How Sarum Orienteering Club emerged from nothing.
Our hard working Secretary Hugh was recently contacted by someone asking how old Sarum is as a club and whether we were close to celebrating our 50th year. Rather impressively, Hugh managed to find an article I had written in SCAN, our club magazine back in 2014, I think it was.
I have reproduced the article here that shows we are indeed 50 years old, 51 to be exact and, thanks to Hugh, we were able to celebrate this at the Club Championships in the Moot and afterwards at the club barbecue.
In the beginning….
Not long ago I had just filled the car with stuff to take down to the skip when the postman delivered a package that turned out to be from Dave Upshall, a founding member of the Club. Ironically, Dave was also having a clear out and decided to send some of his stuff to me. The package contents turned out to be records of the very first event attended by what was to become Sarum Orienteers. At the time, 1973, a small group of soon to be enthusiasts were attending a course on orienteering at Salisbury College of Further Education (as Wiltshire College was then known) run by Chris Tween (WeyO), Gary Court and Andrew Beldowski (both SOC) and their first attempt to try out their new skills was a Southampton University event at Red Shoot in the New Forest.
It’s hard to find out how many of the Club attended but there are several names that some might recognise: Dave Upshall, Dave Howells, Jennie Thompson, Richard Durman plus several young Wimborners. Dave recalls that most of them ran in Wellingtons and all did the ‘E’ course which is marked on the map. Dave Howells came second and Ron Ley 4th. Typically, Ron then went out again to do the ‘D’ course and came 4th in that! The organiser’s comments are also reproduced here
The first ’Club’ event was held in Vernditch Chase and was organised by Chris Tween of Weymouth Orienteering Club who then ‘owned’ the map. The map (black and white) and course is reproduced here.
WeyO subsequently kindly ceded Vernditch to Sarum and the map was redrawn in 1975 – note the original Club Logo – and is reproduced here. It should be recognisable to many of you, although quite what an Arboreal Oddity (see the legend) is I’m not at all sure.
Happy Birthday Sarum.