SROC

History, The 1980s

This account of the history of South Ribble Orienteering Club (SROC) is based on the 'The History of South Ribble Orienteering Club - The First Thirty Years' by former SROC President, Roy Woodcock. Details of how to purchase this booklet can be found below.

NB. The results included in these pages are from the National Championships (i.e. British & Scottish Championships) and JK events only. Results of Regional Championships can be found in Roy Woodcock's excellent publication.

1980

A successful Club weekend was held on the 22nd to 24th February at Great Tower.

After many problems had been overcome the Club opened it's first Permanent Orienteering Course (POC) at Beacon Fell.

Mike Pownall, who oversaw the final work at Beacon Fell, also published a unique event report in the Club newsletter in March, in his role as Newsletter Editor. This explained how the Manchester Diving Group undertook an underwater 400 yard course in Lake Windermere. Due to the mud and reduced visibility nobody managed to find all four markers.

1980 marked another successful year for Lorna Collett, who won the W56 title at the Jan Kjellström (JK) in Galloway, with Judith Wingham winning the W50 class.

At the Scottish Championships at North Achray, Maurice Collett took the M56 title.

The Club also received recognition for the Witherslack and Torver maps, with the British Orienteering Federation (BOF) Certificates of Cartographic Excellence being awarded to Roy Woodcock and Mel Wilkinson.

The sixteenth AGM was held at Furness College, Lancaster University on 7th November. A decision was taken to alternate the monthly meetings between Preston and Lancaster to allow more members to attend. The President's Shield was won by Maurice Collett, with Lorna Collett again the Ladies Champion.

1981

The handicap race was held at Knotts Wood and was won by Jim Lambert.

At the April monthly meeting Ken Turner and Dick Collins gave an informative talk about training for long distance events. Dick had successfully completed the first London Marathon and Ken and Paddy Buckley had completed the Bob Graham Round. Previous club members who had completed the Round were Don Talbot in 1971, Tom Sykes in 1974, Tony Simpkins and Mike Gilbert in 1975, Rick Curwen in 1976 and Martin Stone in 1978.

In June, Edith White completed the forty five mile Lakes Four Peaks walk. This walk includes the summits of Skiddaw, Scafell, Scafell Pike and Helvellyn. On a previous attempt earlier in the year the successful walkers were Ken and Louise Turner, Richard and Anne Lamb and Sandra Wilkinson.

The Club were heavily involved in the Mammoth Weekend, taking place as it did on another photogrammetric map of Broughton Moor. The Club was third in one of the shorter relays, with Maurice Dean (picture, centre) accompanying juniors John Scott (picture, left) and Julian Morgan (picture, right).

The Scottish Six Day event was held in the Galloway region with many club members sharing large houses in the region.

The seventeenth AGM was held at Furness College, Lancaster University on 13th November. The President's Shield was won by Charles Adams and the Ladies Champion was Irene Munro.

In the December newsletter, Ken Turner wrote an interesting article on night orienteering. At that time, red road lamps (fuelled by paraffin) were used for markers but they had an unfortunate knack of going out !

Club champions were Irene Munro who won the W50 class at the JK at Cannock and Lorna Collett, Tom Sykes and Harold White at the Scottish Championships at Craig-a-Barns, who won W56, M43A and M50 respectively.

1982

The handicap race was held on 16th January at Beacon Fell and was won by Hazel Warner. On a sad note, Dave Lowery was killed in a road accident whilst out training.

Throughout the year the Club experimented with members publishing orienteering publicity in their local newspapers.

In April the Club was called upon to help the army reserves who needed training areas due to the Falklands war. The Club obliged with maps of Great Hill and Anglezarke. Charles Adams won the M17A class and Lorna Collett the W56 class at the JK at Star Posts.

Mel Wilkinson was honoured again when he received BOF's premier award for mapping, the Chichester Trophy. This was awarded for a series of maps, printed from a single artwork, Chapel House Plantation, Beacon Fell, Blawith (incl. a contour only version) and Broughton Moor drawn by Roy Woodcock.

Off the course successes saw Kevin Smith make a 2:43 marathon debut and Peter Knott successfully complete the Bob Graham Round, despite serious illness in 1979.

In the forest Margaret Adams won the W56 class at the British Championships at Shining Cliff and at the Scottish Championships, at Glen Tanar, Lorna Collett won the W56 class. Added to this, Judith Wingham was the W50 champion at the British Night Championships at Longmoor.

The Club annual dinner took place at Leyland Tennis Club on 15th October.

The eighteenth AGM was held at Furness College, Lancaster University on 11th November. Peter Knott had recently conducted a successful interview on Radio Lancashire and all the members were encouraged to recruit one new member each in the coming year. The President's Shield was won by Charles Adams with his mother, Margaret Adams, the Ladies Champion.

Sadly, the year ended as it had begun with another tragedy. Gerry Charnley (see picture) lost his life in an accident on Helvellyn on 14th December. The Club made an immediate donation to a local hospice in his memory.

1983

The Club handicap was again held in Knotts Wood and was won by Francis Myerscough.

At the JK in The Lakes, Margaret Adams won the W56 class and daughter Sue the W17B class.

On 2nd of July, Tom Sykes, already a member of the Bob Graham Club successfully undertook an extended version of fifty peaks.

Other club achievements saw Lorna Collett selected to represent the British Women's Veteran team.

The nineteenth AGM was held at Furness College, Lancaster University on 3rd November. Once again the President's Shield was won by Charles Adams and Margaret Adams was the Ladies Champion.

1984

From the 1st January the new age classes were introduced. This saw the demise of classes such as the M&W43 and M&W56. From now on the senior classes were rounded off to the more logical 0 or 5.

On the 8th April, the Club staged the Northern Championships at Torver Low Common. Over 1600 competitors participated. Also in the Spring was the JK in Snowdonia. Lorna Collett triumphed in the W60 class.

At the British Championships at Wharncliff, Judith Wingham won the W55 class.

There was even greater success at the Scottish Championships at Touch. Maurice Collett was M60 champion, Tommy Taylor M65 champion and Judith Wingham also won the W55 class.

The first Veteran's World Championships were held in Lahti, in Finland. Lorna Collett was selected for the British team.

The twentieth AGM was held at Furness College, Lancaster University on 10th October. It was noted that in the previous twelve months, the Club had organised just under thirty events. Maurice Collett won the President's Shield and Lorna Collett was the Ladies Champion.

In December, a memorial service was held for Gerry Charnley at Charnley Crag Cairn, just below Esk Pike. Many of Gerry's friends had devised a long distance route through The Lakes called the Charnley Way, for which Harvey Map Services had produced a special map.

1985

The Club handicap was held at Witherslack and was won by Bob Stride.

On 20th January the Club staged a joint Ski-O event with Lakeland Cross Country Ski Club. The event was held at Lamb Pasture, north of Kendal. Shortly before the event Robert Hovey checked the area, only to find that a new gas pipeline had been laid right across it ! The event required that competitors create a six letter word out of the individual letters on each control. The winner was Mike Kelly.

At the JK at Kyloe, Lorna Collett won the W60 class, Janet Myerscough the W17B title and Maurice Collett, Francis Myerscough and Judith Wingham the M/W55 relay.

On 6th May the Club embarked on a timed relay of the Charnley Way. The complete circuit was 57km with 3600m of climb. On the day, the total running time was eleven hours and two minutes. A trophy was presented and other clubs may compete for it.

Lorna Collett followed up her success at the JK with the W60 title at the British Championships at Wyre Forest.

The twenty first birthday of the Club was marked by a barbecue at Haverthwaite on 15th June. The three remaining founder members, Ken Turner, Ann Clark and Tom Sykes (see picture) cut a commemorative cake.

In July, the Club added two more successful members of the Bob Graham Round, Sandra Wilkinson and Richard Lamb.

The twenty first AGM was held at Furness College, Lancaster University on 9th October. The President's Shield was won by Maurice Collett and the Ladies Champion was won by Lorna Collett.

As part of the ongoing twenty first anniversary celebrations, the Club organised the Northern Night Championships on Anglezarke Moor on 16th November. The following day also saw a badge event on the Moor.

1986

The Club handicap moved back to Knotts Wood and was won by Ian Bell. During the winter the first Club Winter Street League took place.

At the JK at Brandon Park, Lorna Collett won the W60 title.

On the 10th May, there was a successful attempt to break the record for the Charnley Way. The Club fielded two teams with the 'A' team breaking the record by thirty seven minutes, in a time of  ten hours and twenty five minutes. There was also a successful solo attempt later in the year by David Downes, who completed the route in fourteen hours and ten minutes.

During the year Maurice Collett competed in the World Veteran Championships in Norway, finishing in the top ten in the M60 'B' race. This was the same championships where Carol McNeil won the D40 class.

Sadly, two Club members passed away during the year, David Gathercole and John Hearne.

On a happier note Anne Salisbury won the W21E class at the British Championships at Achilty, Tommy Taylor was successful in the M80 class and B. Worthington won W15B. At the Scottish Championships at Mabie, S.Turner won the M11B class.

The twenty second AGM was held at Furness College, Lancaster University on 8th October. The President's Shield was won by Maurice Collett and the Ladies Champion was Margaret Adams.

1987

Tarn Beck Plantation and Caton Moor staged the Club handicap. The race was won by Keith Waterhouse. Around this time the Club staged an orienteering exhibition at Worden Park in Leyland. This proved very popular and was visited by over 600 members of the public each month that it was open.

The second Ski-O event was staged at Wildboar Fell on 18th January. This was another successful collaboration with the Lakeland Cross Country Ski Club, using the Harvey's Karrimor International Mountain Marathon map. There were approximately 50 entries, with Joe Sherriff winning the long course and consequently the Old Hunter Trophy.

The Winter League provided three courses, short, medium and long. These were won by Caroline Woodworth, Ian Brodie and Ian Bell respectively.

On 28th March, the inaugral Fiendsdale Fell Race was staged to commemorate twenty five years of history, attracting eighty seven runners.

The March / April newsletter informed members that Lorna Collett had offered to start a Club history, which continues to this day. At the JK at Newtondale and Barnscliff, Margaret Adams won the W60 class.

At the British Championships in the Forest of Dean, Steve McLean won M21A and Lorna Collett W65, a feat that Lorna repeated at the Scottish Championships at Drumore Wood.

During the summer Jim Ditchburn and John Oldroyd both completed the Bob Graham Round.

The twenty third AGM was held at Furness College, Lancaster University on 20th October. Maurice Collett won the President's Shield and Lorna Collett was the Ladies Champion.

On 15th November the Club hosted the Compass Sport Cup Final at Witherslack. The year finished on a successful note with Judith Wingham winning the W55 title at the British Night Championships at Clipstone.

1988

The Club handicap was due to be held at Great Hill on 24th January, but snow forced a weeks postponement and a change of venue to White Coppice. The result was the first dead heat between Alison Pickett and Sue Denmark.

A new National and Provincial Trophy was presented to Glenys Ferguson. This new trophy was designed to recognise club members who had given outstanding service. Glenys received it for several years service as Secretary.

The Winter Street League saw Gill Turner win the short course, Ian Brodie the medium course and Mike Pownall the long course.

The Fiendsdale Fell Race was staged for a second time on 26th March. The World Ski-O Championships were also held in March, in Finland. David Rosen was selected to compete, coming 59th in the individual race. Former member Sally Sahni (nee Collett) was twenty fourth.

At the British Championships at Holme Fell, Margaret Adams won the W60 class. On 7th May Judith Wingham, Lorna Collett and Margaret Adams won the W50+ class at the British Relay Championships at Torver.

In the summer there were several more successful attempts at the Bob Graham Round by Miriam Rosen, Charles Alderson and Tim Kelly.

Margaret Adams followed up her win at the British by also winning the W60 class at the Scottish Championships in the Trossachs, G. Harrison won M19B, Maurice Collett won M65 and Lorna Collett won W65.

The twenty fourth AGM was held at Furness College, Lancaster University on 20th October. The President's Shield was awarded to Francis Myerscough and the Ladies Champion was Lorna Collett.

There were two winners at the British Night Championships with Miriam Rosen winning W35 and Judith Wingham W60.

The year closed with the inaugral Club Christmas dinner in Lancaster.

1989

Low Park Wood staged the Club handicap on 21st January, the winner was Chris Toop.

The National and Provincial Trophy was won by Barbara Comish for a decades service as Minutes Secretary and for her organisation of the Mammoth Weekend in 1987. Life membership was conferred upon Maurice and Lorna Collett and Tommy Taylor.

As part of the Club's twenty fifth anniversary celebrations an inaugral mountain relay was held on the 8th April between Langdale and Coniston. The SROC 'A' team were second and SROC 'B' were fifth.

At the Scottish Championships at Drummond Hill, Maurice Collett won M65, Miriam Rosen won W40A, Judith Wingham won W60 and Lorna Collett won W65.

In June, Mel Wilkinson was elected Secretary of BOF which began a very successful period in office.

On 8th July, the Club held a commemorative junior event at Lancaster University. This was followed by an anniversary dinner at the Blacksticks Restaurant at Chipping. The guest speaker was Chris Brasher. On 9th July there was a nostalgia event staged at Gisburn Forest using black and white copies of the Ordnance Survey map. Ian Watson and Bob Astles, who had run in 1965, finished 14th and 17th respectively. The event was won by Tim Watkins.

The twenty fifth AGM was held at Furness College, Lancaster University on 13th September. The President's Shield was awarded to Francis Myerscough for a second time, and Lorna Collett was the Ladies Champion.

On 7th October at Tockholes, the Club staged a rerun of the 1965 North v South match.Several participants from the original event took part including John Disley and Chris Brasher.

There were three winners at the British Night Championships at Grindleton. Judith Wingham won the W60 title (her third class win in three years) and Tim and Frances Watkins won M21A and W21A respectively. Tim and Frances' achievement, a husband and wife double, was featured in The Guardian.

The final event of the year that the Club organised was National Event 9 at Simpson Ground.

The History of South Ribble Orienteering Club - The First Thirty Years

Last Updated : 27.07.07