Christmas ScoreRewell Wood - Elizabeth Brown Memorial Christmas ScoreMon 27 December, 2021

Report

Planner's report (Barry Jones): "I’ve run lots of score courses over the years, and the first decision is usually which controls to omit. Today I wanted to ensure even the fastest runners had that same question to answer.

The most controls visited was 18, which is about right, but I think the rather wet conditions slowed everyone down, and the addition of the mandatory switch-over control increased the distance.

I see in many of these post-race planners notes, comments about avoiding the brambles. I can confirm I did try to avoid the worst of them, but with all the possible routes between controls this is quite tricky. The southern loops were planned to encourage you into the better parts of the wood, despite much of the area having been coppiced in the last few years, which has allowed far more undergrowth to get established.

Hope you all enjoyed the challenge and the weather didn’t detract too much from the day.

Many thanks to Mike Gammon for all his help with the maps and control descriptions, Neil for assistance with the planning, and to everyone else that contributed to the day.”

Organiser's report (Gethyn Lewis): As usual with these events, they just wouldn’t happen without all the people helping out and this event was no exception.

Special thanks go to:

Anna & Pete for all the mulled wine equipment.

John Morris for all the parking signs and parking plans.

Michelle & Dave Funnell for the very difficult job of fitting 60 cars on a very slippery bit of mud.

Steve Blount and others for the final pushing and shoving to get those 60 cars into their final positions.

Tom, Nick, Alan, Chris and Mike for getting the controls in, in very quick time. I had spent a while worrying that this would have to be done in the dark. But thanks to them it was all done before sunset.

Karen Ashworth firstly for helping with the RA. But also for the onerous task of taping off the entire shooting school, and then un-taping the entire shooting school. Thanks Karen.

Also Steve Blount again for helping with the forest permissions and RA.

And to Ralph for coming along and doing the prize giving.

Thanks to Barry for all the planning and accommodating us when we changed the car parking site. And for providing Heather and Ffion, when I think they would rather have gone to Wales (who wouldn’t?). They did a great job on the start line.

A special thanks to Di Turner for all the help with the volunteers and for the constant encouragement and laughs over the mulled wine. It’s always fun with you Di.

Thanks to Joe & Les for all the SI. I was very impressed when Joe arrived on site and took out a strimmer to prepare the SI tent area.

Thank you to everyone who donated the minced pies and for all the positive comments on the mulled wine. That was my first attempt. I’m not promising, but I might do it again next year.

And finally thanks to all who braved the atrocious weather to run around and justify all the hard work these people did.

RouteGadget

Is a web app for sharing and comparing orienteering routes. You can draw your own route or upload a GPS track from your watch. It also allows you to watch an animated replay with a simulated mass start.

Pre event info

Please note this event starts at 12:30. The start lanes will close promptly at 13:30 and the course will be closed at 14:45 to ensure we can get everyone back in and award the prizes! This is our annual fun Christmas Score event where there are lots of controls and no defined route so you see how many controls you can get in the time limit that you choose.

Please bring along some mince pies for post-race mince pies and mulled wine. Please also bring your own cup for the mulled wine.

Award ceremony at around 14:30.

Location Info

Nearest town: Arundel

• Postcode: *
• Lat,Lng:50.85619,-0.60528
• Grid Ref: SU983072
• Google Map
• Streetmap (OS 50k)
• Bing Map (OS 50k)
• OpenStreetMap

* Postcodes are not very precise in some areas, so don't rely on them for an exact location.

Directions / Parking

From the west: travelling east along the A27 from the roundabout A27/A29 continue along the A27 for approximately 3km and turn left into the Paddocks at Grid Ref SU983072. Follow orienteering signs to parking area SU 988085.

From the east: travelling along the A27 from Arundel to the roundabout A27/A29 return east from this roundabout to the Paddocks as above.

Exit onto the A27 is only one-way towards the east on the busy, fast moving A27 so please exit with care. There will be countdown of signs from 300m to 100m before the turning left onto the track leading to controlled parking. It’s a concealed entrance so please start signaling as soon as you see the signs as this is a very busy, fast stretch of the A27. Other road users need to be warned that you are slowing down to turn into the event.

Entry to estate is at What-3-words = hires.backlog.dining
Follow signs to parking at What-3-words = newspaper.cult.untrained

Public Transport

Arundel railway station 4km, Barnham railway station 5km.

Course Information

60 & 45 minute Score courses. Control descriptions available in start lanes

45 minute score, 20 controls (70 - 89). All available to visit from the start in any order.

60 minute score, 20 controls (80 - 99). Start with either 80s or 90s. One transition allowed. Mandatory visit to control 100 to switch from 80s to 90s or vice versa.

All controls score the same - 10 points. 10 points deducted for every minute late, or part thereof.

No fences must crossed. The rough open towards Fairmile bottom can be used, but access only through the gates marked on the map. However, the rough open is currently being used for grazing cattle.

Please observe all out of bounds.

Please be aware of possibility of mountain bikers and horse riders on the area. Please pass any horses slowly and at good distance.
The both courses visit the steep slope into Fairmile bottom. In places this area features loose flints on the ground, and yew trees with low branches.
Start is 500m from assembly, and return from finish to assembly is 800m.

Entry Details

Online entry only via racesignup. Entries close 8pm Dec 26th.

SO/BOF members: Seniors £6.00, Juniors £3.00, SO Juniors free (use discount code SOjuniors).

Non members: Seniors £8.00, Juniors £3.00

'Dibber' hire: Electronic punching (SI) chips are available to hire. SIAC (contactless): £2 (£1 Juniors), non-SIAC (not contactless) £1 (50p juniors)

Registration

Online entries only.

Start Times

12:30 - 13:30. Courses close at 14.45

Map Details

Rewell Woods, updated by Roger Maher April 2017. Scale 1:10,000, A4.

Terrain Description

Mixed runnable and slow run undulated forest with a good network of tracks. The nature of the blocks of wood can vary considerably, with some mature coppiced sections and other areas of wood that have been recently thinned. There are also a couple of clear felled areas that are very rough and courses have been planned to avoid these.

Please ensure you come equipped with suitable footwear, as the courses visit a steep scarp slope.

Dog restrictions

Dogs allowed but be aware that local dog walkers use the area

Facilities

No toilets. First aider at registration/download

Miscellaneous

There will be Mulled Wine available (please bring your own cup).

SO Elizabeth Brown Memorial Event

On Boxing Day 1978 Elizabeth Brown founded - with a couple of her Orienteering friends - what was to eventually become the SO Xmas event. The first event was at Banstead Wood in Surrey, and over the years the event took a number of formats, but from 1997 on it has been a score event. For many years Elizabeth was the event organiser, and following her passing in May 2011 it was felt that it would be a fitting tribute to rename the annual Christmas event in her memory. Elizabeth was a top-class Orienteer, in the early years of SO, Elizabeth was the club's undisputed star. She helped put SO on the map. She regularly won the British Championship and the JK throughout her Orienteering career, and twice won gold at the World Masters Championships, first as a W80, then 10 years later as a W90. Elizabeth collected a lot of trophies along the way and the club are indebted to Elizabeth's family for donating a splendid and unique slate W70 trophy from the 1992 JK at Bigland in the Lake District to be presented each year at the "Elizabeth Brown Memorial" SO Xmas event.

Contacts / Officials

Planner: Barry Jones

Organiser: Gethyn Lewis

Controller: