NEWSTRACK

 

March 2005

 

 

 

 

The Return of Great Moments from the Orienteering Archives

One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for BOF as Neil Armstrong successfully finds a more accessible British Champs area than Penhale Sands

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Newstrack is the magazine of Derwent Valley Orienteers

 

Editor: Dai Bedwell, 200 Leicester Road, Loughborough, Leics. LE11 2AH

Tel: (01509) 260751 email: daiandkaren@tesco.net

Thoughts from the Chair

 

Spring is in the air though you would not have thought so at our Regional Event at the beginning of March. Brave decision to decide to go ahead after the weather on Saturday but it was rewarded by a beautiful day on Sunday. Orienteering on the snow in brilliant sunshine on as good an area as Longshaw takes some beating. Our thanks must go to the lonely souls who cleared the ground for us on that bleak Saturday.

 

Perhaps the most significant event over the recent past is our success in the heat of the Compass Sport Cup. By being second to NOC who were in the top three last year we have qualified for the final, and the margin was quite close. The rules have changed this year and they have the intriguing result of everyone ‘counting’ in some fashion or other. The fastest of our squad will count directly to our score but those slower than that are still allocated a score, hence reducing the score available to our competitors. Thus the more competitors we field the better our chances. The Final is in Burnley in October so you will hear more of it later but we are going to hire a coach and make it a club day out. Please make every effort to attend.

 

Finally, back to the Spring. The JK is here and we can this year not worry about being part of the organising group and just enjoy the running. I expect many of us will also forgo the pleasures (and cost) of a weekend away by travelling to the events from home. Hopefully there will be room for the club tent so gather round there even if you are not familiar with all the club members.

 

Happy Orienteering,

 

Derek

 

 

New Members For 2005

 

A warm welcome to the following new members of DVO:

 

Peter Ambrose

Geoffrey Cole

Richard Gray

Howard, Jacquie, Isobel, Fergus, Aonghus & Iona Marshall

Peter & Jannine McCarthy

Mark Nowak

Francis & Gloria O’Brien

Arnold Ross

Kate Ruffell

Martin Smith

Mark Spendlove

Mark, Kathryn, Evan & Anna Thompson

Frances Williams

 

And not forgetting young Ailith Smith, born on Jan 23rd at QMC – the DVO youth policy goes from strength to strength!

Wednesday night run - my first season

 

The DVO Wednesday evening run has been a part of club history for a great many years. As a relatively new member of the club and having very recently returned to taking my orienteering a bit more seriously, I thought I'd give the Wednesday evening run a try for a few weeks in September to see how it went. It is now March, and apart from when injured or out of the country I haven't missed a Wednesday evening in 6 months. I'm hooked, and I thought I’d share some of the reasons why.

 

One of the key advantages of the Wednesday evening run is that it has scale. There's no real worry about who's going to turn up each week, as there always seems to be enough people to form 3, 4 or more different speed groups for a run of around an hour. The venue moves according to a simple pattern, alternating between Steve and Margaret’s on Duffield Road and the Johnsons' on the edge of Belper. Both venues offer a good range of winter runs though I have not yet worked out the mechanism for deciding which is the route for the night - several times recently there's been a hastily agreed destination mentioned as we've set off, only for one group to go the opposite way around the route to the others. I had heard rumours about how the pace can heat up towards the end of the run, and the dangers of being dropped by the pack are legendary. Being easily disorientated on the countless country lanes around Belper, I was very wary about all this, but everyone has been kind to the newcomer from down south, and I haven't been left to find my way home yet!

 

There are some traps for the unwary, however - after the run there is the traditional cup of tea and chat. This is a great way to catch up with everything that's going on, but beware - having just run for an hour and started to relax over a warm cup of tea reduces your ability to escape being roped in to help - whether it's looking after the orange squash at the next event, or taking on editing Newstrack, it's difficult to refuse in this post run euphoria. Still mustn’t grumble too much – I can usually find a small army of volunteers to stuff Newstrack into envelopes for me using the same tactics.

 

On balance, I have had a memorable first season – the sight of several DVO members performing a pre-run “warm up” huddled in front of the radiator in Steve and Margaret’s hallway, a carefully planned tour of the more garish Christmas lights of Belper, running through moonlit snowy lanes in February, being caught out by the hidden speed bumps of Markeaton Park and the sight of Brian Denness nearly running off with Dave Bennett’s shoes. I think I’ll stick around to see what the summer months bring…

 

Dai

 

 

Diary of a Monday Night Runner

 

In addition to DVO’s official Wednesday night gatherings, there are a further two groups who meet on a Monday night. I have only an annual acquaintance with one and an even more fleeting knowledge of the other. This second, unofficially referred to as ‘The Headbangers’, is the more intriguing faction, a shadowy conglomerate of disparate (should that be desperate?) individuals whose practices and habits have often seemed to the outsider to be as murky and introspective as Opus Dei and the Women’s Institute. But, if there was a code, I was determined to crack it.

 

Clues were rumoured to be found secreted within the pages of DVO’s website. After hours of trawling, I finally tracked down an obscure reference to a possible rendezvous in the Fixtures Section – clever that.

 

Week 1

The Duke of Devonshire, Chatsworth. This was a location well known to me, so, arriving several minutes early, I settled down to await the arrival of other possible participants, feeling not unlike Bill Oddie staking out a Great Crested Grebe. I had come well-prepared and so as not to appear suspicious, had taken care to bring with me what I had been assured was the ceremonial headgear of the organisation – a head-torch – for whatever nefarious activity this group practised, it was known to be under cover of darkness.

 

Well, I waited and waited, but perhaps forewarned of my arrival, the collective had made plans to thwart me. Obviously I would have to adopt a more subtle strategy on the next occasion. Merely assuming that they would meet where they said they were going to meet was too obvious an error to make.

 

Subsequently I established contact with Steve Kimberley, known to have sympathies with the society and rumoured by some even to be one of its participants. Chuckling slyly, he pointed out that the Headbangers – ah ha, confirmation of its actual existence – had met at the Duke of Devonshire, Chatsworth, but in Pilsley, whereas I had gone to Beeley!

 

Right pub, wrong village. Damnation, this code was proving harder to crack than even I had imagined.

 

Week 2

Determined not to make the same mistake again, I carefully noted that this week’s run was from Ashover. There was no problem this time, there is only one Ashover, and I knew exactly where it was. Once again, ensconcing myself outside the Black Swan, I awaited with breath a-bated. Still no sign of anyone bearing any resemblance to human life, let alone a runner. As the witching hour of 6.45 approached, I suddenly realised my foolish mistake and, abandoning my cover, dashed round the corner to see a cluster of headlights gathered outside the Crispin Inn.

 

How easily I had been fooled and how fiendish the ruse for which I’d fallen.

 

Right village, wrong pub!

 

Week 3

This time there could be, and was, no mistake. The Jug and Glass at Lea. At last, right pub and right village. Hurrah! I’m pleased to say it all went swimmingly, literally so in my case as I managed to fall headlong into the only stream we crossed during our two hour cross-country sojourn. For this I could perhaps be forgiven because the proceedings had been graced by the man some call Andy Jackson, who was determined to extract maximum value from his babysitter, if you’ll pardon the expression, by taking us up every hill and down every dale within 5 miles of Lea. Perhaps this was part of the initiation ceremony.

 

Week 4

Having solved the riddle, nothing could stop me now. Nothing could go wrong; I had exhausted all the combinations. This being half-term week, only Steve Kimberley was due to make an appearance but I nevertheless checked the website and recorded the venue – the Malt Shovel at the top of Wirksworth. I arrived in good time and waited - and waited. Not a Headbanger in sight. Crestfallen, I returned home, having been foiled yet again.

 

What could possibly have gone wrong? Unable to restrain my curiosity, I consulted my informant, Steve Kimberley who shamefacedly confessed that this week, the mistake had been his, and he’d turned up at the spot earmarked for the following week at Kelstedge.

 

Now why couldn’t I have thought of that?

 

The Lonely Long Distance Runner

 

CIRCUITS GO OUTSIDE

 

The lighter nights mean that Friday evening circuits at Woodlands Community School are put on hold until September to make way for running exercises in Allestree Park.

 

Meet at 6.45 in the top car park for Allestree Park (off Woodlands Road) for about an hour’s session consisting of terrain running and hill reps. All abilities are catered for.

 (Last indoor circuit session will be 18th March, usual time and place)

 

Celebrity DVO Watch

 

Spotted on the East Midlands Today section of the Ten O’clock News – the bit where you normally get up to make your cocoa – Sergeant (so that’s what he’s been doing with his time) James Allen discussing the frictional merits of different types of road surface. At least I think that’s what it was, I may have nodded off halfway through; they shouldn’t put out such fascinating items so late at night. This may be the first in a series; pencilled in are James Allen on Concrete Durability, Wire Ductility and Compost Bio-degradability. Who says we don’t get good value for our licence fee?

 

Summer Series 2005

This Year - 8 Events

 

Low key events aimed at the beginner and experienced orienteer alike.

 

4 Courses:  Yellow; Orange; Light Green and ‘Challenge’. or:   Score Event – locate as many controls as you can in an allotted time. Starts:    6.30 – 7.00pm. (registration from 6.00pm) Entry Fees:  £1 Seniors 50p Juniors

 

 

Date

 

Area

Car park /

Grid Reference

Organiser / Planner

3.6.05

 

 

 

10.6.05

 

 

 

17.6.05

 

 

 

24.6.05

 

 

 

1.7.05

 

 

 

8.7.05

 

 

 

15.7.05

 

 

 

22.7.05

 

 

 

Co-ordinator – Val Johnson 01773 824754 or gmjandfam@aol.com

 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

 

NO VOLUNTEERS = NO EVENTS

 

If you can help, ring Val to sort out a date and area.

 

 

 

DVO’s Grand Centralised Equipment Depot

 

First the club would like to thank Steve Buckley for putting up with DVO for last umpteen years tramping through his garden at all times of the day to reach the equipment sheds. With Steve and Margaret's impending marriage (congratulations) and consequent flit to the Lake District then the equipment store will also have to move. It is my opinion that when Steve and Margaret sell up the new owners will not be quite as accommodating.

So we are having a grand new centralised equipment depot.

 

Where is it?

It will be based at Riversdale, a small hamlet between Ambergate and Ripley on the A610. This is the section of the A610 which links the A6 to the A38.

 

Ok then, give us a grid reference!

SK 357520 OS map 119

 

How do I get there?

From A6 turn onto A610 (Ripley) going under 2 railway bridges and turn left just before the third

From A38 (Ambergate) go through Buckland Hollow traffic lights, through Sawmills and after going under a railway bridge next right.

 

Where do I get the keys?

In the first instance

From us

or The Wards of Crich

The Duckworths of Crich Carr

The Keelings of Alderwasley

The Johnsons of Belper

Check DVO directory for addresses and telephone numbers

Investigations are being made as to whether a pin code lock can be fitted. (Mind you it would really be a cin code (communal identification number) rather than a pin code (personal identification number))

 

What's it like?

It is a secure garage ~16 foot square with just one side door

 

Can I drive up to it?

Yes, right up to the door - now there's luxury

 

Will it have lights?

Yes and no? Camping strip lights will be installed so that you can light the place via the cigarette lighter socket on your car. (that is why they still put cigarette lighter sockets in cars you see). Battery operated lanterns will also be purchased. Initially it may be advisable to bring a torch. Lighting will be necessary at any time of the day. No windows will be fitted to increase security

 

When will it be operational?

 

It is envisaged that it should be in use by May hopefully earlier. Event officials should check the website and egroup for details.

Do I need to help move the equipment to the new shed?

 

Yes. A Doctor's note will be required to excuse any club member when we move the equipment over. A full inventory of equipment will also be carried out at the same time so it will not all be heavy lifting.

(Notes from proper doctors like Ann-Marie Duckworth or Andy Jackson do not count)

 

Paul Wright

 

CAPTAIN'S JOG

 

We are going to the CompassSport Cup Final again !!  In the Regional Round at Belvoir we were narrowly beaten by NOC but under the new rules, because NOC were 2nd in the National Final last year, both NOC and DVO qualify for the National Final this year. Congratulations to all of the team particularly our course winners John Duckworth, Liz Godfree, Rex Bleakman and Pauline Ward. Several runners who did not themselves score in the DVO team still contributed by beating scoring runners from other teams and so reducing their scores: these were Harriet Lawson, Daniel Kimberley, Erin Malley, Doug Dickinson, Mike Godfree, John Malley, Mike Gardner, Dave Skidmore, Sue Russell, Claire Gale, Dai Bedwell and Paul Beresford. The final will be held on Oct 16th near Burnley, so please keep this date free. More details will follow in due course.

 

16 teams have been entered for the JK relays. I believe that the provisional teams have been posted in cyberspace but let me know if you have any queries. Final teams will be posted in the Club Tent on day 2.

 

I intend to send off the team entries for the British Relays (April 17th, Perranporth) on March 20th so please make any late requests for places as soon as possible.

 

I'm also starting to think about teams for the following:

 

Scottish Relays  Tentsmuir Forest, Fife, May 29th

Harvester Relays rumoured to be in Yorkshire on June 5th.

Footpath Relay   Derbyshire, June 18th

 

If you are interested in running for DVO in any of these events please let me know. I am attempting to sort out e-mail but have become snarled up in a Groundhog Day scenario with BT, so the easiest way to contact me is still phone 01332-553561 best between 8 pm and 10 pm.

John Hurley

Editorial

 

Not much space this time: just enough to say thanks for all the contributions, and copy date for the next Newstrack will be the middle of May

 

Dai

There Is More to Life than Orienteering

 

I’m sorry to start off with such a startling announcement, and perhaps I should have broken the news a little more gently, because I’m sure there are people out there who believe there’s nothing rotten in the state of orienteering, that they only have to put on any old event and people will happily turn up to it in their hundreds. Well, I have news for them.

 

In an ideal world - and if anybody ever discovers it, can they please let me know as soon as possible - on the nine Sundays of the first two months of this year, I would have been orienteering, ooh, nine times; but I have been orienteering on just four of them. In the past my contributions to Newstrack have generally consisted of accounts of events I’ve attended that have been memorable for one reason or another, often for the wrong reasons I appreciate, but this is the second Newstrack running where there has been no event to describe worthy of the effort. Sadly, discontent is left to fill the vacuum in these pages

 

There have been a variety of reasons for my absenteeism. As alluded to in last Newstrack, on some Sundays, there hasn’t been any orienteering available to anyone outside of Ian Whitehead. On others, the orienteering on offer has been about as uninspirational and unimaginative as a Channel 5 schedule. In fact the most memorable aspect of the last two months’ orienteering was the price of a muffin in the Belvoir Castle Gift Shop (£1.50!)

 

Based on its performance in the first two months of this year, then if orienteering were a corner shop, it would have closed down, if it were a football manager, it would have been sacked and if it were a political party, it would have lost its deposit. I think you understand where I’m coming from.

 

Admittedly one orienteeringless Sunday was due to my one-man boycott of the B*******h event, but someone has to make a stand some time. People may scoff but around five years ago, I started a not dissimilar boycott of Marks & Spencer, for reasons which I’m sure were very important at the time. Since then I’ve bought all my underpants elsewhere and look what’s happened to that company. Only this morning, I read that sales of HP sauce are in terminal decline. It is a little known fact that I have never put HP sauce on my chips. The power of the consumer is chilling isn’t it?

 

I like to think that it is not entirely coincidental that at B*******h there were just two competitors on both W21 and M35L. This is nothing to celebrate but the inescapable conclusion from this is that there is an awfully large number of W21/M35s who are as discerning as I am and who are voting with their feet and their wallets. And all of this at an event that was supposed to attract the cream of Midlands orienteering for its annual championships. Ha!

 

I acknowledge that this is well-trodden ground for Newstrack readers, and that I was banging on about this event only last issue. But I make no apology for returning to the subject because it illustrates admirably the point that I am trying to make. The competitive world we are obliged to inhabit applies just as much at the weekend as from Mon to Fri. The demands on people’s time and resources grow remorselessly and unless orienteering starts to offer a better product, then people will find something else to do with their time.

 

It’s even happening to me. When the corner shop does not offer what you want, you look elsewhere. If the orienteering calendar on offer is the sporting equivalent of a Little Chef menu, there is a perfectly satisfactory substitute available. Having joined Dark Peak Fell Runners, I’ve spent two hugely enjoyable Saturdays, on weekends when the orienteering fare was either substandard or non-existent, on Kinder Scout and around Edale. Both of these were orienteering events by any other name, involving navigation and route choice between pre-determined control sites. Personally I think that it is a sad state of affairs when I have to look to a fell running club to fulfil a need that, in my case, orienteering has satisfied for getting on for thirty years.

 

It wouldn’t be so bad but the immediate future is hardly rosy. The orienteering programme should shortly be at its busiest, but ours shows unaccustomed gaps being filled with unfamiliar non-orienteering activities.

 

(I’m about to tackle the British Champs here. I know all I am going to say has been said by others before, but it’s been festering for too long to suppress. If you’ve made it through the grumpathon so far, feel free to skip the next bit but, from my point of view, this is cheaper than psychotherapy).

 

Normally at this time of year, I can look forward to some quality orienteering at the British. Having been to Penhale at JK time, I can attest that it is indeed Quality Orienteering, but it is not QO that I am choosing to take part in this year. The British Champs is showcase orienteering, a unique opportunity to display orienteering at its best for hundreds, if not thousands, to take part in and enjoy. Organising it in a distant corner of the country necessitating immeasurable hours of travelling for the overwhelming majority of orienteers who might wish to take part, and on a non-bank holiday weekend at that, is frankly lunacy. To hark back to the corner shop analogy, it is a decision as perverse as putting your best-selling product on a top shelf so only a small fraction of your customers can reach it.

 

The competition is being organised by the South West, a huge area which contains prime orienteering terrain within two hours of a substantial proportion of BOF members, i.e. the Forest of Dean, so there is no earthly reason why it could not be held there.  Well, perhaps there is, but I have never seen any explanation for the preference for Penhale over a more practical alternative; three pages were spent in the last CompassSport eulogising the excellence of this area, ignoring the fact that this was academic since the majority of its readers won’t be going. This year’s BOC may be being held on the best terrain that the South West has to offer but the competition will be so devalued by the lack of numbers attending that the title of British Champion will be about as meaningful as calling yourself 2005 W21 Midland Champion (sorry about that, Hilary). This is elitism of the worst kind (although that comparison itself is like calling Pol Pot the worst sort of mass-murdering megalomaniac) restricting choice to those with the resources and time to spend and defining merit by reference to the desire and ability to turn up to the event in the first place.

 

Well, if I can’t go to the British, this year, at least there’ll be a decent multi-day event to look forward to over the forthcoming bank holidays. Ooh look, there’s a World Cup event being organised down south over the May Day Bank Holiday. What a marvellous opportunity to combine a series of badge events on top-class areas with a competition designed for the world’s finest, participation and spectacle mingled in a manner not seen in this country since the Scottish 6 Days in ‘99. Well, you’d’ve thought so.

 

Instead, we have a sprint race around Surrey University campus (! – comment is superfluous), one National event and something called a Middle Race. What on earth is a Middle Race when it’s at home? I’m sure that, like an elephant, it’s something easier to recognise than describe but this is not very helpful to someone who wondering whether he should take part in it. Recently I was forced to run a 5.8km Blue course for the CompassSport Cup (and don’t get me started on that!). Was that a Middle Race? Have I already taken part in one without realising it? Obviously Middle Races are longer than Short Races, another strange animal inhabiting the orienteering jungle these days. However, whilst in my more lucid moments, I can understand the point of the latter even if I would never take part, rather like the Masons, but I cannot for the life of me work out the attraction or purpose of a Middle Race. It’s neither one thing nor the other. Orienteering for Liberal Democrats perhaps?

 

Three badge events in three days would have had me signing up already. One National is not enough so, once again, I will look elsewhere for ways to spend my Bank Holiday. Once again an opportunity to attract me, and who knows how many others like me (please tell me there are others like me), has been missed. I flatter myself in thinking that an event without me - or any other competitor for that matter - is in some tiny way diminished, if only because the winner of a class of 58 has achieved something a winner of a class of 57 hasn’t. Whilst one voter who doesn’t turn out on polling day because he is not sufficiently enthused by what is on offer is not going to give rise to concern, if that voter is joined by others, all of a sudden, we have a crisis on our hands and a national debate on voter apathy. Well, the same applies to orienteering.

 

Which rather brings me round to where I came in. Either I have become so far out of touch with those who organise orienteering – which I concede is a possibility – or those responsible (and I have no idea who they are) are failing completely to understand what I want and expect from the sport, which is something a lot better than ‘they’ are currently dishing up.

 

I can think of no better way of expressing the depths of despair into which I have sunk than to tell you that I am actually looking forward to Springtime in Shropshire. Yup, things really are that bad.

Graham Johnson

 

Sports Personality Of The Month:

 

Many nominations this months, so perhaps we need a voting system? We could eliminate one each week like a “reality TV” show (thank you for that suggestion, Paul!). Anyway, despite expecting to alienate my entire set of contributors, here is the full list of nominations:

·        Mike and Liz Godfree, nominated for their terrible route choice en route to their short break in Portugal, when poor weather meant their aeroplane diverted via half the airports in the Iberian peninsula,

·        Anon: for sitting in their car (in the seat next to the driver) while being pushed uphill (and so contributing further to the load) out of a muddy car park at Bradfield Moor by 6 puffing members of DVO,

·        Anon: for deciding that the light green course at White Springs would be a perfect second ever course for her son, and subsequently waiting over 3 hours for same son to return,

·        Diane Ford (part of the greater DVO, even if not technically a member!): for visiting every control on her course bar the start at Beacon Hill, hence registering the best DNS time of the day,

·        Dave Lawson: despite trying to pass for 35 in the entry lists, Dave has a senior moment halfway around his course to visit control #13 then, 4 minutes later, return to same control, having somehow missed out #12 altogether.

·        Anon: who cleared his dibber at Belvoir then lost said dibber in pre-start area and so retired without starting

·        Sue Hurley, bravely entering M50L at Scottish 6 Days          

 

 

Matlock Athletic Club: Monday Night Summer Programme – 2005    

 

April           Monday 4               Sherwood Hall and meal at Bombay Nights
Monday 11              Jen and Derek’s at Church Broughton/pub
Monday 18             Sherwood Hall
Monday 25             Curbar Gap – pub

May             Monday 2               Bank Holiday – no run
Monday 9               Sandybrook Country Park,Ashbourne – swim/meal
Monday 16             Sherwood Hall
Monday 23             Darwin Forest country park – swim/meal
Monday 30             Bank Holiday – no run

June            Monday 6               Sheepwash Bridge, Ashford in the Water
Monday 13             Sherwood Hall
Monday 20             Chatsworth Carlton Lees – pub
Monday 27             Sherwood Hall

July            Monday 4               Hartington – pub
Monday 11              Sherwood Hall
Monday 18             Viv and Ranald’s, Oker – Bar-B-Q

(Open to all DVO – bring something to cook and a pudding, salad/bread provided)
Monday 25             Lathkill Dale

August         Monday 1,8,15,22   To be arranged informally
Monday 29             Bank Holiday – no run

September   Monday 5               Carsington – Sheepwash – pub
Monday 12             Sherwood Hall
Monday 19             Margaret’s . Whatstandwell
Monday 26             Sherwood Hall

Phone Viv (01629 734307) or email r.macdonald@shu.ac.uk if you need directions.

All runs start at 6.30pm

 

Nellie the Elephant

 

By some strange set of coincidences, most of the EMOA coaches’ first aid qualifications expire at the same time; the benefit of this is that there are enough of us needing a refresher course at the same time that it's worth holding a dedicated course. Even better, this year again Sue Russell volunteered her time and patience to lead the course so it was a wholly orienteering group that gathered one Saturday at the Red Cross centre in Derby in mid December. In between numerous stories of injuries and accidents sustained through the years Sue managed to keep us on track to cover the theory and practice of the basics that would stabilise a casualty until more professional help arrived. As ever, there were a few new elements to the theory since we'd done the previous session three years earlier. One such development was a bit more frivolous than the rest - someone had noticed that the speed and number of beats to that old classic "Nellie the Elephant" fitted the requirements of CPR exactly. Very soon we were all administering heart massage on the Annie practice dolls to the accompaniment of a whispered "Nellie".

 

Writing this 3 months on, I'm struggling to recall all the various causes of unconciousness that we discussed, but I will always remember how many heart compressions to do!

 

So, the next time you're running through that sunlit forest, you have to be aware that there are now two distress calls that you have to abandon your run for - the traditional whistle blasts and now also the sounds of someone bellowing "Nellie the Elephant" at the top of their voice – chances are they are performing heart massage.

Dai