There were several occasions when I wondered how Mark had got me to say "Yes" when asked to organise Day 3 of Croeso. It is quite some task but turned out to be very rewarding. That is not to suggest that the "yes" would come out quite so thoughtlessly in the future!
When I visited the forest, with Mark, I soon became aware that finding a suitable area for parking and an arena was not going to be easy. We settled on the chosen venue and managed to squeeze everything in with the help of a superb parking team and a much used hedge cutter to clear gorse, bramble and bracken. Be glad we didn't go for the alternative which involved a long walk from parking with a deep valley between.
My initial problem was the number of helpers needed and the fact that our small club was already supplying key officials such as Mark Saunders, Alice Bedwell, David May, Adrian Moir, 3 Planners and not forgetting Anne May and the Powells in enquiries. With these out of the equation we had to rely heavily on other clubs and we are very grateful to all those who helped: on the day, before and after. I recruited and used 60 helpers and that didn't include any of those in the marquee! As orienteers we owe a huge amount to them all, the event only works because of them, and it reminds us why we should volunteer to help at events whenever we can. I'll also mention the help from our families drawn in to assist in so many ways: My wife drew the colourful string course map, helped proof read instructions and spent 2 days and a night in the forest with me!
The event itself went very smoothly. The overwhelming feedback was that the area was tough and challenging but enjoyable. Most folk obeyed the flow of cars and people that we had tried to develop, even when they didn't understand why. Why were we driving past empty spaces to park? If you saw the parking when it was full and left the forest with the minimum of delay you will have seen how and why this was the case.
Signage could always be improved. It always seems too small and low and disappears from sight when people and cars appear. Some signs are always used but unfortunately a lot are unique to each event. To make them higher putting in a steel post and then strapping the sign to a wooden pole attached to the post with cable ties worked best, though these can still rotate in the wind...
Finally a huge thanks to Mark who gave great support and guidance. I wonder what he will find to fill his time now? Thanks also to Alice who, among the many tasks she undertook, agreed to return to the Forest on the rest day to let the marquee team in. However, someone else kindly locked them into the Forest! Fortunately she returned to check that they had locked the forest gate....
It was interesting to come across a competitor from France collecting controls afterwards. He clearly had volunteered his services, thank you.
Neil Grant (SWOC)