The Icenian - An Organiser's View
Time and tide wait for no man. You can stand in the tent for as long as you like looking out at the rain coming down but at some point you have to bite the bullet, and make the sacrifice. It's not nice collecting controls in the rain, it won't make you a hero, it won't improve your orienteering and it won't earn you respect. That's probably why Alan and I sent everyone else out to do it whilst we selflessly stood guard over the kit in the tent. Now that is the work of gentlemen. Of course once the sun came out we happily polished of the southern controls (they were the hard ones anyway...).
But I am getting ahead of myself. That was Sunday, preparation for the greatest CUOC colour-coded of the year had been going on since Saturday evening if not earlier. Never ones to let a big occasion go uncelebrated Alan and I had already given the best wishes of the day to an ex-East Anglian kit officer who was celebrating her birthday. Fortunately amongst her party guests were some legends of the SI punching world who got us back on track and hence ensured that everything worked perfectly on Sunday morning (teehee - thanks Mark C. for bailing us out on that one). The weather was ideal, no fear of dehydration whilst putting the controls out. Unseasonably mild for the main race and perfect control collecting conditions. Even Ursula Oxburgh was moved to congratulate. We seemed to get away with having a long-distance controller and not knowing anything about EAGALs. Hell, we even turned a tidy profit. There really is no justice.
I don't think there's much else to say but before you all go I'd just like to make one more presentation (if you weren't at the British Presentation you won't get this one so don't worry about trying to) to Alan for planning some sly courses, which people seemed to enjoy even if some found them too taxing, and generally putting in some good work. CUOC's in good hands next year.
Written by Mark Bown
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