Robin Barris, in his last column for Pacemaker as club captain, reviews this year's FROLICS competition.

FROLICS is the name of a competition that runs during the summer months in the South-East. The name apparently originated in 1988 as the First Running of the London Inter-Club Season, but it now seems to be regarded as a fairly light-hearted affair for those addicts who must feed their habit even when undergrowth makes many areas unsuitable for really serious orienteering. There are four events and everybody runs the Light Green standard course. However, they are handicap events, based on age class and badge standards, so in theory everybody should finish with the same handicap time. As in golf, though, it is a matter of how well one uses one's handicap. The winner scores 100 points, the second 99 points and so on. It is also a club competition with the best six runners from each club scoring points; as in the South- East League the winning club scores 20 points. Each event was attended by about 100 competitors, and a difference of a few seconds could make a big difference to one's position.

In common ,I suspect, with some other HH members I had never been to a Frolics event before, but as the first event this year was at Whippendell and I had been starved of orienteering in the early months of the year I eventually attended three of them.

The Whippendell event was put on by LOK and perhaps not surprisingly was won by HH. With SI punching and some surprisingly runnable forest, planner Simon Errington produced a number of interesting legs especially the first; the last thing orienteers of a nervous disposition want is a serious route choice decision right at the beginning of a course. Lesley Brown did particularly well, using her handicap to finish first, and there were other good performances from Harry Goldingay Jnr,Neil Gostick, Michael Currie, Clive Street and Helen Errington.

Norbury Park (MV) also saw a good turnout of HH members. I personally found conditions difficult -1;15,000 map, rain on my glasses, poor light under the trees, some grotty forest - I needed some excuses for a very poor run. Other club members didn't find the same problems and the club finished second; Roger Moulding, Simon Errington, Helen Errington, Alison Saunders, Lesley Brown and Harry Goldingay Snr all did well.

By now Happy Herts were challenging seriously for the trophy, and although there was a HH training event at Mardley Heath, a team was sent over to Reigate Priory (SLOW). Unfortunately we didn't do so well there. Although Helen and Simon Errington, Lesley Brown, the Harrys Goldingay and Colin Webster scored points, we finished in sixth place.

The final event was at Foot's Cray Meadows (DFOK), an area similar to Verulamium Park. I had expected a good turnout (was there another event on that day?), but only four of us were there. Roger Moulding, Mark Adams, Andrew Cummings and myself all scored respectably, and two more similar scores from HH members would have allowed us to finish second in this event and second overall. As it was we finished in eighth place in the event and third overall behind SLOW and MV who were the eventual winners and took away the London Bus Trophy.

In a slightly different location and on slightly different terrain I have some details and entry forms for the World Masters Games and other orienteering events to be held in South-East Australia in October 2002. Please contact me if you are at all interested.

Finally, this is my last Captain's Platform as my three years in the post are shortly coming to an end, and I'd like to thank club members for their support, especially in competitions like the South-East League and the Compass Sport Cup.