REPORT

≥What a lot of hard work must have gone into setting the courses≤

Yes, but, planning and setting up an orienteering event is not as onerous or nerve-wracking as you might imagine!

Far from being a solo assignment the planner has access to a great team of willing, friendly and experienced people who gather to assist with each stage, checking the map features are still accurate, placing the kites, selecting a suitable string course, laying the string and winding it up, setting up the refreshment unit with squash and cups, and manning the registration.

Pairing up with an assistant, the recently introduced support mechanism for the planner, does work extremely well. To have Steve Taverner as your assistant, however, does promote peace of mind with access to expert advice based on his huge experience of planning events and his knowledge of Parkhurst Forest as the surveyor of the map in use at todayπs event.

Underlying the smooth running of any event is of course Chris Lipscombe, now a sprightly 90, who provides all the helpful support and advice that a planner could ever need. An added bonus is to see the shed where all the orienteering equipment is stored in Chrisπs back garden! Chris was ably assisted at the registration today by Chris Stokes.

A big thank you to Vicky and Frank Basford for putting out the String course. A staggering 14 different families, representing over 40 people, took part in the String course. The youngest entrant was Oliver Parkhouseπs sister Sophie, just 4 weeks old strapped to dad, and the youngest self-propelled entrant was an M1, Cameron Blamey, at just 23 months!

There was an anxious moment at the northern end of the Forest when a kite placed in a depression as part of the Blue course was removed and returned to the course setterπs car at Markπs Corner, early in the morning. Thankfully, there was time to reinstate the control and following that incident there was no further interference of any part of the course.

Apart from a few short-lived spring showers the weather held out and during the sunny intervals Brimstone and Peacock butterflies were on the wing in the Forest, and Steve Taverner found time, while manning the Start, to sort out the subtle differences between the songs of the Coal Tit, the Chiffchaff and the Great Tit! An early morning treat while setting part of the Yellow course was entertainment by a Red squirrel.

Finally, thank you to Glyn, Steve, Anne, Ian, Iris and Eileen for assisting with collecting up kites and the String at the end of the event, and to my wife Anne for all her assistance with the logistics throughout all the planning stages for this event.

Keith Marston

REPORT

Planner