The GB Jnr Championships!!!

[Not quite a Vet]

Is Kent Tourist Board needing a boost? My God! Well done BF for making another fantastic decision on the relocation of the Cadet & Junior Championships!

490 miles trip. No usable local airport, it's a wonderfully fair central location for a GB Championships.

Thanks.

[Not quite a Vet]

Oh no worries, 4 trains and we'll get there, or fly to London and hire a car, then drive for an hour and a half.

Joy.

It's almost easier to send Chlo to a flaming Foreign A Grade.

[Foilling Around]

I have to concur. Even from the Midlands it is just the other side of the line for an overnight stay.

Setting off a 6am is perfectly fine for a 9am start but at 3 hours from Nottingham that is not really possible.

I intend to referee there, but it means that I will need 2 nights in a hotel as well as petrol expenses. The increases the competition costs dramatically.

Surely just North or West of London would be much better if it is not going to be the EIS again.

[Gav]

I've just had a look at the BF site and I have no idea what the two of you are talking about. Can you point me in the right direction?

[Rdb811]

I've just had a look at the BF site and I have no idea what the two of you are talking about. Can you point me in the right direction?

http://www.britishfencing.com/events/#Event379

The Junior and Cadet Nationals in Gillingham.

[Gav]

Lovely. I pity the guys who need to make that journey.

[Meg_SF]

Makes a nice change for us from Sheffield. Only half an hour away door to door so feeling very lucky! No idea what the venue is like, might have to do some recon.

[Tubby]

http://www.medwaypark.org.uk/sportin...sports_events/

Seems to have been the venue for the 2011 Modern Pent Euro Championships.

[purple]

Bring back Sheffield!

Google says 5 hour drive :-\

[dtd]

Well done BF for making another fantastic decision on the relocation of the Cadet & Junior Championships!

Thanks.

Have BF completely lost what little common sense they had? I am not at all happy at yet another very long drive for a selection event. Given how late in the season it is and how little effect it it will have for most, I suspect entry numbers will plummet. I will certainly consider giving it a miss.

Come on BF, give parents and the kids a break. It's not even in the school holidays in our area. Most people seemed to like Sheffield, why change it?

[Hungry Hippo]

............... Given how late in the season it is and how little effect it it will have for most, I suspect entry numbers will plummet. I will certainly consider giving it a miss ............

But there may be ramifications if you miss it - was the rationale to changing it to this time of the year that it would be the basis for selection for the Cadet and Junior Euros and Worlds?

I'd agree though that some parents whose youngster is way down the rankings may consider giving it a miss - like Meg, we're just down the road from Gillingham (awful place!), so are quids in.

However, I cannot see the logic in using this location - if Sheffield was not available, why could BF not have searched harder around the Central Belt, as the Scots call their middle bit.

It needs Baldric's mileage indicator to be dusted down again - that's how the EYC's came to be where it is, so why could not BF run a similar exercise?

[cesh_fencing]

My God! Well done BF for making another fantastic decision on the relocation of the Cadet & Junior Championships!

Suspect BF got a deal on the hall hire...

[Gavinoo]

Lovely. I pity the guys who need to make that journey.

Yeah, but if you wear a shell suit you'll blend in more easily with the locals

[Gav]

Yeah, but if you wear a shell suit you'll blend in more easily with the locals

I don't what you're suggesting ... ehh ... Gav.

[MrsB]

Suspect BF got a deal on the hall hire...

I guess they must have done but did they actually try to do a deal with EIS. Late notification of venue suggests that last year they didn't say 'thanks for the great venue EIS - provisionally book us in again for next year please.'

BF are 'big' users of EIS - BYCs, cadet and junior nationals, senior nationals, Euros etc. I hope we're business-savvy enough to go for in advance block bookings which would make us a reliable client who gets nice discounts.

I know Sheffield isn't ideal location wise for many people, but I would suggest that stuck in a corner the wrong side of the M25 isn't ideal for many more.

Son wants to fence; it's all he wants to do but parents slowly falling victim to death by a thousand cuts.

[Peter Pan]

Whilst the selection for the Junior and Cadet Worlds is made immediately following the Nationals (Europeans have been selected before), it is – regrettably – fairly unlikely the Nationals result will make any difference at all to selection in most weapons as fencers need to qualify from results at foreigns. It would only matter if we had more than the quota qualified in which case the Nationals could influence the final ranking. However, if there is a large group with enough foreign points to qualify it’s unlikely the points available at the Nationals will make a difference unless two qualified fencers are very close on points.

So, as it is unlikely to influence any selection, the Nationals should really be a prestigious flagship domestic event – something all want to compete in for the honour of saying “I’m British Champion”, and where the weapon communities can come together for a showcase for the best domestic competitive fencing of their group – so it’s a great pity that this venue doesn’t really encourage fencers and families from across GB to attend. I remember many years ago arguing on the Forum with Baldric that Norwich was an awful venue for a GB national championships but I’m starting to feel quite nostalgic for the wastelands of East Anglia as more central, convenient to the majority and cheaper than Gillingham!

There does seem to be a lack of informed, joined-up thinking going on at the moment.

[Gav]

... I’m starting to feel quite nostalgic for the wastelands of East Anglia ...

I actually laughed at that. Good one.

The whole competition system and calendar needs an overhaul but no one actually wants to do it.

[d_f_a]

For those of us in the SE this is a welcome change from Sheffield. I've spent so much time in the Arena and Meadowhall Premier Inn the staff know my name. Obviously Gillingham isn't at all central but I dont understand people complaining they will need to book a hotel for this event when that's what many of us in the SE have to do every time for Sheffield.

[MrsGrizz]

The whole competition system and calendar needs an overhaul but no one actually wants to do it.

Maybe Foilling Around could be asked to add his two penneth in on the calendar too...

Without being to bigheaded, I probably understand the ranking implications of different scenarios more than anyone else on the foil side, so next year I need to get my two penneth in earlier. Even though I have no official standing in the decision making process.

I am sure there are few out there that would like to add their comments and suggestions - just needs someone like Paul to take them on board and look at it from a different perspective than we currently/previously have/had and make the changes to produce the best from the fencers and at least give them a chance.

[ED_R]

stuck in a corner the wrong side of the M25 isn't ideal for many more.

Sheffield Arena was a wonderful venue, and central, so the loss of it is a bit sad - even for those of us who discover we live on the wrong side of the M25.

Sheffield is always such a nice place to stay compared to the garden of England