Next year, Lagan Valley Orienteers hits a major milestone – the big 5-0! And if ever a club deserved to celebrate properly, it’s ours.
Thanks to some impressive detective work by Harold White, we now have the documentary proof: the very first official organised meeting of LVO took place in Alan’s house on 17 February 1977, with Bill Simpson elected as secretary. From a living room meeting to five decades of forest adventures — not a bad trajectory!
So, how do you mark half a century of maps, mud and mispunches?
🌲 O-Ringen, Anyone?
One ambitious suggestion is a club trip to the world-famous O-Ringen in Sweden. Five days of racing, thousands of competitors, and glorious Scandinavian forests around Stockholm. What better way to celebrate 50 years than by getting thoroughly lost on an international scale?
🧭 A Proper Throwback
Wilbert and Steph are planning an old-school style event at a club meet — think red pens, punch cards and perhaps even some retro PJs. Dust off your Walsh’s and prepare for a nostalgia hit.
👕 Anniversary Kit?
There’s also talk of a special 50th anniversary LVO top. A limited-edition golden jubilee O-shirt? Yes please.
Your Club. Your Celebration.
Fifty years only happens once.
What would you like to see to mark the occasion? A reunion dinner? A retro night event? A juniors-vs-veterans showdown?
Send your ideas in — the committee is listening, and we’ll see what we can make happen.
Here’s to 1977–2027… and many more controls to come. 🧭🌲
📸 A Look Back to 1977
The photo accompanying this post comes from Harold White’s treasure chest — capturing the launch of the Wayfarers Courses at Hillsborough Forest in 1977.
This was a landmark project for the club. It coincided with the production of a new five-colour version of the map, following the black-and-white edition from the previous year — cutting-edge stuff at the time!
Ernie was the driving force behind the project, successfully securing grants from the Sports Council, £250 from Lisburn Council, and arranging for marker posts to be installed by the Forest Service. Also pictured are fellow surveyors Robin Goffe and Harold himself.
Individual maps cost a grand total of 10p and were available at the forest entrance. (Inflation may have happened since then.)