Cambridge City Race - POSTPONED

[Meat Market]

There is nothing pansy-ish about Britain; it's simply a balancing act between the cost of having the resources to deal with this weather and the frequency of the occurrence.

On an orienteering forum its maybe unfair to generalise us as being like the rest of the population since we all would get out of bed in any weather to go orienteering. However in general I do believe the reaction to unusual situations has got more pathetic in recent times (see OMM 2008 for details)

I'm not going to do a ' when I were a lad' story since I'm only 25 but I was shocked when we were sent home from work on Monday afternoon because of "the dangerous conditions". This was in common with all the other petroleum companies and also most other businesses in our area. There is nothing dangerous about the levels of snow that we just had if driving is kept below a certain speed limit and roads are gritted. Having said that with words like "extreme" and "chaos" in big red writing used to describe the weather in the news (words that I would only really use in situations like Zimbabwe and the 2006 tsunami) it wasn't surprising people overreacted. It wasn't chaos - I was out running in it on Sunday and Monday and it wasn't anything like the VERY tail end of a hurricane I experienced in Tennessee in 2004.

To be fair to London there were more people sweeping the pavements than I've ever seen in Aberdeen so resources were not a problem. However noone had the initiative to put grit down meaning that on Tuesday pavements were difficult to walk on. Grit is not a rare commodity and it something most other European countries including countries such as Germany, Poland and France do better than us so that a few inches of snow don't grind their country to a halt.

The reason this is winding me up is that I'm still in the office catching up on stuff that I could have done when our office was closed on Monday evening and Tuesday. But I recognise that most of us on here have more balls when it comes to a bit of snow than the general public

[DavidJ]

The reason this is winding me up is that I'm still in the office catching up on stuff that I could have done when our office was closed on Monday evening and Tuesday.

Does your employer know that posting messages on Nopesport is part of your 'catching up'

[awk]

[that'll explain why my son's primary school closed at 12 on the last day of the winter term because "inclement weather was forecast" for 4 years in a row then...

Have you asked for clarification then?

[awk]

Having said that with words like "extreme" and "chaos" in big red writing used to describe the weather in the news (words that I would only really use in situations like Zimbabwe and the 2006 tsunami) it wasn't surprising people overreacted. It wasn't chaos - I was out running in it on Sunday and Monday and it wasn't anything like the VERY tail end of a hurricane I experienced in Tennessee in 2004.

And there I think you have identified one factor that has changed: media coverage of all events (not just weather) does seem to have got more hysterical over the past few years, and most people haven't really taken that on board in making their own judgements. I think your example of the OMM illustrates that perfectly - it certainly opened my eyes somewhat to how the media does work and cover events.

and it something most other European countries including countries such as Germany, Poland and France do better than us so that a few inches of snow don't grind their country to a halt

Yes, but then these conditions are somewhat more common in those countries (unless, of course, grit supplies are better in places like Normandy, Picardy and so on. rather than in the Alps, Massif-Central, Jura etc.). In the south of England at least, this was a once in twenty years event.

Incidentally, a small illustrative snippet from a French news agency earlier this week, when northern France I gather received slightly less snow (about 1-3 cms) than London:

In France, Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport cancelled at least 87 flights and others were delayed. Paris-Orly also reported delays, although both were getting back to normal by mid-evening.
Some French high-speed trains were cancelled and those that did run were ordered to slow. France's roads agency also urged motorists to cancel non-essential journeys, with some roads impassable around Paris and in the east around Strasbourg, where dozens of accidents were reported.
In Belgium rush-hour traffic jams round Brussels built up to over 400kms long, caused by the snowy conditions

[Patrick]

rush-hour traffic jams round Brussels built up to over 400kms long

400kms!!!??? That's longer than the entire country!

I see what you mean about media exaggeration.

Cheers,

Patrick

[Copepod]

Any orienteers who find themselves in Cambridge and want to orienteer on either Saturday or Sunday (or any other day) - there's a permanent orienteering course at Wandlebury Country Park on Gog Magog Hills, on A1307 road from Cambridge (Addenbrookes Hospital roundabout) to Haverhill. For maps, phone Jon, Head Ranger on 07833 598155. As we have just called off the women's orienteering session, as only 3 booked, I can come up to sell maps if there's going to be lots of interest. A bit more information at http://www.cpswandlebury.org

[EddieH]

There are 2 reasons why snow causes chaos in England. An obvious one mentioned here is that the number of times this happens doesn't justify huge expenditure on clearing equipment.

However wet snow is far worse than dry snow. It has been mentioned that in Trondheim they don't salt, they just go onto studded tyres. When I was a child it was the same in Oslo (climate change!!) and once winter got going it was great - driving was fine (and there was no brown mess). However in November when the conditions could be more like here, there was always a large number of bumps and scrapes as cars slid out of control.

Regarding schools I heard a weather lady suggesting that this could last throughout February - something tells me that if it does we'll learn to live with it and schools will simply open - or will it be childhood heaven , a month's unscheduled holiday

[Strider]

Any orienteers who find themselves in Cambridge and want to orienteer on either Saturday or Sunday (or any other day) - there's a permanent orienteering course at Wandlebury Country Park on Gog Magog Hills, on A1307 road from Cambridge (Addenbrookes Hospital roundabout) to Haverhill. For maps, phone Jon, Head Ranger on 07833 598155. As we have just called off the women's orienteering session, as only 3 booked, I can come up to sell maps if there's going to be lots of interest. A bit more information at http://www.cpswandlebury.org

You've read my mind - the Lincoln group, staying at a B&B in Cambridge on Saturday night, are going down for a run around on Saturday afternoon at Wandlebury CP.... here's hoping Croxton heath will be on, otherwise it's a loooooong weekend with no O!

[PorkyFatBoy]

here's hoping Croxton heath will be on

WAOC Website wrote:
Decision process for going ahead or cancelling the event

Owing to the recent weather conditions affecting the country, and the forecast for the next few days, competitors should be aware of the possibility that the Croxton event may be cancelled. The decision and notification process will be as follows:

1. The planner will inspect the road conditions, forest access and parking situation on Saturday morning.

2. Following consultation with the planner and controller, and taking into account the latest weather forecast, the organiser will make a decision on Saturday afternoon, not later than 4.00pm, on whether the event will go ahead. That decision will be published here on the website.

[Meat Market]

Does your employer know that posting messages on Nopesport is part of your 'catching up'

I've just been filling in my timesheets at work and added the 30 mins i spent into the category "Management and General Work" But it's ok as long as I have 7.5 hours a day assigned to actual work...

Venting my anger on here certainly did the trick instead of orienteering this weekend, I am chilling in a bobsled with Rocky "Derice Bannock" strain, Watt "Junior Bevil" OK, Brooner "Sanka Coffie" Brown and our expert coach Ed "John Candy" Nicholas to create some healthy competition to Dean Macey as the next British 4-man bobsled team. Ed had a brilliant idea to use orienteers to power the sled due to their excellent ability to stay on their feet and love of the lycra.





Ja mon.

[Red Adder]

There is also a permie course at Brandon Park http://www.eaoa.org.uk/poc.php - which offers terrain more similar to Croxton, though the pits aren't quite as big or newt filled.

[Tatty]

Unfortuantely we needed to leave tonight to make going to the WAOC event a possibility. I'm sure there will be several others, who, like us, were making it a double header weekend. Making the decision Saturday afternoon is too late. So unfortunately we've decided not to risk the weather.

[Copepod]

Just copied this from WAOC website: CROXTON UPDATE The event is going ahead!
However, there is still an outside chance that the event may be cancelled should conditions on the ground on Sunday morning be unsuitable. We will post an update here by 8am on Sunday.

By the way, hope the orienteers I spotted at Wandlebury enjoyed themselves - I went to see my friends - staff, including humans, their dogs, the Highland cattle who manage the grassland and Pooey the black cat who controls rabbit numbers.

[Blanka]

From the CUOC website regarding the city race:

Update: We're currently negotiating a new date and hopefully should be able to announce it by next weekend.

[Strider]

By the way, hope the orienteers I spotted at Wandlebury enjoyed themselves - I went to see my friends - staff, including humans, their dogs, the Highland cattle who manage the grassland and Pooey the black cat who controls rabbit numbers.

We did indeed...many thanks! We set up some control picking exercises, using the small wooded areas, for about an hour and a half and then had a handicap race round the permanent o course to finish. Beers and curry followed, which may explain our rather indifferent racing at Thetford the following morn.

P.