David Currie

As Christine has already blogged, we were at Queen Elizabeth Country Park yesterday. Amusingly, given my current state, we were meant to be providing first aid cover for the event. Fortunately our services weren’t called upon. The closest we got was one elderly gent failed to climb over the wooden railing surrounding the car park, fell backwards, and proceeded to bash his head on our front bumper!

Unfortunately our presence meant that I couldn’t escape collected my certificate for third place on the Brown Course in the SCOA League. I could put my position down to the fact that I had only amassed five rather than the required six events but I was beaten by those placed first and second in every one of those events. Just a shame I couldn’t make the most of their absence by running yesterday! I think it’s also fair to say that the league has never influenced whether or not I went to an event.

379Yesterday evening we put on our annual orienteering exercise for West Wellow Scouts. This year they had a one hour score event on Fritham Plain. I got soaked putting controls out and collecting them in again but it actually stopped raining for all of the time they were out. (Not that this stopped them getting wet as the plain is currently waterlogged.) The format seemed to work well with a lot more enthusiasm than I’ve seen in some years. Perhaps it was because the controls were easier to find or maybe it was because the openness of the area meant they could see how the other pairs were getting on. I was particularly impressed with one group who managed to get all fifteen controls with three minutes to spare.

Making the most of being off work we went over to the Army Summer Series event at Longmoor Camp this afternoon. There was a great selection of courses on offer: blue and brown only map, corridor exercise, map without paths, compass and pacing exercise and a novice course. Nice to see no “normal” course as many folks wouldn’t look at the other choices if there were. I opted for the corridor exercise to start with thinking I might move on to the blue and brown next.
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366SOC was hosting a schools event at Royal Victoria Country Park yesterday afternoon and the courses were left out for others to use them in the evening. Christine took Emma around the yellow in her pram whilst I did the score event. Punching (and map copying technique) was all important as it took me just 29 minutes to get round the 23 controls. The two loop format worked well as it meant you got a reasonable run without resorting to controls in the far-flung recesses of the area. The country park also has sufficient features to mean you still have to keep your wits about you.

Yesterday saw my first orienteering since the JK – a local event at Micheldever Forest between Winchester and Basingstoke. Christine decided to stay home as she didn’t reckon pushing the pram up and down the car park track would be all that much fun so I hitched a lift with Sam Massey.
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