Christmas ScoreTilgate Park and Forest - Elizabeth Brown Memorial Christmas ScoreTue 27 December, 2022

Report

Thank you all for coming along to our annual Christmas Score event and congratulations to Di Turner who won the Elizabeth Brown Memorial Trophy. Organising an event at Tilgate is relatively easy as the parking and toilets are all there, it’s just a matter of setting up a tent and signs to the start and back from the finish. There was of course the addition of 12 litres of mulled wine and fruit punch, which always makes this a more jolly event! We enjoyed our new assembly area, which gave us a bit more space and whilst standing there thought that the paddock nearby would make a great string course!

Thanks to Paul for his great courses.

Thanks to Linda and Tim for manning the refreshment tent, Joe and Mike for the SI, John and Amy for helping with the start and Ben, Emma, Bridget and Pete for their help setting up.

Thanks to Rob for helping put controls out and Garry and Ben for control collecting.

The other prize winners were:

* We will try to get prizes to those who were not there to collect.

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

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.

We will be offering free mulled-wine, hot fruit punch and mince pies after the event. Please contribute some some mince pies to share if you can. Please also bring your own cup for the mulled wine.

Award ceremony at around 13:00.

The Elizabeth Brown Memorial Trophy is awarded based on an age related point system* and anyone entering the 60 min score is eligible.

Smaller prizes are also awarded for the highest number of points in the quickest time in the following age classes:

M65+ W65+ 60 min
M50+ W50+ 60 min
M open W open 60 min
M18- W18- 60 min
M14- W14- 45 min

*From the BOF rulebook there are running speed ratios for age classes (male and female separately), in section 7 of Appendix B: Course Planning. The actual score is adjusted proportionately according to the ratio in the table (except for M10/W10 where we have applied sensible ratios ourselves because BOF use different course data for those classes) by dividing by the ratio. If anybody has got all the controls then their score is also multiplied by 60 divided by the finishing time.

Location Info

Nearest town: Crawley

• Postcode: *
• Lat,Lng:51.09598,-0.17856
• Grid Ref:
• 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

Parking in the main car park at Tilgate Park RH10 5PQ. Ideally park just beyond the toilet block. The start, download and mulled wine / fruit punch are just across the access road to the south west of the toilet block. Please get a parking ticket before you start.

Parking charge is:

The machines takes cards as well as 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, £2.

Course Information

You may enter either course, but if you want to be eligible for a prize, please read the pre-event info.

60 min score course: 21 controls, start with either the 70's or 80's and switch over at control 100 when you like. You do not have to get all 10 controls before changing over, however you must visit the changeover control before starting the other set. Once you switch over, you cannot switch back. 10 points per control, minus 1 point for every 6 seconds of part thereof you are late. This course visits both the parkland and forest to the north of the motorway, as well as the Forestry Commission area to the south of the motorway.

45 min score course: 13 controls, you can collect controls in any order you like. 10 points per control, minus 1 point for every 6 seconds or part thereof you are late. This course stays on the northern side of the motorway and is a mixture of parkland and forest.

Entry Details

Pre-entry via racesignup.co.uk and entries close at 8pm on 26th Dec.

Newcomers are welcome and eligible for a free trial session - if you'd like to reserve a map or discuss the event please email our membership secretary.

Fees:

SO/BOF Senior members £5.00 (non-members £6).

Juniors £2.50 (SO Juniors free - use discount code).

If juniors are being accompanied by an adult, or it is a family group, then just enter the junior and a note in the entry to say who's accompanying them.

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

Start Times

From 10:00am - 11:30am. Courses close 12:30pm

Map Details

1:10,000 with 5m contours

Terrain Description

A mixture of varied parkland and forest full of features.

Participants in orienteering must wear appropriate clothing including full leg cover (not shorts). This is a standard rule of the sport to minimise the transmission of blood borne parasites. Activities in cold weather or poor conditions require layered clothing with a windproof and/or waterproof shell garment.

Facilities

Toilets, cafe, pub

Miscellaneous

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: Paul Luttman

Organiser: Anna Chapman webmanager@southdowns-orienteers.org.uk

Controller: Neil Crickmore