Nopesport

Celebrations

The decade ahead will see the fiftieth anniversaries of a number of landmark happenings in the early days of British orienteering.

Although John Disley and others pioneered with a scattering of events in the 1950s, it was into the sixties before orienteering gained a regular competitive footing in Britain and a formal organisation, including the formation of BOF in 1967.

Fifty year ago today (15th Dec) Charles Wilde of the Scottish Council of Physical Recreation called a meeting of interested parties to discuss the proposal by Sweden's Baron Lagerfeldt to introduce orienteering to Scotland.

And the first two anniversaries will take place in Scotland.

The advisory council,  which set up at that meeting, organised a first event as a demonstration race in Penicuik estate near Edinburgh on April 16th. Members of Edinburgh Southern Athletics Club - the forerunner of ESOC - acted as guinea pigs.

RESULTS

1. Agnes Wright 58m32
2. Brian Jamieson +7min
3. Baron Lagerfeldt +1sec

In 1962 - an international event was organised on June 23rd at Craig a Barns near Dunkeld, with teams from Scotland, England, Sweden and Germany taking part, with Sweden winning. The next day the courses were available for senior and junior competition for both male and female competitors, and these were the first Scottish championships. The first general meeting of the newly formed Scottish Orienteering Association took place later that day.

Will these anniversaries give good excuse for celebrations both in and out of the forest?  In June 2012 Scotland hopes to host the World Trail Orienteering Championships.

Will orienteers run on fifty year old maps at Penicuik this April and at Craig a Barns in June 2012?

Are there other anniversaries in the near future that I have missed?   e.g  early London Park series?