Essex Stragglers Orienteering Society (SOS)

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Newsletter
Volume 18 Number 19
September 2006

Editors: Jenny and John Collyer, email jcollyer48@btinternet.com

Contents

• AGM Notice
• Editorial - John and Jenny Collyer
• Chairman's Chat - Martin Sellens
• Captain's Corner - Jenny Collyer
• Fixtures Secretary - Jack Isbester
• ESSOL Results - Julie Laver
• SOS Notice Board
• Event Reports
• SOS National Rankings
• A Lagganlia Diary - Richard Barker
• Coaching Items - Steve Cartwright
• Scandinavian Permanent Courses - John Collyer
• Recent Runs in Hyalnds Park - John Collyer
• Lymes Disease - Derek Ladkin
• Fixtures - Jack Isbester

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The 2006 Annual General Meeting for the Essex Stragglers Orienteering Society will be held on Friday 6th October at 8.00pm at Grove Hill House, Dedham, CO7 6DX by kind invitation of Colin and Lyn West.

The meeting will be followed by a 'Bring and Share' meal and a social time

AGENDA

1. 1. Apologies for Absence
2. 2. Minutes of 2005 AGM
3. 3. Matters arising from the Minutes
4. 4. Chairman's Report
5. 5. Treasurer's Report and Statement of Accounts for 2005/06
6. 6. Subscription Rates for coming year
7. 7. Election of Chairman
8. 8. Election of Other Officers
9. 9. Any Other Business

Editorial - Jenny and John Collyer

An article about Lyme's Disease kindly forwarded by Derek Ladkin may provide a timely reminder to us all about a hazard orienteers are exposed to from one of the tiniest forest inhabitants.

We know of at least two club members (past and present) who have been infected, and whose initial contact with a doctor about the cause proved unhelpful. There is also the recent local to Sudbury case of Kirsty Waterstone, a junior international cross-country runner, who appears to have been infected during a race at Thetford. She has suffered a lot of problems and is not able to run and take part in activities at anything like her previous level.

If you think you have been infected then it is important to mention your increased risk, as a forest user, to your doctor.

Thetford foresters post notices about the risk at their main activity centres, and the most likely time to be bitten is April to September.

We well remember a Junior Squad training session in Brandon where during change-over time in a relay, juniors were counting the ticks climbing their O-trousers!

Finally, our thanks to all contributors to Volume 18 newsletters over the past three-and-a bit years. Please continue with your articles for the new editors.

Chairman's Chat - Martin Sellens

Well, the nights are drawing in, the July evidence of global warming is now just a rosy memory replaced by English summer business-as-usual, and the Karrimor start list has dropped on the doormat. It must be almost time for the Orienteering season to swing back into gear.

For many of us, the concept of an Orienteering season is marked by the annual round of out of season holiday events and summer mountain marathons. Presumably there will be event reports to illustrate this elsewhere in the newsletter. I know that the Wests went to the World Vets in Austria, the Collyers to the O-Ringen in Sweden and the Sellenses, Pughs, Russells and Steve Cartwright to the Lakes 5-days. If I have missed out your own peripatetic summer O activity, why not write about if for the next newsletter? It would be nice to wallow vicariously in the memory of sun dappled forests/moorlands in the depths of winter when the next issue emerges hot from the presses.

I have some Chairpersonly duties to attend to, so listen carefully.

AGM. There is official notification of the AGM and the agenda elsewhere in the newsletter. This is an invitation to members who are NOT currently on the committee to consider attending this meeting, which is a tasty mix of the formal and the social, at the West's residence on 6th October at 7.30. Contact Lyn on 01206 322905 if you would like to contribute some food to the 'pot-luck supper'. There will be the inevitable election of officers, and new blood for the committee is always welcome. However, this is also the time you can express your opinions about how the club is working (or not) for you and an opportunity to influence club activities for the next year and beyond. Please put 6th October in your diaries NOW.

Compass Sport Trophy Final. Jenny Collyer has published a plea to members to attend this highlight of the Orienteering competitive calendar elsewhere in the Newsletter. This is simply to add my encouragement to you to make the trip to Newbury on 15th October to take part. It is a great way to meet other club members and an opportunity to make history by being part of the winning Stragglers team! Of course, the truth of the last sentence depends partly on your answering this rallying call. Those of you of a peace-loving disposition might be tempted to attend by the fact that the venue is Greenham Common. Bring your handcuffs and CND banners.

Future events.The next two events are at Hockley Woods on 24th September and the new area of Layer Wood in Tiptree on 19th November. Please contact the organiser if you can offer some help on the day. Helpers get a free run! The Organiser is Hilary Sellens for the Hockley event (hsellens@somakam.freeserve.co.uk or 01206 766560).

Remember, a small club like ours can only provide you with limited opportunities to enjoy navigating through the forest and depends heavily on its members to contribute a small amount of time to help out the few who labour mightily as event officials. As well as getting a free run, those who help reap a disproportionately large social benefit and the double Sunday evening satisfaction of having contributed to others enjoyment as well as their own. I encourage you all, also, to travel to events further afield and to look out for the Stragglers tent or banner when you get there. We want your Orienteering experience as friendly as possible and the old lags amongst us are always happy to offer a bit of post-event analysis if you want it. Members of the coaching team often offer short coaching exercises at our events and all are welcome to take part. Look at the event notices as they appear on the Stragglers web site http://www.stragglers.info . I look forward to meeting you in a forest or car park in the near future!

Captain's Corner - Jenny Collyer

The Compass Sport Cup Final takes place at Greenham Common, Newbury on the 15th October. We would like to see the usual good turnout of SOS members at this event. Courses range from Orange to Brown depending on your age class but non- competitive yellow and white courses can be entered on the day.

A coach has been organised and will be subsidised by the club. The pick up points will be Tollgate in Colchester and probably Boreham Services in Chelmsford. The cost for the coach will be £15 for seniors and £5 for juniors (up to £30 for a family).

EMIT punching (NOT SI) is being used and the cost of hiring a card is £1. Entry fees are £5 seniors and £2.50 juniors

I will be sending in entries on the 27th September at the latest so please let me know ASAP if you wish to be entered, your age class, if you need to hire an EMIT card and if you will be travelling on the coach (including where you wish to be picked up). Please send me a cheque to cover the above made out to 'Essex Stragglers Orienteering Society'. My address is 48 Meadow View Road, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 7NY. (My email is jcollyer48@btinternet.com)

Looking forward to seeing lots and lots of you on the 15th October!

Fixtures Secretary - Jack Isbester

The Solution in your Hands

In the four years since I became Fixtures Sec the club has lost the services of nine event Organisers while in the same period I have only been able to persuade two members still with us to organise for the first time. That puts into context the intensifying problem of finding Organisers for our events.

Twenty three Organisers with previous experience remain with us but most of them are also Planners, a number are Controllers and several are Coaches, so the demands for their services are numerous and varied. Most of our established Organisers would be happy to work with an understudy. It's in the interests of all that they do so and give experience to volunteers so if you orienteer regularly please think hard about understudying an Organiser in preparation for taking full responsibility at a later event.

Here is the programme for 2007. All the blank spaced need to be filled. If you don't want to do it yourself nominate your spouse, your daughter or your dad.

Date	Event	Venue	Organiser	Planner
01.01.07	Novelty	Castle Park	A Cordle	A Cordle
28.01.07	ESSOL	Broaks	J Collyer
18.02.07	Regional	Baddow Ridge		K Machin
20.05.07	ESSOL	Hylands Park	D Birkett
17.06.07	ESSOL	High Woods
01.07.07	Relays	Danbury Park
23.07.07	EAGAL	Hatfield Forest
11.11.07	ESSOL	The Naze

I look forward to receipt of your offers on 01621 815501 or IsbesterJ@aol.com

We have come to the end of another busy season for the juniors of Essex and Suffolk and it seems we are already looking forward to the next. Below are the final top results for the year. This has been my first year administrating the league and I must say I have found it both fun and challenging. My computer skills have improved through necessity (unlike my orienteering!) and I have met lots of new people from both clubs involved.

Well done to all the juniors who took part. I managed to distribute most certificates but if you think you should have received an award but didn't please do not hesitate to contact me. I will leave the remaining certificates I have at the help desk at the next few ESSOL events - also listed below.

Just a reminder that any SOS or SUFFOC junior at school or 6th form may be included in the league as long as they complete their run without adult or other assistance. The scoring system is explained on the ESSOL web page and it helps me to collect the data if you ensure the entry slip is clearly filled out at registration.

SOS coaches are hoping to offer pre or post run coaching for any interested runners at suitable events so keep your eyes open for these sessions and you may find yourself top of your class next July!

Good luck to all juniors for this coming season - I hope to be available at all ESSOL events so come and say hello.

Up to Y6 Boys		Up toY6 Girls
Bryn Wilkinson	519 points	Olivier Becher	496 points
Michael Wilkinson	450 points	Elizabeth Merceron	461 points
Lewis Reynolds	426 points	Lucinda Wilkinson	440 points
Y 7/8 Boys		Y 7/8 Girls
Michael Park	414 points	Helen Vidler	462 points
Marcus Turner	410 points	Sarah Roach	428 points
Alex Ware	384 points	Helen Laurie	323 points
Y 9/10 Boys		Y 9/10 Girls
Conor Weed	420 points	Ellen Sanderson	440 points
James Park	398 points	Sophie Butler	200 points
William Benfold	100 points	Arabella Gilby	100 points
Y 11/12/13 Boys		Y 11/12/13 girls
James Lyne	580 points	Sarah Park	452 points
Tom Sherwin	220 points	Joanne West	320 points
Chris Billows	120 points	Louise Shotland	75 points
TEAM TROPHY
1st Barnardiston Hall Preparatory
2nd Coppleston High
3rd 1st Cressing Scouts

ESSOL fixtures 06/07 season

These are the proposed fixtures for this year but participants are advised to check the club's website nearer the event time as arrangements can be subject to alteration.

SEPT 24	Hockley Woods	(SOS)
NOV 12	Danbury Park	(SOS)
NOV 26	Kings Forest	(SUFFOC)
JAN 14	Sutton Common	(SUFFOC)
JAN 28	The Broaks, Halstead	(SOS)
MAR 25	Daisys Wood	(SUFFOC)
MAY 20	Hylands Park	(SOS)
JUNE 17	Highwoods	(SOS)

SOS Notice Board

Next SOS Committee Meeting

Monday 18th September at Cherrydown, Spring Lane, Tiptree.

Downloadable game called Catching Features

This game has just come to our attention but we havn't had time to try it out yet. Go to www.catchingfeatures.com , where you can download the demo version of a highly addictive orienteering game. You see a 3-D landscape, and at the click of a space bar see your map. The free demo version comes with 4 short races of about yellow standard called intro. It's not as easy as it looks!  There are also about 6 courses at TD 5 difficulty. Re-location is hard, it is  realistic, but you do have to take things steady to start, or get lost. Oh and when you run into a tree it doesn't hurt, but you do fall over!

Apparently you can import OCAD maps and run courses and also compete with others online!!!

Fordham Hall Estate

Derek Keeble has sent us a cutting from the Woodland Trust Newsletter which mentions 300 people turning up for the Community tree planting day.

It is also interesting to read that the three barn owl boxes erected last year, and on the map, were all used - one by stock doves, one by jackdaws and one even by barn owls - the first record of them in the area. Last year volunteers from the Colne Valley Project helped construct an artificial otter holt and within weeks of its construction it was being used by otters.

Walking the Essex Colne Zolne

Derek Keeble has also sent us a copy of this 95 mile Long Distance Path following the River Colne from its source at Steeple Bumpstead to its estuary at Point Clear including a few of its scenic t ributary valleys. It is No.10 in the "Mapjog's Pack-a-Back Bicycle Ramble" series.

Event Reports

International orienteering - not just for the elites - Eleanor West

Some of you may know that I am fast approaching the world of work and once I get there I am unlikely to have huge amounts of free time to indulge in large amounts of orienteering. Last summer I went to the Jukola relay in Finland with JOK (the ex-Oxford club). It exceeded all my expectations and definitely went down as one of my best orienteering experiences ever. With that in mind I decided to make the most of my final season with oceans of time and get out orienteering in as many places as possible. The following outlines a few of the experiences I've had.

Firstly, I joined a Swedish club. If you ever have the chance to get involved with a Scandinavian club in any way then take it. The club atmosphere abroad has to be seen to be believed. Järfälla OK have been nothing but welcoming to me, even though I'm not exactly super speedy. They had a club training tour to Spain for a week in February which I joined. Running through open forests in warm weather was the perfect way to escape from the dullness of a British winter (and I think the Swedes were quite grateful for a few days away from the snow!).

One of the main reasons for me joining Järfälla was so that I could get a run in each of the two huge relays in Scandinavia. I've already mentioned Jukola, which takes place in Finland in June and is the biggest orienteering relay in the world. The second is the Tio-Mila in Sweden in April. Both relays have a similar format. The women run during the day on the Saturday afternoon (teams of five for the Tio-Mila and four for Jukola). Once that's over the build up to the main event begins. The men's race starts late at night and continues during the night to finish sometime early the next morning. Personally, I think the women are in the best situation. We get to run in the afternoon (so no scary issues about having to navigate in the dark!), and then chill out whilst watching the guys and getting all the excitement of their race without worrying about running.

I can't describe how amazing the atmosphere in the arena at an event this size is. The closest thing I've ever experienced is a music festival. The atmosphere hits you as soon as you walk into the arena with the commentary and the big screen giving a taste of what's to come. The start of the men's race is a phenomenon in itself - hundreds of head-lamps heading for the dark forest with the buzz of adrenaline as the race that many have been preparing for all year kicks off.

The actual orienteering is amazing. The challenge of the navigation, coupled with the exhilaration of running through such gorgeous terrain, meant that at the Tio Mila I finished my run with a huge smile on my face. Moments like that remind me exactly why I orienteer. The fact that there's so many other runners there for the same reason, including most of the world's best, adds up to make it a fantastic experience. (Incidentally I didn't finish Jukola smiling because I was so tired, having finished my exams the previous day and embarked on an epic journey to get there in time to run!)

At the Tio-Mila I had to get some sleep in the middle of the night and returned to the arena to watch the men's race from leg 7 (out of 10). Due to the time of year it's easier to stay up all night at Jukola and both times I've been I've camped out with my sleeping bag in front of the big screen, drifting in and out of sleep with the commentary in the background. By the last few legs it's always worth being awake though. The top teams run with trackers on them which means you can see exactly what's going on out in the forest. If I tried to explain to non-orienteering friends at home why standing in a field with lots of other orienteers watching a few coloured dots move around a big screen was exciting I think they'd look at me a bit funny. But that's exactly what watching the last leg is like. I can't believe that after 10 legs and hours of running it all comes down to what the guys on last leg do - that's a huge responsibility for that last leg runner to be carrying.

I find it difficult to explain exactly why these relay events are so amazing. Part of it is the sheer scale but it's also the fact that everyone is there - from the world's top elites fighting it out for the coveted title, to people who only orienteer once a year (and this is that time). Even from the start you can see the contrast between those sprinting for the forest and those ambling up the taped route looking at their map. The exhilarating point is that everyone is there for the love of orienteering. I'd love to see more British teams entering and getting a taste of Scandinavian orienteering.

Jukola was just the start of my summer of orienteering. I followed it with a few weeks sightseeing in the Baltic States. This culminated in watching JWOC in Lithuania and competing in the Takas 5 Day which ran alongside. I can't say the forests were the nicest I've ever seen but the courses were well planned and were in the same forests that the juniors had run in earlier that day. The team spirit amongst all the British spectators cheering for our boys and girls made for a fantastic holiday. My next orienteering was at the O-Ringen in Sweden and again this is an event which has to be seen to be believed. Put it on your 'to do before I die' wish list. The terrain's amazing, the organisation smoother than anything I've ever seen and showers, well, they're an experience...

My tour of Scandinavia and the Baltics finished with two weeks coaching the GB under-17s on tour in Halden, Norway. I've been involved with the start program for the last year or so and can thoroughly recommend it. It's a huge buzz being able to pass on my love for the sport to the next generation of top level athletes. The Start Program is always looking for volunteers, and not just coaches. Our tour had to run without a cook this year which is not something that should ever happen again!

In summary: if you've never orienteered abroad then seriously consider it. Orienteering can provide a great excuse to go a certain country or area and I think the international friendship aspect is one of the huge bonuses of our sport. As for me, there's one more orienteering experience on my list and that's the Spring Cup in Denmark.

O-Ringen Mohed, Sweden - 16th-21st July - Jenny Collyer

The attraction of this year's O-Ringen was the fact that all the five events were within walking distance of the campsite. - in fact on three of the days the assembly area was only 10 mins walk from where I was camped. The event attracted about 14,000 competitors running in over 100 different classes up to M90 and W85. An event of this size is an experience never forgotten with everything on a massive scale e.g. 8 different Starts and 8 parallel finish lanes, a huge crèche, enormous outdoor showers with water heated by large boilers, even a dog minding area!

The orienteering was varied with two of the days being on very rocky ground that I found difficult to run on. On the other three days the areas included large sections of open sand and tracks that were also sandy and very strength sapping. I had a good run on the first day which I found nicely runable though chanelled around the houses in small blocks of forest adjacent to the village. I finished 16th out of 150 in my class (my best ever in Sweden) but went progressively downhill as the week progressed. The final day was a chasing start based on the total time of the previous 4 days. This was to be the day of my biggest mistake spending nearly 14 mins looking for my number 2 despite arriving at my no. 3 early on and not realizing it. I went out in 33rd position and finished 88th!

John unfortunately was working until the Wednesday but flew out to join me on the Thursday. He was going to do a colour coded course but on discovering that they were charging £16, he decided to run my Day 1 course!

It is a good time for catching up on old friends and one surprise was while John and I were sitting having a coffee I noticed a person in the queue with "TARO" on his back. The only Taro we knew was Jack's Japanese friend of many years and who we had previously met in Scotland, so we were very pleased to have met up with him.

SOS National Ranking Positions

		
M20L    23rd Sebastian Pugh (5)      M55L    90th Nick Pugh
        37th Alex Machin (3)         M60S    12th John Collyer
M40L   115th Bert Park  (4)          M60L    65th John Russell        
M40S    91st Robert Hammond (4)      M70L    32nd Jack Isbester
M45L   104th Mark Lyne               W20L     7th Hazel Tant (5)            
       108th Kevin Machin                    13th Katie Sellens
       163rd David Sanderson (4)     W21L    33rd Eleanor West
M45L   218th Steven Cartwright (4)   W21S    64th Miriam Pugh           
M50L    36th Martin Sellens          W50L    62nd Lyn West
        79th Clive Tant                      69th Hilary Sellens
       122nd Colin West              W60L     3r  Jenny Collyer
       171st Geoff Pye                       43rd Geraldine Russell   
M50S    53rd Richard Barker                              

A Lagganlia 2006 Diary - Richard Barker

The BOF Summer training camp for second year M/W 14's takes place at the Lagganlia outdoor education centre a short distance South West of Aviemore on Speyside. To qualify for selection the juniors have to achieve at least one Championship Standard during the year and be nominated by their Regional Squad manager. In an ideal world each region is represented by 2 juniors but invariably some regions are stronger than others so the ideal is never actually achieved in assembling the 24 athletes.

On the management and coaching side we have a Team Manager, 2 cooks, a Lead Coach and 11 coaches/helpers of varying experience and qualification enabling us to give concentrated attention to every junior. This year 4 members of the GB Junior World Orienteering Championships squad were members of the coaching team giving the juniors something to aspire to. This was to be my second year as a coach on the Lagganlia tour so I was prepared for the very full six days ahead.

Saturday saw 24 somewhat apprehensive 14 year old orienteers arriving by train, minibus and plane from places as far afield as Penzance and Northern Ireland. After dinner it's introductions, a brief explanation about what the tour intends to achieve, a few simple rules and advice about removing ticks, reporting injuries and getting plenty of sleep etc. then it's off to bed in preparation for a hard days work tomorrow.

Sunday morning, and after breakfast and the day's briefing it's off into the forest for practice at fine and course compass, contours, distance estimation, track and terrain running and attack points. Every day, apart from Wednesday afternoon, we do two training sessions of about two and a half hours before returning to base for a shower, drinks, cakes and a game of basketball, football or frisbee golf before dinner.

After dinner it's either race analysis, ankle strengthening techniques, a talk on nutrition or a slide show and talk from our JWOC coaches, before bedtime at 10pm.

During the week we pack in tour championships over sprint, middle and classic distances, a gaffled mass start relay to practice concentration while running with others, a couple of other fun relays and more techniques such as simplification, traffic lighting, aiming off and relocation.

Wednesday afternoon is set aside for the juniors to decide what they want to do. Some shop in Aviemore, some stay at Lagganlia and some brave the freezing cold water of Loch Morlich before we all set off for a football match and bar-b-cue with the M/W 15's at their tour base at Glenmore. Apart from enduring the voracious midges, everyone has a great evening with a very satisfactory 1-1 draw and man-of-the-match going to one of the Lagganlia girls. Moral victory on all counts!

Friday evening soon arrives and by now the juniors feel as if they have known each other for years. Today is the day of the 'posh dinner'. The girls dress up in the clothes they have carefully kept clean and crease-free all week, and apply their make-up, while the boys do a quick sniff test to find their cleanest t-shirt. Table decorations with an orienteering theme are prepared for judging while the coaches prepare light-hearted tour awards and medals, then it's our turn to be waiters and waitresses.

On Saturday, back on the platform of Aviemore station, what a very different group of juniors we have. There is no doubt that in most cases their orienteering has progressed significantly and they have had a lot of fun. Lifelong friendships have been forged and we may even have a world champion in the making.

So the message to our younger club members is - work hard at your orienteering and you too may get the opportunity to go to Lagganlia.

A selection of photographs taken at Lagganlia 2006 can be found on http://www.familymarsden.org/Lagganlia2006

Coaching Items - Stephen Cartwright

The Coaches and Development Committee are of course always interested in feedback from the coaching activities. If anything has been particularly helpful over the past year and you are are doing better in events it would be great to know. Send us an email etc.  If you've any other comments it would be good to know too.  At events this coming season we hope to have the coaching activities before people try a course to enable skills practice.  

Running Speed

I know opinions vary as to the value of running speed in orienteering.  Obviously to be able to run quickly yet be unable to find the controls will not get anyone round a course very well.  However where someone's navigation is reasonable their fitness must have a bearing on performance.

I've tried to create some orienteering flat speed standards loosely based on various children's and running club standards adding in the older persons categories where they seem to fit.  I hope they may prove to be of interest and provide some with useful goals where they feel it would be helpful.  Please feel free to use them and to check yourself against them occasionally.

The 'G' by the way was meant to stand for 'Good'.

Ouch - my feet!

Having never been in the army I guess I can't claim to be an expert on sore feet ! However, walking  in the Lakes a few years ago I found that a protruding knob on the tread of one of my boots continually pressed into my foot as I walked and gave me a horrible blister.  The niggle and grumps were hard to shake off !

Last autumn I decided I'd try a personal training weekend in Epping Forest.  I booked into a Youth Hostel for the night and off I went armed with my kit, some old maps, and a copy of The Complete Orienteering Manual.  I really enjoyed the weekend but boy did I suffer.  I was silly.  From memory I took in a HAVOC event on saturday morning and did some orienteering exercises in the afternoon.  On the Sunday I jogged round an old Rodings Rally course.

I was using relatively thin cross country shoes with knobbly bits on the bottom and heavy gel insoles  to provide some extra cushioning.  At the time everything seemed fine even if the insoles were not quite what I wanted.  I just spent too long running in those shoes.  A few days later it was like my feet had stuck to the gel and I was suffering with the plantars for months and months.  It just wouldn't seem to go away.  I had seriously damaged my feet.

I've been using those shoes with different insoles but noticed recently that one foot didn't seem to sit properly on the ground for whatever reason.  Over longer periods I could still feel the studs more seriously.  Time for a change.

In the Lakes this summer I'd gone round a course in well cushioned trainers, yet suffering from a bad foot again I was quite sore at the end.  The traders were there of course and after calming down a bit I looked at the shoes and tried a pair.  Ouch - my foot!  The thin sole coupled with the studs just really wasn't what I wanted.  What to do?  Could I even break something?

Orienteering shoes often seem to be slightly stronger versions of fell shoes - to help with the brambles I guess.  Yet perhaps what I need personally is something more akin to a light, flexible  football boot with a fairly rigid sole under the forefoot and heal and reasonable padding.  Like many I appreciate studs on sloping wet grass and in the mud yet my feet really need protecting.  Fortunately I didn't have any trouble with the rain in the Lakes.

Wisdom of course says consider using shoes with plenty of padding for training and for longer periods.  

Almost Three Scandinavian Permanent Courses - John Collyer

Going north from the Swedish O-Ringen, we spent our first few settled days at the town of Rovaniemi in Finland. The Arctic Circle goes through the northern outskirts, and the Finns have built a Santa Claus Theme Park - carols playing even in high summer! Yes I know what you think, but somehow the Finns get away with it when in Britain it could only be at a "very tacky" level.

Their equivalent of the OS map showed an orienteering symbol on the skiing hill behind our campsite, and after several false starts we eventually tracked down a map. Much of the area was very runnable on rounded glacial ridges or large pebbles, and we enjoyed taking turns at finding controls. We also used the ski trails on the hill for a mountain bike ride; whilst many of the locals were out with their poles, Nordic-walking, to train up for the winter.

Then we were off to Kiruna along miles of gentle roads with hardly any traffic. Once again the skiing area behind the campsite was mapped and had a permanent course laid out: part of the Swedish 'Naturpasset' scheme which has produced courses all over the country. The forest again was mostly very runnable and included a section of controls high on the bare hills by the iron mine; hard work but well worth it for the views.

We also took an underground tour of the mine (bus trip 3K down) and learned that the ore body going through the hills was almost pure magnetite - had that affected our compasses we wondered and what would happen at an event?

On our way south through Norway we stopped at Lillehammer and enjoyed cycling round the '94 Olympic skiing areas. Next to the toilets of Pub48 (lunch stop), was an advert for permanent courses in the area, and the local sports shop had a copy for sale - it looked an enticing semi-open rocky area, but we were only half-way round a hard day's cycling, and going back next day would put in jeopardy our planned guided glacier walk two days later. This time orienteering lost out.

Oh well, if only we had a couple East Anglian forests of the type that abound in Scandinavia! The only good point for us is that we can orienteer all year, for the weather and elk hunting close their forests for several months. There was a nice reminder of this in the Kiruna map pack, where you are warned not to go in September once the shooting season begins!

Some recent runs around Hylands Park - John Collyer

We have now moved my Mum into a home in Sudbury and have had to spend several days in Chelmsford sorting through her house. After a day of going through rooms we felt like a run, so made for Hylands which we used to run round frequently, but now will have fewer opportunities to do so.

With the V festival due a few days later we decided to look at the arrangements that were gradually taking shape.

First problem Getting into the park; the usual North entrance at Writtle, was closed, so we were redirected to the field next to Widford church at the northern extremity. The top half had been opened up as a car park, and after a bit of stretching, we set off down the hill intending to go over the river and up to the lake and house.

Second problem. The bridge over the Wid was also closed so we had to run east up to the stile that goes out onto the main road, down the main road, then in via a footpath at the east end of the lake.

Third problem Inside there was a security fence all the way up the side to the eastern car park, so we started off in that direction. Turning towards the House again there were fences everywhere, but we ran along the road round the west of the house.

Again fences everywhere, along with marquees, power generators, security towers and lights. Every single copse, large or small was surrounded by security fencing (apparently to discourage their use as loos),so we eventually had to run through the formal gardens and out at the west end of the house.

Two days later we went again, this time starting at the east car park. We ran on the southern half of the area, large open car parks to start with, then the usual high fences, and inside these compounds were water access points, portaloos and food outlets - bit like the big orienteering event we had just been to in Sweden. It looked as though the western edge had been left accessible for dog walkers (plus a lot of mountain bikers), and we ran through the woods before zig-zagging past several sets of fences and out via the gardens again.

Our impression from these two visits was of the vast expense it must take to set up such a large festival, and the detailed security needed - the Risk Assessments must be biblical in extent!

As a footnote I should perhaps mention litter; people we know who have been before, say that little regard is paid to using the bins, and pictures on TV confirmed that. I have also run round after a concert and seen how much of the litter is left behind to be ground by mowers to a texture of fine oatmeal amongst the grass. I am sure that if we left any recognisable litter, then our events would be in jeopardy.

Lymes Disease - Derek Ladkin

What is Lymes disease?
Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bite of an infected tick. Many ticks do not carry Lyme disease, Even if a tick is infected, it may not transfer the disease to you. An infected tick that is attached for under 36 hours is less likely to transmit infection. For these reasons, most tick bites do not cause Lyme disease.

How does it occur?
Bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi cause Lyme disease. The disease is spread to human beings by a tick infected with the bacteria. These ticks are found in vegetation and on animals in woodlands, grasslands, and marshlands.
People usually become infected during the summer, when they are more likely to be exposed to ticks.

What are the symptoms?
Lyme disease is hard to diagnose because its symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. The first symptoms may not even be noticed.
Untreated Lyme disease may progress through these 3 stages:
Stage 1: Three to 32 days after the bite of an infected tick, a skin rash, called a bull's-eye or target rash, occurs at the site of your bite. Although you may not have this symptom, or you may overlook it.
You may also feel like you have the flu.
Even if you don't get treatment, the early symptoms usually improve or go away within several weeks
Stage 2: Several weeks to several months after the first symptoms appear, about 15% of infected people develop problems with their nervous system.
About 8% of infected people develop heart problems, such as carditis (inflammation of the heart) and problems with the rhythm of the heart.
During this second stage, you may have pain in your joints, tendons, muscles, or bones, usually without joint swelling. These symptoms usually disappear within a few weeks.
Stage 3: Within a few weeks to 2 years after the start of the infection, about 60% of people develop arthritis, with joint pain and swelling. The knee is the joint most often affected.

How is it diagnosed?
Lyme disease can be hard to diagnose. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history.
You may have a blood test for Lyme disease. Or you and your doctor may decided to start treatment without the test.

How is it treated?
Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. Early treatment can help prevent possible complications.
Pregnant and nursing women:
If you are pregnant and have Lyme disease, you may pass the disease to your baby. Although this happens rarely, you should call your docotr right away if you are pregnant and have symptoms of Lyme disease.

How long will the effects last?
While you have the disease the symptoms may occur in cycles lasting a week or so.
In most cases the symptoms go away a few weeks or months after antibiotic treatment, but sometimes the symptoms may last for several years.
If the disease is not diagnosed and treated, the symptoms can last for several years, but they will gradually lessen.

What can be done to help prevent Lyme disease?
To avoid getting Lyme disease follow these measures:

• Be aware of the areas where ticks live.
• When you are outdoors, wear long-sleeved shirts tucked into your trousers. Wear your trousers tucked into your socks or boot tops if possible
• Use approved tick repellents on exposed skin and clothing.
• Treat household pets for ticks and fleas. Check pets after they've been outdoors.
• After you have been out, check your body for ticks. They usually crawl around for several hours before biting. Check your clothes, too.
• Shower and shampoo after your outing.
• Remove an attached tick with tweezers by gripping the tick as close to your skin as possible and gently pulling it straight away from you until it releases its hold. Thoroughly wash your hands and the bite area and apply an antiseptic such as rubbing alcohol.
• If you do get bitten, see your doctor. Also check for a rash and other symptoms for about 4 weeks after the bite.

Fixtures in East Anglia and Nearby Regions

The information provided below normally consists of Event Date, Region (eg EA = East Anglia), Event Grade and Type (Grade 1 is highest grade, Grade 5 is lowest. Type C is a conventional Cross Country event in which controls must be visited in the sequence listed on the description sheet). Event & Location Names and map reference. Organiser's contact details. Contact details, costs, closing date etc. for Pre-entry when provided. Whether Entry on the Day (EOD) is possible and the surcharge payable. The range of courses offered. The address of a website from which additional information can be obtained. Additional information in plain language.

At Essex Stragglers' events registration normally opens at 1000hrs, starts are from 1030hrs until 1230hrs and courses close at 1430hrs.