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Life Members

mapper and champion Bill Vigar

mapper and champion Bill Vigar
Credit: Mark Lockett

Published: Mon 21 Oct 2024

Roger & Judy Craddock and Bill Vigar all retired from the committee in September. As a token of our appreciation the club has made all three life members of QO. We asked them how it all started ...

Roger & Judy Craddock and Bill Vigar all retired from the committee in September. Bill has been one of our most successful competitors, a former chair, an influential committee member and our lead mapper for many years. Roger and Judy have massively developed QO, starting Junior Orienteering Group (JOG) and growing it into the success it is now, as well as hosting committee meetings, looking after equipment, being membership secretary, chair and latterly president, and generally making things happen.

As a token of our appreciation the club has made all three life members of QO. We asked them how it all started ...

When did you start orienteering?

Bill: In Langport library I saw a flyer for an event at Cothelstone, so I took the family and we gave it a try. I never looked back! That was 1976. I went again on my own a week later to a Millfield School event on the Quantocks and I did the medium "Wayfarer" course. Later I encouraged a work colleague, Mike Crockett, to bring his family to a BOK trot. My main rivals in the early days were Dave Parkin, Bob Lloyd and Barry Pottage.

Roger: In 1982 I started teaching in Cullompton, a colleague Jenny Foot was involved in Devon Footsloggers as they were then known. I took the family along and that's how we started.

Judy: At first I stayed home making Sunday lunch, but then I thought: why am I doing this while everyone else goes out! So I started going along too.

Bill, how did you get involved in mapping?

Bill: I don't know! But it was fairly early on, encouraged by Erik Peckett and Brian Parker. I have always been interested in maps. At work I was using CAD (Computer Aided Design) which has some things in common with drawing maps. I did a review of the first version of OCAD and concluded it needed some upgrades to be useful, so I developed my own systems.

Roger, what was your involvement with school orienteering?

Roger: I moved to Taunton Junior School - the prep school. Soon we were taking minibuses full of pupils to orienteering events. On Saturdays we went to Devon's Come-And-Try-It events, and on Sundays we'd go to events further afield. I think they liked avoiding Sunday Chapel! One of our most successful pupils was Mark Stodgell. We travelled quite a lot, often two hours or more each way. We even took groups as far as Yorkshire, the Lake District and Scotland.

Judy: I started work at St Audries, a girls school and did the same thing there. Our minibuses would meet up and the girls and boys would swap and mingle, it was a lot of fun! We got involved in the Avon Schools league which was then thriving. Roger was the statisician for the league.

What led up to Junior Orienteering Group?

Roger: We spent 3 years in Vanuatu doing Voluntary Service Overseas, returning in 2001. Coming back to Taunton it made sense to join Quantock Orienteers - we had been Devon members before going away. Ted Heath encouraged us to join the committee. Brian Fletcher was our mentor then, he was doing lots with juniors such as schools festivals. Then the Awards for All project happened, and Dave Bullock of Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP) inspired us to start a weekly series for families and that became JOG. I think you know the rest!

Bill, I know you have been successful competitively because I remember seeing QO proudly announce that you were British Champion in 2005.

Bill: That's right, but actually my best years were before then. In the early days I did reasonably well in the Galoppen (now the SW League) regularly coming 2nd or 3rd. I then realised if I worked on avoiding mistakes I might win it. I won the blue league several times in my 40s. My most successful period was in my 60s when I won several JKs, the Scottish 6 days, and the British Championships.

What do you like most about orienteering?

Roger: I have never been a great runner, so I like that you have to stop from time to time to look at the map! ParkRun helps to keep me fit, but navigation using any kind of map fascinates me.

Judy: We've been to some lovely areas, and I have really enjoyed the social side.

Bill: Like most orienteers I enjoy the challenge, and going to places I wouldn't otherwise go to. I like the forests best, moorland is an acceptable second, but I'm not a fan of urban. You can't have proper orienteering without trees!

Read more:

Dave Parkin and Mike Crockett have written about the early days of the club here: https://www.quantockorienteers.co.uk/info/about/the-early-days-of-qo https://www.quantockorienteers.co.uk/info/about/history-of-the-club

Roger & Judy told the story of JOG at the 2024 AGM here: https://www.quantockorienteers.co.uk/info/about/club-management-policies-and-information/agm-minutes