BOF road shows

[PhilJ]

Mrs H.

So I undertook the 3 hour round trip to go to our "local" road show last night (I don't understand why Coventry is classed as The West Midlands when it's as far East as Derby ) and quite enjoyed the experience.

Somewhat off tangent to the FC discussion, but browsing the Fabian web site for events to enter and noticed the "Midland Championships Weekend 2011" are being hosted by NOR - Norfolk Orienteering club at Sheringham Park (Cromer) another 6 miles East and you are in the North Sea....SBOC have first dibs on the Scottish Champs next year

[Adrian]

noticed the "Midland Championships Weekend 2011" are being hosted by NOR - Norfolk Orienteering club at Sheringham Park (Cromer)

According to BOF, the Midlands stretches from Holyhead to Lowestoft. I wonder how many Welsh orienteers will be at that event.

I think that it might be better in future to re-brand these strange inter-regional events as part of the new British league that was mentioned at the roadshow.

[Clive Coles]

Not sure I would pin my hopes on the new competition structure being promoted at the Roadshows. Don't think the Competition review group considered land access when they came up with the idea of having qualifying "quality" events in the Spring building up to a final in the autumn.

This will be a great problem for East Anglia as the Forestry Commission (and to a growing extent the private landowners) restrict access to their land because of ground nesting birds and woodlands where there are significant (spectacular) growths of Snowdrop and Bluebells. That's why we generally have to condense our regional and multiday events into a short season: November to end of February.

Looks as though our contribution to the new UK competition series will need to be Urban or Park O weekends. i guess some other regions are in the same boat. Is that really what we want ?

In regard to the Midland Championships next year, it is held in the east once in 3 years. So for a change, a shorter distance for us to travel. it's a question of geography; the Midland region is a very wide region. Not much we can do about that (other than stop maintaining sea defences).

[greywolf]

PhilJ wrote:noticed the "Midland Championships Weekend 2011" are being hosted by NOR - Norfolk Orienteering club at Sheringham Park (Cromer)
I wonder how many Welsh orienteers will be at that event.

It might be worth making the journey, given that lots of the locals will have to be deemed non-competitive for breaching the mandatory 24 month embargo
(http://www.norfolkoc.co.uk/media/Result ... ourne.html)

[Marco Polo]

I think that the Midland night Champs covers Wales, but not the day champs- So I would guess that those towards the SW of HOC have furthest to travel this time.

[PhilJ]

The Midland Night Champs was held in Pembrey once - Llanelli - by my reckoning that's 313 miles from Cromer, shall we dispense with calling oursleves English/Welsh or from a particular county and all be Midlanders?

[Muddy Boots]

When the Midland is held in Wales EA members will have an equal travel distance the other way. Expensive no doubt for the few who will travel next year from Wales but is travel distance for orienteering, suddenly becoming an unsurmountable problem. Car share might not be a bad idea to help with frequent event parking problems. Next year the JK is in Ireland, sometime in the future the British will be held further north in Scotland - travel still a problem? Those who question the choice of EA's area for 2011 are unrealistically saying the Midland Championships should always be held in Middle England?

[HOCOLITE]

THere is no doubt a positive correlation between accessibility and numbers attending. Distance and ease of travel has to be considered in relation to time available, costs and perceived satisfaction. I'd quite like to run in Sherringham but not likely at present as time and other factors take precedence. Have done Sandringham twice with youngsters but that is a two day trip. It is probably easier/quicker(M6 permitting) to get to the lakes but again it's really a two day trip. Shame I don't have enough holidays and O satisfaction to commit to all these anymore.

[Adrian]

When the Midland is held in Wales EA members will have an equal travel distance the other way. Expensive no doubt for the few who will travel next year from Wales but is travel distance for orienteering, suddenly becoming an unsurmountable problem. Car share might not be a bad idea to help with frequent event parking problems. Next year the JK is in Ireland, sometime in the future the British will be held further north in Scotland - travel still a problem? Those who question the choice of EA's area for 2011 are unrealistically saying the Midland Championships should always be held in Middle England?

My point was rather that there shouldn't be any Midland Championships at all.

[Muddy Boots]

[Adrian wrote]My point was rather that there shouldn't be any Midland Championships at all.

or Southern or Northern or Scottish?? How ridiculous can one get!

[andypat]

Is the issue not rather how you define the Midlands? If you look on the BOF map, its not that obvious why Wales or East Anglia are included in that area. I think thats the main difference between that and say, the Scottish Champs.

[Gnitworp]

How far is Penzance from Broadstairs?

[PhilJ]

Agree with Andypat, I have competed on Midlands Champs before, my query is the whole geographical boundaries of the competiton, supposedly mandated by BO? If you ask any "joe public" would they think Norfolk is part of the Midlands they would look as if you were crazy...ah no Norfolk is in East Anglia. WMOA and EMOA boundaries are clearly shown on the BO website. The Welsh Champs is always held in Wales and the same goes for the Scottish Champs (being held on Scotland).

Good luck to NOR for next year

[Gnitworp]

How far is Penzance from Broadstairs?

Further than Broadstairs from Gretna Green!

[DavidJ]

.. . If you ask any "joe public" would they think Norfolk is part of the Midlands they would look as if you were crazy...

Why not change the name to 'Central Championships' if 'Midlands' means somthing different to most people?