PARKHURST REPORT 12^th JUNE 2005

"Do something different they said." "O.K. No problem" I said. So off I went to plan a different sort of fun event that would appeal to everybody. To start with I had no bright ideas but after consulting other committee members, ideas began to take shape. I decided to adapt several of these ideas and have a course in three separate parts. Firstly an ordinary course with conventional controls marked on the map. Secondly, a "corridor" marked by two parallel lines on the map with controls set out along it but their exact position not marked. Thirdly, a small area with six controls in it but with their positions not marked. The idea was to encourage people to look carefully at the map and control descriptions to work out the likely position of each control.

"That's all sorted then" I thought. I took a map of Parkhurst Forest and started to look for suitable control points and areas. This done, I set out for the forest to check out the lie of the land. Undergrowth has a nasty habit of growing in the spring and I soon realised that most of my control sites were unusable. So it was back to the drawing board to find some new sites to use. By the week before the event all the planning was complete. As I put out the more remote controls on Saturday to the accompaniment of loud rock music from the Isle of Wight Festival, I was reminded of the last event I planned at Combley Great Wood with the "Bestival" going on in the background.

All controls were in place by 8.30 on a bright and sunny Sunday morning giving me time to relax with a flask of coffee before the event started. Competitors seemed to enjoy the challenge of something different and there were many favourable comments at the finish. Competitors on the short course, mostly those who would normally do Orange, had more difficulty. I think I did make it a bit too hard and I have taken notes of people's comments for future reference. Thanks to all those who took part in the event and helped out.

Dave Mackett - Planner