SLOWprint 142

JANUARY 2003

MARIE THIROUARD

http://www.sloweb.org.uk/

Club Officers 2002–2003

Chair: Chris Robinson, :CMMidgley@care4free.net	Secretary: Don McKerrow, +70 :don@mckerrow.homechoice.co.uk	Ladies’ Captain: Karen Jones, :ajkpjones@aol.com
Treasurer: Liz Armitage, :jeff.armitage@talk21.com	Mapping Officer, SEOA Rep. and Fixtures Secretary: Andy Robinson, :AndyLoofa@aol.com	Club Kit: Teresa Turner, :Teresa.Turner@btinternet.com
Men’s Captain: Peter Huzan, :huzanp@logica.com	Publicity Officer: Paul Canham, :paul.canham@btinternet.com	Social Secretary: Vicky Robb, :victoriarobb@hotmail.com
Membership Secretary: Ginny Catmur, :virginia@catmur.co.uk	Beginners’ Rep. and Training Officer: Heather Walton, :Heather.Walton@doh.gsi.gov.uk	Equipment Officer: Chris Fry, :cjf@stpaulsschool.org.uk
Archivist: Sue Lumas, (020-8949-6765	SLOWprint Editor: Sarah Brown, :Reddragonpie@btinternet.com	Webmaster: Andrew Trimble, :webmaster@sloweb.org.uk

Copy date for Issue 143 will be early March 2003. Letters, event reports, articles, cartoons, gossip, scandal, notices, small ads, court circulars, births, deaths and marriages should be posted to Sarah Brown (address above); electronic copies via e-mail are particularly welcome.

New Members: If you are new to SLOW, you might not know about ... Training: Tues. eve. (7.15 pm) training open to all, of all standards: every Tuesday at the clubhouse (Thames Hare and Hounds, Richard Evans Memorial Playing Fields, Kingston Vale); After Tuesday evening training, following the closure of the Robin Hood Pub, the club has decided to try the Albert Arms until further notice. The Albert Arms is at the junction of Kingston Hill and Queens Road (the road out from Kingston Gate), up and over the hill towards Kingston from the Robin Hood.
Like the Robin Hood, it is on the 85 bus route, but it's also close to Norbiton Railway Station. Food is served until 9pm, about the time people usually arrive after training.

… and Transport: we can organise lifts to events: ring any of the club’s officers, as listed above, and one of us will sort this out for you.

MIDGE'S MUTTERINGS

The spice of life

What was special about SLOW's events in 2002? In case you hadn't noticed, there was a very wide variety of formats: UK Cup Sprint, Southern Express, Trail Challenge, FROLIC, SE Score, fell race, age-group. To bring a little spice into the potentially boring diet of colour-coded and b***e events, SLOW will again be putting on a diverse programme in 2003. Our major event of the year will still be the OK Nuts Trophy in December. The 2002 Trophy held last month was a superb event all-round; thanks and well done to all involved.

Nearly twenty club members attended the Coaching Weekend in the Forest of Dean in November, which I unfortunately had to miss as I was at the other end of the country visiting my mother. Many thanks to Training Officer, Heather Walton, for organising this and to Chris Fry, chief coach.

The coaching we have been providing is helping the SLOW Junior Squad, culminating in winning a place at the final of the Yvette Baker Trophy, the national inter-club competition for juniors. All our juniors performed extremely well in this high-class competition. More importantly their enthusiasm and team spirit at the final was quite uplifting - we deserved a trophy for being the loudest club on the run-in and at the prize giving.

Our strategy of selecting 'hot pick' events and arranging transport seems to be working well; let me know if it isn't!

Can you co-ordinate?

We are in need of a new co-ordinator for Tuesday evening training. Heather's role as training officer involves her increasingly in organising training days and weekends, so we would like someone else to take on the Tuesday evening role. This means drawing up a programme of street events and runs in the winter, plus some orienteering training on different areas in the summer. I stress it is a co-ordinating role - the ability to delegate is a key requirement! Please have a chat with me if you think you would like to do this.

And finally… several of us are involved in preliminary discussions concerning the possible hosting of a week of World Cup races in 2005 in the south-east. Watch this space!

Wishing you all well for 2003.

Chris Robinson

Chair

JUNIOR TRAINING DAY: 25TH JANUARY

EVERYONE INVITED PLUS BEGINNERS

CALL CHRIS FRY IMMEDIATELY

see page 7

COACHING CORNER from Heather Walton

We’ve had some close packed coaching activity recently starting with a beginner/juniors coaching day at Wisley on 17^th November joint with Guildford Orienteers. Many thanks to Angela Darley from Guildford for planning and to all the shadowers from the club who braved the challenge of trying to keep up with the juniors. This was followed up with a coaching weekend at the end of November in the Forest of Dean. There is an article elsewhere with a view from the recipients but I would like to list some thanks to all those who helped to make it happen. First and foremost was Chris Fry who didn’t let recovery from a knee operation or planning at Hankley put him off burning the midnight oil to plan some excellent training exercises for the weekend. Others were Erica (food including pineapple for breakfast!); Ginny (meeting the fiendish challenge of transport co-ordination); Mark V-R (pub food arrangements and much collecting of controls); Charlie (SLOWPRINT reporter)and much collecting of controls); Marie (club photographer, see website in due course); Ran (SLOWPRINT reporter); Chris Wroe (table-tennis champion); Pete H (why should we stop training just because its dark?) (night courses and much putting out and collecting of controls); Richard C (provider of bright headlights and much putting out and collecting of controls); Dave F (much putting out and collecting of controls) and to everyone for making the weekend so enjoyable. One striking learning point from the weekend – don’t forget to hold the compass straight ahead of you when running on a bearing, the most perfectly set bearing won’t work if you hold the compass at an angle!

I am hatching plans for another beginner/juniors coaching day, probably on Hankley, probably on Sun 26^th Jan (I will not be able to organise (work crisis looming); anyone willing to volunteer please let me The juniors had a chance to put their skills into action at the Yvette Baker Trophy final on 8^th December. Details elsewhere but it was great to see you all enjoying yourselves.

Other highlights (rather randomly chosen, tell me if I’ve missed anything) include Greg Street making his mark 1^st on M10B at both Hankley and Frith Hill – well done Greg! James Haynes was 2^nd on the same course at Hankley. Robert Jones was 2^nd on M10A at the November Classic and Charles McMillan 3^rd on M12A at Hankley. Good packing on M14 A, James McMillan 1^st with Ralph Street and Michael May 4^th and 8^th on Frith Hill and Ralph 2^nd (by 35 seconds) with Michael 3^rd and James 5^th at the November Classic. Charlotte Turner was 2^nd on W16A at the November Classic and Ali McKerrow was 2^nd on W16A at Frith Hill. Well done all of you and to anyone else whose performances I have missed.

Heather

And now for some sunny memories…

It was good to see so many SLOW juniors competing at various events over the summer, often competing against other juniors from across the country. Alex Roach has really got going orienteering this year and was 6^th on Day 4 at the Lakes 5 days. Ali McKerrow has emerged from exams and was 20^th on W16A. Ralph Street was second overall at the Lakes 5 days and Anna, Christina and Rosa Bonafini were all 1^st on W14B, W16B and W20S – pity they don’t visit more often! Michael May was 4^th on the short course at the SE score beating a number of adult competitors and it was good to see Anna Steinitz in 12^th competing on the short course too. Emily and Sophie Morrison were 2^nd and 3^rd on yellow and Greg Street and Jenny Steinitz were 2^nd and 3^rd on white. We even had a rare appearance from William and Rachel Andrews. Ralph advanced to M14A at the Caddihoe and was 3^rd with Michael May in 4^th . Robert Jones was 1^st on M10B but moved up to M10A at the National Event in Wales and came 3^rd. And it was an excellent team performance at the Yvette Baker trophy regional round – well done to all of you. Our dominance on the light green course (Ralph Street1^st, James McMillan 2^nd and Michael May 4^th) was of particular note and good to see Alex Robinson (now the cricket season has finished) and Chris Wroe (a new member) contributing points. More details in the Captains report.

TRAINING DIARY

Richmond Park is closed for culling 4 Feb-4 March, hence the number of street events. Any offers to hold a street event? - contact Chris Robinson.

Training runs are 7.15 for 7.30 from the Thames Hare and Hounds Clubhouse, unless otherwise stated.

21 January Run

28 January Hill session

4 February Street Event - details to be announced

11 February Headlight run (prior to British Night Champs)

18 February Street Event - details to be announced

25 February Marc Bolen Memorial Run to Sheen Common

4 March Pancake Day Street Event at Jackie Chapman's house, 25 Wilmer Close, Kingston - starts 7.00-8.00pm - one hour score event

11 March Run

18 March Hill session

25 March Run

SLOW members’ news, October 2002–January 2003

From Ginny Catmur, Membership Secretary

Welcome to the following new members

Tarjei Sandnes (M21), ; e-mail tarjei.sandnes@exxonmobil.com

Tony Jones (M35), ; e-mail: Tony_Jones@uk.ibm.com

Janie Petersen (W40 ; e-mail: janie.petersen@norske-skog.com

Ruth King (W21), ; e-mail: ruthking80@hotmail.com

Please note the following changes of address:

John Dowty:

Jim Mallinson: , Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset

Alistair Irvine, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey . Work phone, email and mobile remain as before. (Now very handily situated for the Albert Arms, so SLOW may see more of me! - Alistair)

Jon O’Donnell’s home telephone no. is no longer in use – please use his mobile , instead; e-mail address is jon.odonnell@uk.ibm.com and postal address is unchanged.

Marie Bukvova has now taken her husband’s name, Thirouard, and has moved to: West Wimbledon ; e-mail Marie_Thirouard@cotyinc.com

Changes of e-mail address:

Timo Teinila writes ‘we are now firmly settled to Finland.  If anyone is travelling this way, we can be contacted on teinila@kolumbus.fi.’

From Ann-Marie Kjos

Dear all SLOWies,

I see that you are having a street-O in Richmond today. I miss you all and I with I was there.

Looking out of my office window it has just started to snow. We got some during the weekend, but it has already melted away. I do not expect it to last, but I am looking forward to the skiing season which I hope will start late November.

After my illness last year my stamina has been very bad, I did some orienteering this summer and last month I joined a gym. I have made a 3 times a week training programme and hope to improve firstly for the skiing season and thereafter for my orienteering trip to China in April next year (5 days in the Yunnan province).

Hope to see you for the Box Hill race next year and maybe earlier.

Love from Ann-Marie

Hi Everyone

Just to let you know that Anna Jo Cory-Wight was born by caesarean section
at National Women's Hospital Saturday, 30th November 2002 at 7.41pm
weighing in at 5 pounds. We're all delighted and Anna of course is
gorgeous! Anna and Mum are fit and well and doing fine. Dad is over the
moon!
Love

Mary, Guy & Anna
Auckland

Email guyandmary@splurge.net.nz

More news from Down Under......

Several SLOWies ventured to the World Masters in Australia, October 2002. Above is a snippet of the Final Day’s map.

Junior coaching day is Sunday 26th January. This will probably be on
Hankley, south of Guildford (land permission to be confirmed). As I have a
work crisis looming, can you let Chris Fry cjfry@blueyonder.co.uk know
whether you can come by Saturday 18th January to give him time to arrange
any extra coaches needed. Directions to follow nearer the time.

.
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HOT PICKS

See you at - SLOW's top five winter hot picks

your guide to the best fixtures coming up

At each of these fixtures, SLOW will organise:

· transport from south west London

· suggested block of start times so we can all meet up (11.00-12.00)

· club tent for changing, free coaching - or whatever!

· apres-O pub or café

There will be courses suitable for both novice and experienced orienteers at all these events.

19 Jan South-East Score Champs Long Valley, nr Aldershot

Long Valley is always excellent and SLOW are defending champions.

60 or 40 mins score course

enter on the day

apres-O: The Windmill, Church Lane, Ewshot grid ref: SU816501

9 Feb National Event Box Hill & Headley Heath, nr Dorking

The nearest ever National to SLOW's home ground with car parking at Friends Provident (home of our Box Hill Fell Race) make this a 'must-do' event.

age group courses + entry on day for yellow, orange & light green

enter by 18 Jan

apres-O: Friends Provident Sports and Social Club bar

16 Feb BOF Ranking & SE League event Burnham Beeches, nr Slough

Burnham and Egypt offer enjoyable fast running making this a cut above other age group events.

*age group courses + entry on day for white, yellow, orange, red, light green, green & string

enter by 26 Jan*

apres-O: Red Lion, Stoke Green grid ref: SU985823

2 Mar SLOW Trail Challenge + Colour Coded Courses Holmwood Common, nr Dorking

Our own spring event on an area not used for over a decade.

10k & 6k mass start races + white, yellow, orange, light green, green, blue & string

enter on the day

apres-O: The Plough, Blackbrook grid ref: TQ181467

16 Mar CompassSport Cup Regional Final Redlands, nr Dorking

THE BIG ONE - with three line whips all round. Be there! Our ticket to the final is at stake.

*age classes A-G (equivalent to brown, blue, green, light green, orange)

+ entry on day for red, yellow & white & string

enter by 28 Feb*

apres-O: The Plough, Coldharbour grid ref: TQ152441

*At the age group events, if you do not enter in advance, you should be able to enter on the day, though you will pay more and have less choice which course you can run.

See fixtures list for full event details.

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FUTURE TEAM EVENTS from Captain Pete

-------------------------------------

Here's the choice so far for next year - tell me if you find any more team events. Remember that EVERYONE is welcome to all these events. I will arrange teams to suit people's ability. The most important event is the Compass Sport Cup - everyone put it in your diaries now!

19th January - South-East Score Champs at Long Valley, Aldershot

We are the current holders when the event was held at Wimbledon Common last August. It will be harder to win this time. This is a good area, described as typical Surrey heathland with pine forest. It is entry on the day with start times from 10 to 12. The format is a 60 minute score event (with a 40 minutes choice for ages <16 or >60). I suggest we go for late starts - I hope many of you come along.

16th March - Compass Sport Cup Regional Round at Redlands, Dorking

This is the premier team event for clubs. People from all age groups count, ranging from juniors on the Orange course through to M21s on the Brown course. This is the knockout round for the south-east and so we must win in order to get to the final at Brandon, Norfolk on 1st June. Last year we were beaten by the smallest margin by Southdowns. This year I want us to have the best team possible at the event. Even though only 21 people score points for the club (including six juniors this year!), it is important for everyone to try to come to this event. Very often someone unexpected scores points and having many people running there takes pressure off the likely scorers. This should also be a good spring social occasion for the club so please do come along whatever your standard. Entry details will be available next year.

21st April - JK Relays at Bloom & Horton Wood, High Wycombe

Over this Easter weekend, there are also the JK Individual races at Hambledon (Henley) & Star Posts (Bracknell).

11th May - South-East Relays at Shorne Country Park, Gravesend

More recently SLOW teams have been going to this event. We won the handicap trophy last year and had many teams of different standards. Again, this should be a good social occasion.

18th May - British Relay Champs at Greno Woods, Sheffield

The individual champs are at Wharncliffe the day before.

14th June - Harvester Night&Day Relay at Longshaw, Sheffield

A lot closer than last year and there may be a JOK Chasing Sprint earlier in the day. After the keenness for night orienteering at the training weekend, I wonder if we can get a few teams to this unique event. We can practice night-O in the lead-up if necessary.

7th September - Junior Team Relay in the West Midlands