A brief Orienteering History
I started orienteering when I was doing my Masters at Newcastle University. There was no hiking club but there was an orienteering club (UNOC) so I thought I would give it a try. My first event was a Kenton Kanterers score event on Wark Forest. I enjoyed the experience and agreed to go to a ‘badge’ event in Grizedale in the Lake District. In those days student union clubs got grants and these were sufficient to pay the entry fees and the mini bus hire. They entered me on M21A!
Copying my course at the mastermaps I omitted to mark the start but eventually found No 1. Three hours 20 Minutes and 25 seconds later I was timed past the finish. All the others waiting on the bus seemed to think I had been out rather a long time – their fault for entering a novice on M21A – and anyhow much to my satisfaction I had successfully completed the course.
I don’t know why but I was hooked and determined to do better next time. However, I entered the Northern Night Champs held on 09 December 1972 on Holcombe Moor near Manchester. After stumbling around in the dark for some considerable time, finding it difficult to stay upright in the rocks just walking, and hearing people running past at speed, I regained my sanity and retired. I ran M21B at the MDOC badge the following day on Hope Woodlands near Ladybower Reservoir Sheffield, achieving a slightly better time than at Grizedale, although it was a tough course with a winning time of 90 minutes.
I joined Wimborne Orienteers in 1973 after I started work with the Avon and Dorset River Authority which became part of Wessex Water Authority in 1974 and Wessex Water plc in 1979. I worked for Wessex for 27 years retiring at the ripe old age of 50 in 2000 when they built the new office in Bath. Since then I have updated my environmental qualifications by studying with the Open University. I finished the last module in 2010 and graduated in 2011, so that I am properly retired now.
I helped at the William Younger World Orienteering Championships in Scotland in 1976, staying at Aviemore with the Tweens and our founder member Ron Wilton. Where are Geoff Peck and Mike Down now, our leading M21s then. Sue Banner (now Parkin) and Carol McNeill were the leading W21s and still appear in the ranking lists today. I got to run in Darnaway Forest in the Spey Valley which is really superb orienteering terrain. I also helped at WOC in 1999 at Inverness.
I served as Club Secretary from 1974 to 1977 and as Chairman 1990 to 1993, 2000 to 2003, and 2009/10, and have been on the Committee 31 out of the 43 years of WIM. I am a Grade B Controller and enjoy planning more than organising. I was SWOA Fixtures Secretary 1995 to 2011 which meant I also sat on the SWOA Committee and on BOF Fixtures Group.
At present I am looking forward to running in the British Champs in May on Dalegarth. I last ran there at Easter 1976 (JK). It is typical Lake District terrain – very little line feature, just marshes and rocky knolls and lots of contour detail. I can’t say I have ever been good at orienteering. I am not a natural athlete, and you really need a brain that is good at taking in and processing information and making decisions quickly. However, I enjoy the challenge and running in (hopefully sunlit) forests.
John Shucksmith