has Foxley and Garnstone been used for before?
I'm sure I'll be there whatever perceptions of the area I may have. Level A events are worth the effort getting there wherever they may be.

Incidentally, can anyone from EAOA tell us why we haven't had a major event on Pretty Corner/Beeston Regis/Felbrigg for some time? I rate that area above Sherringham, but haven't had the chance to run there since JK 1986.

[awk]

If Major events and the Controller are happy that the area provides sufficient technical challenge for a level A event we should back their judgement.

So are we not allowed to express an opinion about areas now, but leave British Orienteering to tell us what to think? Hmmmm.

I simply offered one person's view/experience of an area. Unlike Mrs H, I don't think my opinion carries that much weight (very flattering though). What I do think is that organisers who don't take on board people's perceptions (of terrain, of distance, of quality etc etc) will see numbers lower than expected. With the upheaval over the fixtures structure, rises in costs and what looks like an evern increasing availability of local orienteering and competing events, we can't any more simply attach a label to an event and expect people to turn up, as quite a few organisers and clubs have recently found. Some areas/events will sell themselves, but most won't.

(Homer, I didn't go to that British - I remember it from the JK in the early 90s).

[Clive Coles]

All three areas are still in regular use Homer ~ none of them by themselves are really large enough for a Classic Distance Championship.

Felbrigg and Pretty Corner were combined for the '86 JK ~ the last time EAOA hosted the JK. The traffic in those days on the A148 was however considerably slower. We were more relaxed about major road crossings in those days.

Thetford Forest was utilised for the other 2 days of the JK. A nice large forest, plenty of pits but almost no significant contours.

EAOA dropped out of the JK scene after that ~ comments were made about East Anglia being too far away and not being technical enough for "real" orienteers. Wasn't party to that decision but I can understand why it was taken. Life hasn't changed.

If you want to go orienteering on the Cromer ridge you will need to look out for some level B's or the more regular level C events. Come an enjoy with the locals.

[awk]

EAOA dropped out of the JK scene after that ~ comments were made about East Anglia being too far away and not being technical enough for "real" orienteers. Wasn't party to that decision but I can understand why it was taken. Life hasn't changed.

Had and have huge sympathy with EAOA on this one. Interesting how the real, as opposed to 'real', orienteers flock to the Spring Cup, where the forests aren't a whole lot more technical than Thetford. I enjoyed that JK - with two such contrasting individual areas and then a return to Thetford for the relays it made for a good weekend's competition.

[Homer]

I enjoyed that JK - with two such contrasting individual areas and then a return to Thetford for the relays it made for a good weekend's competition.

I agree. I have nothing but good memories of JK 86.

The traffic in those days on the A148 was however considerably slower. We were more relaxed about major road crossings in those days.

Yes, but with electronic punching it is relatively simple to have a timed out road crossing. There will be one at this year's BOC.

[redpossum]

I'm sure I must have been to Foxley and Garnstone before. I was thinking it was BOC 2000 but, having checked my maps, that was Haugh Wood and Fownhope Park. That was a pretty good area, especially for part of the country not blessed with some of the best terrain. What has Foxley and Garnstone been used for before?
I'm sure I'll be there whatever perceptions of the area I may have. Level A events are worth the effort getting there wherever they may be.

Incidentally, can anyone from EAOA tell us why we haven't had a major event on Pretty Corner/Beeston Regis/Felbrigg for some time? I rate that area above Sherringham, but haven't had the chance to run there since JK 1986.

Garnstone and Foxley was the first day of JK 1994 put on by the now defunct WYE club. It was also used as the first day of SinS the following year.

Pretty Corner was also used at BOC 1992 and, for the longer, used two separate maps connected by a 1km road run. The maps I ran on were called Pretty Corner (East Wood, Old Wood & Roman Camp) and Sheringham Park (Kelling Heath, Weybourne and Bodham Wood). Missing from the 1992 map was the Great Wood area NW of Felbrigg. Very good areas but I was, unfortunately, unable to go to this year's Midland Champs.

[Roger]

I enjoyed that JK - with two such contrasting individual areas and then a return to Thetford for the relays it made for a good weekend's competition.

I agree. I have nothing but good memories of JK 86.

Agreed again. I think it was the first JK with more than 3000 competitors and OUOC's club president answered EAOA's request for assistance, so I spent some of it sitting in a marquee with maybe 100 people checking punches on control cards, marrying up stubs, transferring finish times etc. I'd never seen a manual effort on this scale before, and of course it's completely removed now.

The large numbers also led to parallel courses on M21A and EAOA's donation of the 'Thetford Trophy' for M21A2, which I spent the following decade failing to win before it disappeared in a Scandinavian direction.

First experience of running leg 1 in a big relay pack, too; I still remember the scrum at the first control as we battled inwards to try to get a punch, then battled outwards against the incoming traffic to try to get away. That wouldn't happen these days, would it? Braunton Burrows