New Year Cracker moves to Lancaster University

Plans are now in place for the replacement event at Lancaster University. Details are on the fixture list. This is a score event with a choice of 45 or 60 minutes, suitable for all abilities with many prizes! Details of prize categories are included on the final details which may be viewed here.

New Year Cracker potential cancellation

The approach road to this event at Ulpha Fell, and all the available parking areas, are currently treacherous with ice. As this is unlikely to thaw sufficiently before New Year's Day the organiser has decided to seek an alternative venue. This is likely to be Lancaster University, pending permissions. Check back here nearer the event - The Cracker must go on!

Season's greetings

The SROC web elves would like to wish all SROC members past and present, their families and anyone else who may visit this site a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and injury-free New Year! We hope to see some of you at the New Year Cracker.

Ulpha Fell - venue for the 9th New Year Cracker

This is what the woods at Ulpha looked like today, with planner Mark Edwards (right) and Chris Roberts enjoying the snow while checking control locations for the New Year's Day event. More snowy shots are in the gallery.

Blow away the Christmas and New Year cobwebs!

SROC offers the 9th New Year Cracker, a mass start score event on New Year's Day. The 2010 event will be in the compact technical woods that are called Ulpha Fell, near Meathop. If you still hanker after O action after that, try the MDOC mass start "John of Goats" charity event in Lyme Park on 2nd January. Details of both events are on the fixture list.

Night Street League - halfway stage

League scores for the first five events have now been added here. The league now breaks for Christmas and resumes at Longridge on Wednesday 13th January 2010.

Hest Bank Street League results

There was an unusually high number of incorrect answers given by runners at the most recent street event, so planner Steve Wrigley has double-checked all of the control sites and has allowed alternate answers at two of them. Results have now been added to the Night Street League page, or may be viewed here.

Compass Sport Cup - Your Club needs you

The qualifying round for the Compass Sport Cup takes place on Sunday 24th January at Watergrove, Wardle, Rochdale (SELOC Regional Event), GR SD 907174. Postcode OL12 9NJ. Courses: Orange to Brown count towards the final total. To qualify for the final in October (Burbage SYO) we need to win the qualifying round. We need as many runners as possible as everyone's run is important. The top 25 from each club count towards the final total but every team member can play their part by pushing our opponents down the results list. We won this event in 2008 and it would be great to be there again. If you want to be entered please email Club Captain Mark Edwards giving age class, BOF no and SI card no.

Ripley Sessions over Christmas

The last Ripley session before Christmas will be on Tuesday 15th December. Since the sports hall is now in exam mode, we will be using the old gym near the swimming pool. Map
After Christmas, sessions resume in the old gym from Tuesday 5th January with a new Gym master in charge to help with those New Year resolutions.

Street League 5 Hest Bank

How lucky are we! Another fine and warm night for the last street event this year. RouteGadget is now ready to receive your routes.

Latest North West Night League scores

The first two events of the NWNL season have been unusually well attended. Is this the year when regular orienteers realize what they are missing? The league table may be viewed here, and details of the next event on 19th December are on the fixture list.

Club Welfare Officer

The SROC Welfare Offcier is Sue Roome. Sue's role is to help protect young people and vulnerable adults within the club. She is the person to contact if anyone has any concern that a club member may be being bullied or abused. The idea is that if all concerns, however small, are reported to one person, then a real problem should be picked up quicker. More details here.

Low Park Wood night event 5th December

A record night event turnout despite the damp weather! Results are here, also Winsplits online, Splitsbrowser and RouteGadget.

Festive Junior Training in Williamson Park, Saturday 12th December

All juniors, whether club members or not, are invited to attend the next junior training session on Saturday 12th December. Details are on the SRJS page.

How are you doing in the Street League?

With only one more event to go before the Christmas break the Street League is getting more interesting as more people log several scores. Remember, it's your best five that count at the end of the season. Latest tables are here.

Bonus local event this Saturday 5th December

Lakeland OC are organising a low key local event, suitable for all standards of orienteers, in Low Park Wood on Saturday 5th December. They are using the same area as the SROC night event later that day, so if you want to be competitive in the Night League don't run in the daytime event. Click here for details.

Solve your Christmas gift problems with SROC

Wanting some club kit for Christmas? The club has a variety of O tops in club colours and in most sizes. These are: Trimtex (tighter fitting O tops) £32, Silva short sleeved O tops (conventional looser fitting) £24, South Ribble Junior Squad O tops (an eye catching, go faster red!) £16, and some junior sized Silva O trousers £12, not forgetting the club buff at only £10.. All of these are considerably below current prices. Contact me if you are interested. Martyn Roome 01995 603885.

Low Park Wood night event final details

The SROC event in the North West Night League for this season will be in Low Park Wood, near Kendal, on Saturday 5th December. There are courses suitable for newcomers to night orienteering as well as the more experienced. If you enjoyed the Spook-O come and enjoy another local wood by night! Final details are here.

Whitbarrow ranking list points and age class results

Results for the Regional event at Whitbarrow have now been uploaded to the BOF ranking list. To view the scores and results by age class (as converted automatically when submitting results) click here.

Cottam street league results

Results for the Cottam event on Wednesday 25th November are now available here.

Whitbarrow Regional results

Preliminary results are now available here. Follow these links for RouteGadget, Winsplits online, Splitsbrowser and colour standards.

New BOF survey about orienteering competitions

Those who are not regular visitors to the British Orienteering website may not know about the survey added recently. The Board are looking to get your feedback and opinions about current orienteering competitions, why you enter some and not others, how far you will travel, whether you like to compete against everyone on a course or against your friends or age group, do you like relays or is your preference for individual competitions? And would you like more inter-club competition?

Cottam night street league event 25th November

RouteGadget for the Cottam event is ready to receive your routes.

Tim Watkins Blodslitet 2010

Entries are now open for this premier long distance race, being staged on Farleton Knott next February. For more details see the flyer or visit the webpage. To enter go to Oentries.

Whitbarrow tuck shop

The North West Junior Squad will be at Whitbarrow selling soup, sandwiches, tea and coffee and, of course, cakes to raise funds for the squad, so please come and support them! The weather is likely to be sunny but cold, so what better than a hot cup of soup or a hot drink and a snack after your run?

Cover photo

Subscribers to the national orienteering magazine CompassSport will have been greeted by the smiling face of SROC junior Ben Selby as they bent to pick up the latest edition from the doormat. We'll forgive Ben for running in his Fredrikstad top since we do have a special relationship with that Norwegian club. This set us wondering how many other SROC members have featured on the cover of this magazine over the years. We can think of a couple, but why not join this discussion on the message board and fill in the blanks for us.

SROC members run well for their schools

The British Schools Orienteering Championships were held at Druridge Bay in the North East on Sunday 22nd November. SROC was represented by pupils from Lancaster Girls Grammar and Lancaster Royal Grammar Schools, and they brought home several medals. LGGS achieved 2nd year 7 girls (helped by a member of LOC!), 4th year 8 girls and 1st year 12 girls. Leading individual results include Zoe Harding 1st yr 10, Katrin Harding 2nd yr 12, Jenny Tynan 7th yr 12 and John Ockenden 6th yr 11. Congratulations to them and all those who took part. Full results are here.

Possible traffic delays travelling to Whitbarrow

We expect there to be roadworks on a short stretch of the A590 which could potentially cause delays for anyone approaching the event from the East. Follow this link for more information.

Whitbarrow control descriptions

For Whitbarrow control descriptions click here for shorter courses and here for longer courses.

Whitbarrow Regional event final details

Final details for the event on Sunday 29th November are available here. Control descriptions will be added shortly. Please note that no specific start times will be allocated; pre-entered runners should turn up at the start within their desired start block.

Morecambe street league results and league tables

Results and revised league tables are now available for the latest night street league event.

Night Street League - event 3, Morecambe, 11th November

Another pleasant evening for a run; we've been lucky so far this season! RouteGadget has been prepared for you to add your routes. If you are unsure how to do this please consult this message board thread.

North West Night League

There's more to night orienteering than Spook O! There are a number of night event series around the region, and SROC has an event each year which is part of the North West Night League. This year our event is in Low Park Wood on Saturday 5th December, so if you enjoyed Eaves Wood come and give it a try. Courses range from Orange to Blue, so something for nearly everyone. The first NW Night League event of the season was held by DEE last Saturday and the league table may be found here.

Calling all SROC members!

The 2010 Compass Sport Cup 1st round will be held on 24th January at Watergrove, hosted by SELOC. All club members who can turn out on the day are needed to make sure of our place in the final! It matters not whether you expect to be in the top few places on your course; everyone can help by reducing the scores of runners from other teams. Club Captain Mark Edwards needs to hear from you now.

Latest Street League Positions

Results of Event 2 at Whalley have now been converted into League points. Quentin Harding has a clear lead, with maximum points. Can anyone beat him at next week's event (Nov 11) in Morecambe?

Junior training Saturday 14th November

Details of the next junior training session have been added to the SRJS page. Any junior interested in attending, who need not be a SROC member, should contact Ian Selby by 12th November.

Spook O results

Here are the Spook O results. Did you end up with your own points or someone else's?

Spook O lost property

In the excitement of being chased by vampires and toasting marshmallows several people managed to leave something behind at Eaves Wood. If you are missing a grey thinsulate hat, a yellow torch with "Crosscrake, Burton" label, a child's black cape with yellow bats on it or a pink Eurohike headtorch, contact Martyn Roome, to arrange collection.

Spot your favourite spook

Many more photos from Saturday's Spook O at Eaves Wood have been added to the gallery, thanks to lensmen Mark Edwards and Martyn Roome. Results for this score event with a twist will be available shortly.

Ghouls, vampires and assorted evil sprits were abroad tonight

SROC's second Spook O was enjoyed by a large throng of costumed and plain orienteers, some experiencing O for the first time! Overall winner was Mark Edwards (pictured at the finish), Dan Selby was first junior and the three remaining vampires were also rewarded. More pictures in the gallery.

Whitbarrow Regional Event 29th November

A flyer for the Whitbarrow event has been added to the fixtures page. Pre entries are currently open via Oentries.

SROC winners at the OMM

This year's Original Mountain Marathon (fomerly the KIMM) was centred on the Elan Valley in Mid Wales over the weekend of 24th & 25th October. SROC members competing included Tony Marlow with partner Steve Wilson who were clear winners on the Medium Score course, while top female veterans on the B course were Karen Nash and Rowena Browne. Congratulations to them and to all finishers. Results and reports are on the OMM website.

More response to user feedback

Thank you to all who have so far completed the user survey. All responses are read and will be used to improve the service to our users, so please fill in a survey form and make any suggestions you think fit. Recent changes in answer to suggestions include:

• The fixtures list now shows only future events, with the next event at the top of the list. Older fixtures can still be viewed by following the link on the fixtures page. Previously all the current month was visible, which was admittedly annoying towards the end of each month.
• Event splits will be uploaded to Attackpoint in future, where possible.
  

Spook O Bulletin No. 2

Spook O Bulletin No. 2 does not really exist, but I thought I would get your interest - so you can re-read Bulletin No. 1, and if you have not yet told us if you are coming it will help us if you do so asap (though we will have spare maps on the night). Martyn and Sue. 01995 603885

British Schools Orienteering Championships 22nd November 2009

This item is posted following a request in the user survey. Entry and event details for BSOC 2009 may be viewed here, or visit the BSOA website. Most school competitors should have been contacted by someone in their school by now, but there is still time to enter as the closing date is 31st October.

Half Term at Ripley

Just a reminder that there will be no club session at Ripley on Tuesday 27th October as the school is closed for half term. Sessions resume from Tuesday 3rd November with a new circuit. Come and get fitter in a sociable atmosphere inside in the warm and dry!

Street League results and scores

Results for yesterday's event at Whalley are now on-line, plus league scores for the first event at Freckleton & Warton.

Whalley street event 21st October

Runners were blessed with another fine, warm, night for the second event in the series. RouteGadget is now ready to receive your routes, and a 1 Km course has been plotted to give a comparison in pixel count, enabling runners to estimate their distance run. We now have a three week break before the next event starting from a new, much larger, venue in Morecambe.

Freckleton and Warton street event 14th October

With apologies for the delay, results for the first event of the series are now available here. Round two is at Whalley tomorrow (21st October).

Response to user feedback

Thanks to those who have already completed the user survey; all submissions are read. Where possible we will act on your suggestions, so here is the first crop:

• The link to the BOF fixtures list was broken since the BOF website was updated. It is now fixed and may be found at the top of our fixtures page.
• All our Google map links from the fixtures page can be zoomed out, or changed from satellite to map view. You can also right click on a location and request directions from anywhere to that point. This will give you turn by turn directions, distance to travel and estimated time.
• To join the message board click on register (or here) and complete the form. You will need to give a valid email address to allow you to complete the registration process, though this will not be used for anything else and will be hidden from view unless you decide to display it. You will need to answer a question when registering. This is intended to prevent automated spammers gaining access. The answer may be found easily on the website.
  

Spook O bulletin no. 1

A fun orienteering event for all the family on Saturday 31st October 2009 in Eaves Wood, Silverdale. Bulletin no. 1 has been added to the fixture list under "details" or click here. Martyn and Sue Roome would like to know if you intend coming to the event, and how many maps you need.

Website users survey

In order to help us improve this website and provide the best service to all users, we have created a short on line survey to gather your feedback and ideas. Please take five minutes to respond by following this link.

Warton & Freckleton Street League event 1, 14 October

The new night street league season started well with a terrific turnout at a new venue in Warton. This series seems to get more popular every year, and no wonder as there is something for everyone; take it as a bit of fun and Winter training or compete as hard as you like. Why not add your route to RouteGadget and see where everyone else went as well? If unsure how to do this, look at this topic on the message board.

Junior Squad training dates

Dates for the next few junior training sessions, up to February 2010, have been added to the SRJS page. Further details will be added nearer the time of each session. All sessions are open to every junior, whether a club member or not. To register your interest in junior training email srjs@sroc.org.

Lancaster University RouteGadget

With apologies for the delay, RouteGadget is now ready to receive your Lancaster University routes.

Junior training photos

Many thanks to Mark Edwards for sharing his photos from the junior training session at Lancaster University on Saturday 10th October. More in the gallery.

Lancaster University 10th October

Results for today's event at Lancaster University are now available, via the results page.

Eaves Wood Trail Races

If you fancy a change from orienteering take a look at the Eaves Wood Trail Races on 22nd November.

Junior training Saturday 10th October

All juniors are invited to attend the next junior training session at Lancaster University on Saturday morning, 10th October. Details on the Junior Squad page. Please email Mark Edwards asap to let him know you are going.

Food Orders for Street Event 2

The pub is offering pie and peas (veggie option of cheese and onion) price £3.50 after Street Event 2 at Whalley on 21 October. This must be pre-ordered, deadline 14 October. Contact Richard Catlow or see him at Event 1 (Freckleton & Warton, 14 October). Contact details and more information on the Whalley event are on the Fixtures list.

SROC Ceilidh

Here are some pictures from the SROC Ceilidh night. (Presumably in between The Dashing White Sergeant and Strip the Willow!) A really great time was had by all, many even achieving Championship badges in Gay Gordons! Watch out for the next Ceilidh night in 2010.

Lancaster University Event

The next Informal SROC event is on Saturday October 10 at Lancaster University. Ideal for newcomers. Please come along to Alexandra Park between 12 and 1.45 for starts between 12.30 and 2. Experienced orienteers will be on hand to help. Please see the fixtures list for further details.

Street Event 1

Full details of the first night street event on Wednesday 14 October are now on the Fixtures List. We are returning to Freckleton and Warton after a gap of several years. There is a new map drawn by Ian Evans, and an unfamiliar venue: the Birley Arms on the northern outskirts of Warton. Because of the rural location of this start/finish, torches are essential (as well as the usual high visibility clothing).

Spook O details

Preliminary details for the much-awaited second Spook O at Eaves Wood on Saturday 31st October have been added to the fixture list. Prepare to be scared!

Peter Palmer Junior Relay 27th September 2009

Thanks to Karen Nash for a selection of photos of the SROC team at the 2009 Peter Palmer relay, starting in the early hours of Sunday morning and all over by breakfast-time. This year the event returned to its spiritual home of Sutton Park, Birmingham. No medals or trophies for our girls and boys but the team enjoyed themselves! More photos in the gallery.

Whitbarrow Regional Event 29th November

With just two months to go to our next major event on-line entries have opened on Oentries. Anyone unfamiliar with Oentries may like to watch this introductory video. Organiser Tony Marlow will be happy to receive offers of help from SROC members, who will then become entitled to a 50% discount on entry fees. If you haven't helped before come and give it a go - you will be well briefed and it can be a lot of fun!

More SRJS updates

Information for Junior Squad coaches, including links to consent and risk assessment forms, has been added to the SRJS page, or directly from this link.

The nights are drawing in

A reminder to all Night Street League regulars, and an introduction to anyone who would like to improve fitness over winter whilst enjoying some friendly competition: the first of ten street events will be held on Wednesday 14th October. Details of all the events will be found on the fixture list.
Follow these links for an overview of the series including rules, safety and scoring. Regulars should note this change to the rules.

Junior Squad updates

The SRJS page has been updated with results from the relay on Saturday 19th September, and notes on what to bring to training sessions. You can always find this page by clicking on the picture link on the right of the home page. Enquiries about training sessions and joining the squad, open to all juniors, to srjs@sroc.org.

Beacon Fell Saturday 19th September - results

Full results including RouteGadget (add your route and compare with where others went), Winsplits Online and Splitsbrowser are now available from the results index. Colour standards are also shown, and will be used when calculating who shall receive colour standard badges. These are presented twice a year, either at the Club Picnic in July or the Club Handicap & Social in January. Queries about standards or club leagues should be address to the statistician, Bob Nash.

AGM photos

SROC chairman Julian Lailey (right) chats with Alex Finch at the 2009 AGM. More photos of members relaxing after the official business are in the gallery.

Your new(ish) committee elected at the AGM

Today's annual general meeting, held in a new venue in the Physics building at Lancaster University, passed very smoothly. Officers elected included Peter Knott as President, replacing Sue Denmark who stood down. Martyn Roome relinquished his position of Chairman after three years (and many more years on the committee) but takes over from Dick Collins as Vice Chair. The new Chairman is Julian Lailey. Continuing in post are Dick Collins (retaining two jobs as Treasurer and Newsletter Editor) and Karen Nash (Secretary). Of the other eight committee members two stood down and were replaced by new nominations Mark Edwards and Mike Ormerod, who returns to the committee after "resting" for a year or two. Anyone wanting to contact the committee may do so by emailing committee@sroc.org.

General Invitation to all Young Orienteers

All young orienteers are urged to read this message from Ian Selby, the South Ribble Junior Squad Coordinator.

SROC juniors in triumphant England team

SROC Juniors Katrin and Zoe Harding and Chris Nash helped England to overall victory in the Ward Junior Home International at the weekend. The competition was held in the wooded sand dunes of Newborough on Anglesey. Results and pictures are on the Orienteering England website.

Ceilidh 26th September - book your tickets now!

You are very warmly invited to the annual SROC Ceilidh at 7.30pm on Saturday 26th September at Claughton on Brock (near Garstang) Village Hall. Tickets cost £10 per person including hotpot and apple pie supper. Music is by "Hot Punch", a very good band indeed. Last year we had a very good turnout to this event, which was almost as good exercise as Tuesday night training, so book your tickets NOW! - by emailing Martyn and Sue Roome. Please note that the minimum age is 13 years.

Ripley Sessions Are Here Again

From Tuesday 8 September, club sessions will be restarting again in the Sports Hall at Ripley School. Times as before, 6:30pm until 8pm. Cost 50p for children and £1.50 for adults. The session will start at 6:30 with some fitness training and at half time an option of another fun activity will be available.

Change of venue for the AGM

The AGM will not be in the usual place this year, but in another location within the university (room C36 in the Physics Building). For directions see here.

SROC Beacon Fell Local Event - Saturday 19th September

Registration, start and finish are all next to the visitor centre car park. OS map Grid Reference - SD 528428. Participation fees are £2.50 for adults and £1.00 for juniors. Experienced orienteers will be available to explain and advise those who are trying it for the first time. More . . .

Grade 3 controllers' course 7th November

Suitably experienced and interested members are invited to attend a Grade Three Controllers Course which will be held on behalf of the NW Orienteering Association at Great Tower, Windermere, on Nov 7th. If you wish to book a place on this course, please act on the instructions on the flyer. There is no charge, but we need definite bookings because the course is likely to fill up.

New way to raise funds for the North West Junior Squad

Families with children in the squad are being asked to collect bags of good quality second hand clothing, bedding, curtains, soft toys, belts, handbags and shoes. The more we collect the more we raise. We can if necessary provide bags and are hoping to have two collection points in the club - one in Lancaster and one in Preston. For now any items can be left with the Nash family - either at our house or at an event. If you are bringing large quantities to an event can you let us know in advance so we make sure we have space. Thanks in anticipation.

SROC had a very well attended and hugely enjoyable bbq at the Scottish 6 days - photo above, more in the Tay 2009 gallery. Our thanks to Gavin and Mary for hosting this event at their wonderful holiday house (only a pity that the butler appeared to have had a day off).

More Tay 09 photos

Thanks to Karen Nash for some more Tay photos which have been added to the gallery. Pictured above is Dick Collins taking 1st place on the podium. If anyone would like to share any more photos, of this event or anything else, please email to photos@sroc.org.

Tay 2009 Lost Property

Has anyone lost a khaki green Lowe Alpine hat? It was left in the club tent on day 4.
Email maryandgavin AT tiscali.co.uk to claim.

Beacon Fell Sports Day results

Results for the informal event held on Wednesday 5th August are now available.

Tay 2009 final results

Congratulations to class winners Dick Collins (M65S) and Lisa Quickfall (W14B). Lisa also won 5 out of the 6 days. Also to 2nd placed Frances Watkins (W50S), Karen Nash (W45L) and Maurice Collett (M85). Other top ten places were gained by Steven and Philip Rutter, Annie and Helen Ockenden, Cath Wilson and Quentin Harding. Full results may be viewed here. More photos from day 6 have been added to the gallery.

Great weather (and orienteering) in Scotland!

Pictured above is Andy Quickfall at the final control on day 5, Barry Buddon. More pictures from day 5 have been added to the gallery. For a bit of fun try our picture quiz.

Scottish 6 days - Tay 2009

There have been some outstanding performances from SROC members at this week's multi-day competition, and there are still two days to go! Keep up to date via the 6 days website.

Successful Rangers' Day at Beacon Fell, Wednesday 5th August

Yesterday the Rangers family sports day got an amazing turn out. I have never seen so many people on Beacon fell before. At one time all the car parks and laybys were full! I had 27 groups of between 3 and 10 people go out on my 2.8km 9 controls course between 11am and 1.30pm. 14 groups completed the course with times between 45 and 90 min in most cases. Mark Edwards went round in 16 min and his son Will in 20 min. Thanks Mark for collecting in the controls.
Peter Knott

Tay 09 Photo gallery

A selection of photos (from day 2) has been uploaded to the gallery.

Club Picnic - Lost Property

Two plates were left behind after the Club Picnic, each bears the words 'Garlic' and 'Asparagus'. Please contact Quentin Harding if you would like to claim them.

O event on August 5

Peter Knott is putting on a beginners orienteering course at Beacon Fell on Wednesday August 5 from 11-3 for anyone not going to the Scottish. The course will be approximately 3Km but there will be a shorter option. There will also be a map memory norwegian master map option on the full course for any experienced orienteers who want a run round. Control cards and pin punches will be in use instead of SI. There will be other activities going on in the park at the same time.

More from the Club Picnic

RouteGadget is now set up for the Picnic. Let's relive the thrill of the mass start! Thanks to Mark Edwards for some more photos for the gallery. For all those who have been kind enough to ask about Becca's ankle she can happily report that it's not broken! Becca's undying gratitude goes to Karen Nash for her heroic piggy-back rescue for a kilometre to the finish.

Club Picnic a great success!

Pictured is the mass start at the 2009 Club Picnic in Eaves Wood. Planner Mark Edwards had set a devious score course which visited every tricky part of the wood, but not so hard that it wasn't possible to clear the 20 controls within the allotted hour. The weather stayed fine for the picnic after the orienteering, and Summer Series winners were rewarded at a short prize giving ceremony. Being able to use the Guides' facilities was welcome feature. Results are available, as are some more pictures.

Fun & Games at Ripley - Tuesday 14th July

Tuesday 14th July will be the last session at Ripley until September. To make it special, it will be full of games and challenges. Come along and join in the the fun.
This will be the 38th session since last September when they started, the committee would be glad to hear feedback as to their format and how these sessions might develop next year.

Technical Coaching Morning - Saturday 11th July

In a joint session with Barro and LOC, Quentin Harding is running a two hour coaching session in Eggerslack Woods on Saturday 11th July. The session is aimed at those of TD5 or Green standard. Cost £2 to cover maps. Meeting in the public pay and display car park at GR SD411783 on the North side of Grange to start the session at 10am. There will be time to train and still make the Club Picnic. Contact Quentin on 01524 770637 if interested in attending.

Club picnic - tick alert

Please remember to check for ticks after the picnic. Mark Edwards, our planner, found one on him after a recent visit.
Also please remember to bring plates, mugs, cutlery as needed as well as food to the picnic. There will be hot water and tea/ coffee but no cups etc so do bring something suitable to take a hot drink if you would like one.

A quiet weekend for orienteering?

Maybe there were no events in the North West, but several SROC members were active further afield. We await the full results (expected by Monday evening) for the Saunders Lakeland Mountain Marathon but prizewinners include Karen & Matt Nash (pictured) and Sue & Zoe Harding. Other events with SROC interest include the European Youth Orienteering Championships and GB WOC selection races.

Summer Series winners declared

Final results from the Summer Series, with best 3 out of 4 scores counting. Congratulations at all our worthy winners - prizes will be awarded to the winner of each class at the SROC picnic (see item below). Stand out results include: Daniel Selby winning M12 by a long way, Mark Edwards winning Mens Open with new club member Sam Southwell coming 2nd, Karen Quickfall winning Womens Open, Cherith Knott (W70) winning W55+ and Lucy Culkin plus 1 winning the pairs/novice class. A big thank you to all event organisers and planners in the series, which saw over 50 club members (plus a lot of other competitors) take part.

Don't forget the picnic!

The annual SROC club picnic takes place at Eaves Wood on Saturday July 11. Come along in good time for a 2pm mass start score event. There will also be a yellow and orange course for newcomers and juniors. Bring food and drink for a jacobs join picnic after the orienteering. Great social occasion and prize giving, not to be missed.

Peter Palmer Junior Relay 2009

All junior members in age classes 12-18 are invited to take part in this night/day relay in September. Last year we entered two teams who all had a great time. Can we do better this year? Read Matt's letter to fellow juniors on the SRJS page.

Astley Park maps

Anyone who ran at Astley Park on Wednesday and surrendered their map to be used by someone else, and would like a copy of their course, should email Bob Nash. Please state name, course and address.

Strong performance in the Lakeland Lanequests

Several SROC foot orienteers have made the crossover into cycle-O, taking part in the series of two hour Tuesday evening score events which make up the Lanequest series. None has been more successful than Mary Ockenden who is currently lying in second place in the Women's Open class with two events left. Best 4 out of 6 count. For the league table click here.

Astley Park Summer Series results here now!

Results from the last event in the Summer Series, which also hosted the Lancashire Scout & Guide Championships, are now available via the Results index.

SROC at LAMM - the whole story

It was not only SROC member Quentin Harding and brother Kevin (2nd in the Elite Class) and Karen Nash and Rowena Browne (1st female pair in B Class) who made a strong showing at his year's LAMM. This mountain marathon has strong associations with SROC. Organiser Martin Stone and Andrew Leaney of Sport Ident used to be club members. Rick and Angie Houghton always attend with the Compasspoint shop, and a few club members turn out every year to help - John and Sue Denmark, Frances Watkins, Dave and Val Johnstone and Brian Jackson were helping again this year, together with the club tent at the Day 1 finish. Read all about it in Brian's blog.

Williamson Park Orienteering Festival

Results are now available for the festival attended by over 200 schoolchildren in Williamson Park, Lancaster, today.

Glenys leads the Nopesport Urban League

Following her win in the Stockport urban race yesterday (21st June) SROC runner Glenys Ferguson (pictured right in action at the Salt Ayre sprint O) has strengthened her position at the top of the W55+ table in the Nopesport Urban League. With another 5 races still to go, and the best 5 of 9 to count, let's hope Glenys can pull off a couple more wins over the Autumn. The next League race is in London in September; followed by Chester, Cambridge and Oxford, finishing with Sheffield in November. Links to men's and women's tables.

SROC Club Picnic

If you've been before you'll know what to expect - if not, come along to the Picnic with a contribution to the Jacob's Join (i.e. some food and/or drink to share) and your O kit, and expect a fun event followed by a convivial gathering in the Summer sun! See the flyer.

Worden RouteGadget

RouteGadget is now available for the latest Summer Series event. Series scores will follow soon. Who will be fighting for the prizes at the last event in Astley Park?

Summer Series 3 Worden Park - results

It came fine for the event after a day of torrential rain, but spare a thought for Bob & Matt putting the controls out in horrible conditions. Results are now available, as usual from the Results index (or using the Results link above). RouteGadget will follow as soon as possible.

Summer Series - possible embargo conflict

The next Summer Series event is at Worden Park, Leyland on Wednesday 17th June. The final event is at Astley Park, Chorley on Wednesday 24th June. Please note that it is possible that the British Sprint Champs will be held in Astley Park and Chorley Town in 2010. If so, and you run on there on 24th June, you would be classed as non-competitive at the Sprint Champs (not that it makes much difference for most!)

Club league scores

Club Statistician Bob Nash has compiled the scores so far in the Club Gallopen and Junior League. To see how these are worked out, and the score tables themselves, visit the Leagues page.

Summer Series scores now available

The Summer Series tension is building! Some close scoring so far after 2 events, with best 3 out of 4 to count. Don't forget that the next event is on Wednesday 17th June, at Worden Park - a very large and varied country park in Leyland.

Beacon Fell Summer Series event 2

A midge-infested ordeal which seemed worse than a typical Scottish summer event for the organising team. Ian's courses were enjoyed by many, once again including a mix of a few newcomers and the old guard. The results are available via the Results Index page.

LAMM prizewinners

Both SROC-connected pairs mentioned below retained or improved their positions today and were duly rewarded at the prizegiving. For detailed results and images visit www.lamm.co.uk

Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon

The LAMM, a two-day mountan competition for pairs, is taking place this weekend in Scotland. SROC stalwart Quentin Harding is teamed with his brother Kevin on the Elite course and at the half-way stage they are lying 3rd, only 3 seconds short of 2nd place but over an hour behind the lead. They are the leading vet pair. Meanwhile fellow SROC committee members and LAMM (but not mountain marathon) newbies Rowena Browne and Karen Nash are leading female team on the B course. Keep in touch via the LAMM website.

Summer Series 1 Salt Ayre & Scale Hall

The first event of the new series was enjoyed by many SROC regulars and a few guests from further afield. All were impressed by the newly extended map, and many appreciated the extra challenge of Sprint-O. Results, including Winsplits On-Line, Splitsbrowser and RouteGadget (add your route and compare with others) are all available via the Results index.

Come 'Sprint' at Salt Ayre

The club's Summer series kicks off with a 'sprint' style O at Salt Ayre Sports Centre near Lancaster, GR SD463624, on Wednesday 3rd June. Meet in the car park beyond the sports centre for starts from 6:30pm. A new map has been drawn for the event to almost sprint standards and includes a new area that doubles the size of the original map. Three courses are on offer; Yellow 1.6km, Orange 2.1km and Sprint 4.0km. The Yellow and Orange courses have been planned to avoid traffic while the Sprint course does cross roads within a housing estate. Training shoes recommended. Fees £ 2.50 Adults, £ 1 Juniors. Come and try some urban orienteering, all abilities welcome.

Sessions at Ripley Start Again on Tuesday 9th June

After the half term break, there is no club session on Tuesday 2nd June at Ripley as the school is holding an induction evening for next September's intake. The next session will be on Tuesday 9th June. Please pass this message on.

Lakeland Lanequests 2009

Fancy a bit of a change? Try orienteering on your bike at the Lakeland Lanequests, on Tuesday evenings in June and July. Following a well tried format of a two-hour score event, all on tarmac roads, this series has become ever more popular over recent years, with many foot orienteers joining in. For more details visit the Mint Cake MTB website. The first event is on 2nd June at the Strickland Arms, near Kendal.

Spring Cup - Final Scores

Some interesting results - Peter Beighton as an M75 snatches the M55 prize, Steve Wrigley pushes Steve Wilson close in the Men Open class. Lawrence Johnson winning M12. Some excellent newcomer results - Lucy Culkin and Finlay Johnson coming out as winners! Prizes not collected so far can be claimed from Martyn Roome, or at the Club Picnic in July. Don't forget the next round of competition - the Summer Series starting on Wednesday 3rd June at Salt Ayre, Lancaster.

Junior selections

Congratulations to the following SROC juniors who have been selected for various tours and competitions. All the hard work has paid off! British Orienteering's Talent Programme Summer Training Camps: Chris Nash (Lagganlia), Zoe Harding (Badaguish) & Katrin Harding (Halden). Katrin is also on the GB team for the European Youth Orienteering Championships.

Harvester Trophy day/night relay event

The Harvester is a 7 or 5 person relay event with both night and day legs. SROC won the handicap class a couple of years ago, and managed to field two teams last year, but alas no trophy. This year the event is to be held in South Wales on excellent terrain over 20/21 June, with the option of a middle distance race on the Saturday to make a weekend of it. SROC hopes to enter at least two teams again, and will organise transport if there is sufficient demand. Everyone camps together close to the start and finish. More details here. See this Message Board topic. Please contact Sarah Watkins if interested, as soon as possible. Everyone welcome!

Great Tower Spring Cup event Saturday 16th May

Results for the Great Tower event are now available, along with RouteGadget, Winsplits Online and Splitsbrowser, to help analyse your performance. Follow the Results link above or click here.

British Middle Distance Championships

Congratulations to Katrin Harding who is British W16 Middle Distance Champion after a successful run in Leicestershire today, Sunday 10th May. Several other SROC members achieved good results as well. See the LEI website.

SROC Spring Cup scores

Scores after the first half of this two-event series are available here. The final event will be held at Great Tower near Windermere on Saturday 16th May. Don't miss this excellent Lakeland terrain! Spring Cup prizegiving will take place at Great Tower as soon as all results are in.

North West mappers' training course

A training course for budding map-makers is being planned for a venue somewhere in the North West. No firm dates as yet, but it will likely be held over a weekend. Anyone interested in taking part should contact the Regional Development Officer Hamish Willis.

Great Tower Spring Cup event

Look out for the next second Spring Cup event on Saturday May 16. Suitable for beginners and experienced orienteers. Please note the fees are a little higher than at Roeburndale due to access fees charged per competitor. They are £5 seniors and £3 juniors.

Roeburndale Spring Cup results

Results for this event may be viewed here. RouteGadget - add your route and compare with others. Splitsbrowser and Winsplits On-line are also available.

Roeburndale travel alert

Anyone planning to travel to the Spring Cup event in Roeburndale on Saturday 25th April should allow extra travel time, since there is a 10k road race taking place at Wray at around the same time.

Julian Lailey is Northern Champion!

Julian triumphed in the M60L race at Graythwaite on Sunday 19th April to become Northern Champion in that class. Several other SROC members had strong runs but were unable to take the top spot in their respective classes. Results are here.

Tuesday Sessions at Ripley are Back

Following the Easter break, the Tuesday sessions return to Ripley from 21st April. When weather permits these sessions will now be outside but another gym has been made available to us to use in the advent of bad weather while the sports hall is used for exams. Please bring both an indoor and outdoor pair of shoes. A combination of games, orienteering and physical training are still on offer. Meet outside the sports hall at 6:30pm. All welcome.

Well done to the Harding girls!

Two more excellent runs from Katrin and Zoe in the Middle Distance race at the World Schools today, with Katrin in 3rd place and Zoe in 7th. Using aggregate times for both races, both finish in 4th place overall. In Thursday's Long race the England's D1 team (including Katrin) were 2nd and the D2 select team (including Zoe) were 1st. In the Middle race D1 were 3rd and D2 once again 1st.

World Schools in Spain

South Ribble has two representatives at this year's World Schools Orienteering Championship, taking place between 14th & 20th April. Zoe and Katrin Harding are in the England select team and ran the Long Distance race today, achieving excellent 3rd and 5th places in their respective classes. Follow their progress at the Middle Distance race (Saturday) on the event website.

Club Coaching Day - 10am Saturday 18th April

Last chance to book your place at the Club coaching session this Saturday in Lakeland Terrain near Newby Bridge. SROC coaches will be on hand to provide technical tuition at a standard suitable to your ability. This is an excellent opportunity for orienteers of all abilities to develop their technical skills without the time pressures of competition. Costs: £1 juniors, £3 adults, £1 car park. Please book your place by Thursday evening 16th April by contacting Quentin Harding on 01524 770637 or e-mail sueandq@escowbeck.wanadoo.co.uk.
Details for all those who have requested a place will be sent out to them on the 16th.

LOC technical event at Latter Rigg cancelled

The LOC event scheduled for Wednesday 15th April has been cancelled at short notice, according to a message on the Lakeland OC website.

JK photos

Thanks to Karen Nash and Martyn Roome for sending in their JK photos, which may be viewed in the JK2009 and JK dinner 2009 albums

Nashes run well at JK relays

No relay gold medals for SROC at this year's JK, but a couple of well-earned podium positions. The M48- team (John Ockenden, Chris Nash, Matt Nash) secured 3rd place with Chris fastest on 2nd leg and Matt 2nd fastest on last leg. Sue Harding, Mary Ockenden and Karen Nash (W120+) finished 2nd after leading for two legs. All results are to be found on the Sportident UK website.

Ockenden girls take top places at the JK

Total time for days 2 & 3 is used to declare the JK champion, and Helen Ockenden pulled back from 4th on Saturday to win W12A overall and complete the BOC & JK double. Her sister Annie added to the family's success by finishing in 2nd place in the same class. Other top 5 places were gained by: Chris Nash (3rd M14A), James Anthony (5th M18S), David Roome (1st M21L), Quentin Harding (3rd M45L), Lisa Quickfall (3rd W14B), Katrin Harding (4th W16A), Alison Anthony (2nd W20S) and Karen Quickfall (2nd W45S). Congratulations to them all. Full results on the Sportident UK website.

JK Sprint

Success for Quentin Harding at the JK Sprint in Newcastle today (Good Friday)! Quentin won the M45 race, following on from his victory in the British Sprint Champs last weekend. Other SROC results include 2nd on M14 for Chris Nash, 3rd and 4th on W16 for Zoe and Katrin Harding, and 4th on W60 for Miriam Rosen. Results are on the Sportident UK website.

Club dinner at the JK

Mike and Mary Ormerod are already in the NE and are kindly trying to arrange a club dinner on the Saturday evening. Because of the limited number of places to eat, this is proving difficult, and we may have to have to split into two. If you would like to take part, please contact Martyn Roome right away.

Club Coaching Day - Saturday Morning 18th April

British Orienteering have provided the opportunity for clubs to train in Lakeland Terrain on the day prior to the Graythwaite event. SROC coaches will be on hand to provide technical tuition at a standard suitable to your ability. This is an excellent opportunity for all abilities or orienteer to develop your technical skills without the time pressures of competition. Costs: £1 juniors, £3 adults, £1 car park. Please book your place by Thursday 16th April by contacting Quentin Harding on 01524 770637 or e-mail sueandq@escowbeck.wanadoo.co.uk.

Easter Break at Ripley

There will be no club sessions at Ripley over the Easter Break, sessions will resume on Tuesday 21st April. As the sports hall will be set up for exams, the session will either take place outside or in an alternative gym in the school. Details to follow.

Congratulations to our new British Sprint champions!

At the British Sprint Orienteering Championships at Stirling University today (Saturday 4th April) Sue and Quentin Harding were crowned W45 and M45 champions. Sue retained her lead after winning the first race and placing 2nd in the second, taking the title by 28 seconds. Quentin ran an amazingly quick second race to recover from a 30 seconds deficit after the first, winning by 18 seconds overall. Results on the FVO website.

Wednesdays in Spring - club training runs in scenic countryside

The next run is at Nicky Nook, stating at 6.45pm, meet at 6.35pm. The remainder will start at 7.00pm, meet at 6.45pm. There will be shorter and longer options (about 40 and 60 mins) - all levels of fitness and unfitness catered for. Local pub afterwards. Details on the fixtures page, including a map of the parking location each week. Check for late changes to venues.

Training session for beginners Saturday 28th March

You are warmly invited to training at Williamson Park, Lancaster. We will be providing a fun training session aimed at giving basic skills to beginners of all ages. Meet at 1.00pm, finish about 2.30pm. Training fees for Club members: £1 per Junior or adult. Families £3 Non Club members: £2. Please contact Ian Selby (01995 600292) asap and by Thursday 26th March at the latest to tell him numbers of juniors (with ages) and/or adults.

Farleton Organiser's comments

Comments from the Organiser of the Farleton Knott event have been added to the event page.

Final league tables, 08-09 Night Street League

The final scores for the street league are now available here. Roll on next season!

Farleton Photos

A selection of views taken during the event have been added to the Farleton Knott gallery. Anyone with photos they would like to share please email them to photos@sroc.org.

Farleton Knott comments

All the team involved with putting on the event would like to thank everyone who went to the trouble of giving positive feedback after their runs, either at the event or subsequently. Planner's and Controller's comments have been added to the event page.

Compass Sport Cup correction to team scores

I am indebted to Roger Jackson of WCOC for double-checking my calculations, which had to be done manually after a software problem yesterday. All results are confirmed except that I had credited MDOC with an extra score, so their total reduces and LOC move into 2nd place. Please look over the Club Results and Individual Results. Chris Roberts

Congratulations to WCOC and BL!

Team results for the NW Compass Sport Cup and Trophy round at Farleton Knott are: Cup 1st WCOC, 2nd MDOC, 3rd LOC. Trophy 1st BL, 2nd PFO, 3rd BARRO. More detail may be viewed on the event page. (Apologies for the result being declared incorrectly for a short time).

Farleton Knott results

Results for the event at Farleton Knott today, Sunday 15th March, are now available here. Please note that there was a problem with control 149, which failed to register on a handful of SI cards. All who were affected by this problem have been credited with that control, although of course you will not have a true spli time showing.

Lancaster South Street League 11th March - Results

The results for the final street event of the 08-09 season are now available here. Final league tables will follow soon.

Street League finale

There was another good turnout at the final Street League event of the 08-09 season at Lancaster South, followed by the series prizegiving. Karen Nash (pictured right with Club Captain Sarah Watkins) carried off the overall winner's trophy, along with best female and the Blackpool Tower trophy. Best male was Steve Lang, top pair were Katrin & Zoe Harding and best newcomer: Chris Reade. More pictures in the Gallery, RouteGadget is ready to go and full results, league tables and a list of all prizewinners will follow soon. Thanks to Glenys Ferguson for coordinating the series.

Farleton Knott CSC/CST start list

A start list for Sunday's event has now been published. Please note that there are many entries which have important details missing. Club captains have been asked to supply these, but if you spot any mistakes or missing details please email cscentries@sroc.org . This does not extend to changes in start times since the start list is very full and adequate separation between club members has been difficult to achieve.

Farleton Knott Compass Sport Cup/Trophy final details & map extracts

Final details for the event at Farleton Knott on 15th March are now available in printable form (pdf). Some extracts from the map, showing the special screens in use, have been added to the event page.

Last chance to book a place at the Club Dinner, Friday 20th March

If you have not booked your place for the SROC annual dinner you have until Wednesday 11th March to do so - let Jane Collins know on 01524 60242 right away. Its at Thurnham Hall, south of Lancaster and the cost is £22 per person. See map and menu.
Steve Vernon, GB cross country and mountain runner is our guest speaker - not to be missed!

Farleton Knott details & control descriptions

Course details and terrain notes etc have been added to the Farleton Knott page, where there is also a link to the control descriptions. Club entries for the Compass Sport Cup and Trophy matches for this event on 15th March should be in to Sarah Watkins by Friday 6th March. EOD will be available for all courses, but try to arrive early as we expect demand to be heavy for this brand new orienteering area, and start slots will be limited.

The tension mounts!

With only one more event to go in the Night Street League, we can publish the league tables after event 9. There's sure to be another record turnout at the final event in Lancaster on 11th March as regulars try to gain a few more points. If you've never tried Street-O and wonder what all the fuss is about, why not come along and have a go?

BOC relays and photos

Maybe it was too far for some club members this year, but all the same there was a good SROC presence at BOC and thanks to Karen & Bob Nash and Andy Quickfall we can see a good number of them in action. View their photos in the BOC 2009 Gallery. Many stayed on for the relays; results are here.

British Orienteering Championships individual day

Congratulations to all SROC members running in BOC 2009 today (Saturday 28th February) at Hampton Ridge. Top 5 places were recorded by: Helen Ockenden (1st W12A), Annie Ockenden (4th W12A), Chris Nash (2nd M14A), Lisa Quickfall (1st W14B), Katrin Harding (3rd W16A), Zoe Harding (5th W16A), Sarah Watkins (4th W35S), Quentin Harding (2nd M45L), Karen Nash (2nd W45L), Julian Lailey (5th M60L), Dick Collins (1st M65S). Full results here.

Coaching employment opportunity

SELOC & PFO have a vacancy for a level 2 coach, working part-time for three years. More . . .

Results for the Army event at Beacon Fell, 25th February

A total of 13 SROC members enjoyed the hospitality of the Army at Beacon Fell on Wednesday 25th February. Strangely not all of these were retired (as in not at work!). We would like to thank WO2 Jamie Martinez for inviting us along. Results of the event are here.

Helmshore night street league 25th February

Another great street O event, this time on a new area. RouteGadget is ready to receive your routes. Relive the event and compare your tactics with those better (or worse!) than you. The results and Organisers' comments are now here. Add your thoughts on this event to the messageboard.

Lancaster club night at Ripley St Thomas - Tuesday 24th February

We are trying a slightly different timetable for club nights for the next few weeks at least - they will begin at 6.30pm with a chance to view and discuss forthcoming events using the upstairs meeting room and the projector (this week the map of the British Champs area, routes, tactics etc) and past events - Burnham Beeches, Howarth Moor. There will be games (eg Basket Ball) for the younger ones at this time. Circuits will then start at 7.00pm prompt, finish 8.00pm as usual. So bring your maps (preferably scanned on to a memory stick) and questions for 6.30!

Compass Sport Cup Sunday 15th March - Farleton Knott

Please let Sarah Watkins know ASAP and by 1st March at the latest if you can run for the club at Farleton Knott - a brilliant new SROC area near Burton in Kendal. SROC is also of course putting this event on, and we need EVERYONE to volunteer to help on the day - so we can all get a run (except the planner!). No experience needed - please let Mark Edwards know right away if you are available to help.

SROC members help England win at Interland

As reported in January, SROC members made up a large part of the winning England team in this annual international match, this year hosted at the Burnham Beeches National Event on Sunday 22nd February. All acquitted themselves well, with Quentin and Katrin Harding both scoring maximum points in their respective classes (M40 & W16). For Katrin this was her second win of the weekend having carried off the Flying Pig trophy (Junior Women) at the JOK Chasing Sprint on Saturday. For results see Interland and JOK Chasing Sprint.

Compass Sport Cup Draw

The draw for this year's CSC has been made, see this website: PGO Page. SROC will be competing in the Cup against WCOC, DEE, MDOC & LOC. Also at the Farleton Knott match will be BARRO, BL & PFO, competing in the Trophy (for small clubs). The Compass Sport Cup is the annual national clubs' competition.

Looking forward to Farleton Knott

The next big event is the Regional at Farleton Knott near Carnforth, where SROC is hosting the NW Compass Sport Cup 1st Round match. This is a brand new area and by all accounts the map is going to be of the highest standard. We will shortly find out which clubs we will be competing against, but as this is on "home" territory we expect to see every man, woman and child out running for SROC to give us the best chance of repeating our success of last year. Keep an eye on the special page (link on the right) as more details become available. Any offers of help to the Organiser, Mark Edwards. Please notify Club Captain Sarah Watkins of your intention to run.

Half Term at Ripley - Tuesday 17th Feb

Unfortunately we do not have access to the sports hall this Tuesday as the school is closed over half term. Back with a slightly revised format on the 24th February, details to follow.

Nicky Nook District Event 15th February

Results for the Nicky Nook event are now available here. Add you route to RouteGadget, view and compare splits in Splitsbrowser or Winsplits online.

Clayton le Woods Night Street Event results & league tables

Results for the recent event at Clayton le Woods are now available here, and the new league tables are here. It looks like Steve Lang is uncatchable on gross score, but the the age-adjusted championship is still open. Just two more chances to improve your position (or try the streets for the first time) this season. Don't miss the next event in a new area - Helmshore on 25th February.

Beacon Fell event hosted by the Army 25th February

The Army orienteering league event at Beacon Fell on Wednesday 25th February has kindly been thrown open to SROC members who may participate for free! There will be a range of courses to suit most abilities. For more details see this flyer.

Clayton le Woods street league event 8, 11th February

Clayton le Woods RouteGadget is ready to receive your routes. Results and league scores will follow soon. Something to say about this event? Advice, regrets, complaints or compliments? Say it on the Message Board.

Happy Mount Park Orienteering - Years 5/6 Carnforth Sports Family Event

Over 200 pupils from the Carnforth Sports Family took part in an orienteering event organised by the SSCo's at Carnforth High School. A big thank you to Bob Nash, Chris Roberts (SROC) and BETEC students from Carnforth High School for their help on the day. Overall winners of the event were Silverdale School. Winners of the A course - Matthew and Farrell (Nether Kellet), Winners of the B course - Matthew and Daniel (Silverdale) and winners of the C course - Jacob and Jonathan (Arkholme). Full results are here.

League tables updated

Competition is hotting up in the SROC Night Street League, with only three events remaining this season. See the latest League Tables. The North West Night League (not on streets) concluded in the snow drifts at Hurstwood on Saturday 8th Feb, assuming that MEROC do not pull an event out of the bag in the next couple of weeks. The provisional final table is here, any queries to Chris Rostron please.

Food, Glorious Food

Steve Wilson is taking orders for pie and peas at Street Event 9 (Helmshore) on 25 February. Glenys Ferguson is also starting to collect orders for food for Event 10 (Lancaster South) on 11 March. This is the final street event of the season followed by prizegiving. Lasagne (or veggie alternative), price £4. Pre-orders are essential in both cases (by 4th March if you want food for Event 10). See them at Clayton le Woods this Wednesday, or contact by phone or email.

New to Orienteering?

New to Orienteering? Thinking of coming to Wyre Estuary Country Park and Nicky Nook next weekend? Read on . . .
These events are perfect for the beginner - help and instruction will be given.
Wyre Estuary - arrive between 11.00 and 12.00 - see full details on the fixture list
Nicky Nook - between 10.30 and 12.00 - see full details on the fixture list
For further info and advice please contact Tony Marlow or Martyn Roome.

Chairman on listen again for the next 7 days

If you missed Martyn's broadcast today (Saturday 7th Feb - see news item below) you can catch it on listen again if you are fairly quick. Follow this link and slide the bar along to 1:32:50 for the start of Martyn's bit. It's well worth a listen!

Your Chairman broadcasts to the nation!

At 1.30pm every Saturday, Radio Lancashire starts its sports coverage with a half hour chat to a local sports star, who has something wise and intelligent to tell their listeners. They appear to have run out, as they have asked me instead! They wanted someone who knew about orienteering, so unlucky again. Anyway, if you have nothing better to do, tune in at 1.30 this Saturday, 7th February, to at least hear something about SROC - club of the year!
Martyn Roome

Kirkham street league 28th January - results

With apologies for the slight delay, results for the recent event at Kirkham are now available here. Quentin evidently made the most of being temporarily released from shadowing duties! Updated league scores to follow.

SROC Club Dinner on 20th March

This year's dinner will be held at Thurnham Hall, on the A588 between Cockerham and Lancaster see map and menu. Guest speaker will be Steve Vernon (British Orienteering Participation Project Officer), and he will be talking about the highs and lows of being an elite athlete. Bookings are now being taken and should be sent, stating your choice of starter and main course, with a cheque payable to SROC (£22 per head), to Jane Collins, 8 Sandown Road, Lancaster, LA1 4LN asap and no later than 28th February.

Junior (and adult) training session at Nicky Nook, Sunday 15th February

This session will focus on compass bearings, and will last just 45 minutes, starting at 10.30 and finishing at 11.15 to allow you to then take part in the event proper. Please bring a compass if you have one, but we can lend you one if you don't. The fees are 50p per adult or junior or £1 per family. The lead coach for this session is Mark Saunders, but anyone planning on attending should tell Martyn Roome by Wednesday 11th February, with names and ages of participants.

SROC Night Street League 7 at Kirkham

There was a strong turnout for the seventh event in the series, including one or two newcomers and at least one old hand not seen on the streets for several years, and all enjoyed the challenge set by ex Street League coordinator Ian Evans. RouteGadget is ready to receive your routes, results will follow as soon as possible.

Katrin Harding is W18 British Night Champion!

A small group of South Ribble night orienteering aficionados competed in the British Night Championships at Mytchett, Surrey on Saturday 24th January. Katrin Harding won W18L "running up" as she is a W16, while Miriam Rosen finished 2nd W60L, and Julian Lailey came 7th on M60L. Results are here.

Come to Ripley

After a five week holiday in Caton the Tuesday sessions are back at Ripley School Sports Hall from Tuesday 27th January. As ever, it kicks off at 6:30pm but a new circuits is promised and O games should resume. All welcome.

Accommodation for BOC

Anyone interested in staying near the New Forest for the British Champs might like to try Hoseasons, for caravans sleeping 4 or 6 people, on the Tall Trees site near Christchurch in Dorset. They cost £ 116.29 for 3 nights (Fri, Sat Sun) and sleep 4 in beds (6, if you use the settees as well). Look on the Hoseasons web site for more information about location and facilities. If you want to book, please do so yourselves, using the no. 0844 847 1356, payment is on booking. Mike and Mary have found this site and will book a van. If booking please let Mary know as she would like to arrange a "Jacob's Join" or something sociable for the Saturday evening.

Lancaster West results

Results for yesterday's street event have now been posted here, and are also available via the results page. Latest league scores are available here.

SROC Night Street League 6 Lancaster West

Enthusiasm remained undamped despite the inclement weather as the street league reopened for the second half of the series, after the Christmas break. Plot your course on RouteGadget, either manually or using your new GPS you got from Santa! Some helpful notes on using RG may be found here.

SROC well represented in the England team for Interland

Selections have been announced for the 2009 team representing England in the annual Interland international, this year being held at Burnham Beeches on 22nd February. SROC members make up almost one tenth of the team, so congratulations to Katrin, Zoe & Quentin Harding and Chris Nash. Good Luck guys!

SROC Club awards for 2008

Want to know who won a trophy last year? Or what standards were awarded? A full list of all awards made by the club, including the presentations at the annual social and prizegiving, can be viewed here.

Photos from the Club Handicap & Social

Thanks to Bill Lock, Sophie Roberts and Chris Roberts for a selection of photos from the handicap and social today. Any more photos, especially of action in the wood, gratefully received. Please send to webteam@sroc.org

Club Handicap results

Club members (and a few guests) enjoyed a testing set of courses in Wellington Wood today, thanks to planner Julian Lailey and Handicapper Dick Collins. Possibly a record number of courses (48!) had been planned to cover all abilities. In the end talented junior Helen Ockenden just beat experienced senior Jane Anthony to the finish. Results may be viewed here, and RouteGadget is here.

Calling all SROC members - British Relay Champs

Anyone interested in a run at the British Relays should contact Sarah Watkins: captain@sroc.org before this Saturday, 10th January if possible. This is to allow entries at the reduced rate as the BOC weekend is early this year (28th Feb-1st March). Should you not be able to make a decision before then you can let her know afterwards, we can enter some teams after that.

Club Handicap & annual prizegiving and social Saturday 10th January 2009

This is shaping up into the most-not-to-miss event of the year! With individually planned courses to match everyone's exact state of fitness and experience (allegedly!) on an area that no-one can remember having run on before, plus all the fun and excitement of a mass start. Added to that there is the social afterwards, with activities to suit all and the chance to pick up a prize or two. Ideally you should let Julian know of your intention to run (01524 845990), and don't forget to bring some food for the Jacob's Join. Registration from 1pm, mass start 2pm. More details and map link on the fixtures page.

Photos and route analysis at the New Year Cracker

Martyn snapped a friendly robin at the New Year's Day event and offers this caption for the photo on the right: "Robin reliant on orienteering control for higher perches." Both the winners of the open classes on long score have added their routes to RouteGadget. See which way Iain Smith-Ward (M40) and Zoe Harding (W16) went, and add your own routes.

8th New Year Cracker - results

Congratulations to all those who braved the icy start to enjoy a perfect Winter's day at Low Park today. The unusual score format caught only a few of you out. Some didn't realize that they could take controls in any order provided the relevant master control had been punched, and just one or two managed to punch one of the "decoy" controls, losing 20 points thereby! Provisional scores on your printout have been checked, and in some cases reduced where controls were taken too early, ahead of the master (or in one case where the master was missed entirely). We have left the splits files unaltered to allow full comparisons. Our apologies for anyone surprised to find one control without a flag, and for the queue formed at download. A new software upgrade caused us problems, and meant that your split times were not on your printout. However, all are now visible in the results here. RouteGadget is also available.