17th June - News Update

Hi everyone,

Two big announcements this week. The first is that the Open Air is the 12th September and we'd like you and your other halves to be there. Its an opportunity for spouses and loved ones to see quite why we dress up as we do and come back aching on any given Thursday (and enjoy a BBQ and maybe a beer or two while we're at it). Entry forms will be making their way to you shortly.

The other is that the ever talented Tony Middleton will be doing his magic show at the Old Town Hall:
Saturday 19th June, 7:30pm
Sunday 20th June, 7pm

Tickets £10, £7 concs.

Call the festival box office on: 01727 864 511
or tourist information: 01727 844 488
or online: http://www.stalbansfestival.com/theatre/icalrepeat.detail/2010/06/19/158/14/sonics-amazing-magic-shows

Herts Senior Championships are on the 15th May (Saturday):

Check-In Times:

Novices Foil 10:00 - 10:15
Seniors Foil 11:30 - 11:45
Sabre 14:00 - 14:15
Epee 15:30 - 15:45

Match report - 24 November - away to Luton

This was our first fixture of the 2009/10 Three Counties League comprising five clubs within Bed, Bucks and Herts. It was a disappointing start to our retention of the trophy for the third consecutive year, but it is early days and we will not give up without a fight or two (seven, to be precise).

First off was the epee, comprising David, Tim and Hazel and Philip combining as third fencer. Although we won 5:4, four of the nine bouts were 5:4, but only one being in our favour. Not much change since the last report, then, you may say. We were, though, fielding Tim for the first time (step forward, that man) and what a great start to his new found career as an epeeist! It was truly a sight to behold, with Tim controlling the whole piste, renewing attack after attack, until his opponents simply ran out of room to retreat. We hope the heels were not too sore the next day, Tim - they certainly sounded painful! Well done.

Foil was not as entertaining, although fencing suppliers will be pleased with our efforts, as three blades were broken. It should have been four, but Philip's newish Leon Paul blade refused to succumb to an honourable break, but continued throughout pretending to be made from lead. Don't forget to buy a replacement blade for James', Philip! Even though we also fielded James and Hazel, Luton again fielded their old veteran, Geoff, who won all his three bouts. We really must find a way around his effective parries and retreating footwork. Any ideas, Liam? Oh no, not more footwork and first counter riposte exercises?

Do you want to give sweat and bloody beers for SAFC? If so, put your name in the bag - you know where we are!

9:30 in the morning on the 2nd Sunday in September, it can only be check in for Sabre at the annual St. Albans fencing club open air.


Once again club members and their significant others enjoyed a full day’s fencing in the fresh air, by the end of the day we were glad to get to the barbeque and beer, though it must be said one of our number started on the beer rather earlier than most and had worked out that he could down a beef burger during the 1min break in the Epee semi final – Next year we’ll have to try him on spinach.

Four souls were keen enough to check in at 9:30 for the Sabre, some spirited bouts saw the winner decided in a single pool, before many of us had finished the bacon butties.


Fifteen of us checked in for the Foil, and we were soon running through two rounds of pools to determine the direct elimination (DE) positions. Tactics now played a part as lunch was available – eat now between pools, or wait until the Epee starts? How much quiche can a fencer consume and still fight a bout?

Jon D was all the time working away in the background trying to decipher the scribbles on the pool sheets as we each handed in the results on the way to the refreshments, and then prepared the next round as we stuffed ourselves.

Now it’s the turn of the Epeeists. Much confusion as people try and work out which of the body wires they’re wearing they need to plug in – and a new problem, the sun’s come out and we cant see the scoring box lights clearly – what a great problem to have!

Not as many people signed up for Epee, so we’re put into two pools of 6 and off we go, getting much bigger bruises than in Foil.

Never seems to take a long as the Foil, and even with the bigger pools all to soon most of us are wishing we’d tried that bit harder, reached that bit further, been that bit quicker so we cold have finished that much further up the results table.

Jon says back to the Foil – more tangled body wires, searches for missing lames, then back to the piste for the first (and for some of us last) round of the DE – now we’re starting to get tired we’re also fighting to 15 points, but the breeze through the mask makes it that bit more bearable.

Through the DE up to the final, than back to the Epee to run through the DE, and finally we’re ready for the finals – Foil first, and you can tell it’s a well run competition as the best two fencers give us the best match of the day. The match goes to it’s 3rd 3min period, but the two fencers
seemed as fresh, fast and determined as we’d been at the beginning of the day.

To finish off the fencing for the day we all sit down to watch the Epee final – two very different styles, Philip with a classical style and very neat covering action – Andy, laid back and open almost to the point of horizontalness. A fantastic match, with the lead changing many times, neither player giving up, and neither allowed to get to far ahead, but in the end Andy just managed to get a couple of points ahead and clinch the trophy once more.

A great days fencing, fantastic food and good company, what more could we have wanted? Next year it’ll be even better.

RESULTS

Sabre
1st Paul
2nd Philip

Joint 3rd Terry, Tim

Foil
1st Paul
2nd Ben
Joint 3rd Philip, Terry

Ladies Foil
1st Susie
2nd Lindsey
3rd Susan

Epee
1st Andy
2nd Paul
3rd Philip, Jason

A big thank you to Jon for organising the event and running the day. To John and Phillip for purchasing the food and drink. To Katrina for setting out the lunch and to Helen for running the barbeque. Finally thanks to everyone who helped on the day - moving, setting up etc.

The latest photos from the Open Air event have been uploaded to the photos section of the site.

You can also view the images at a larger size on our flickr.com Open Air page. You can download the images from the flickr.com website and leave comments if you have a free account with flickr.com.

If you have any photos that you would like to add to the site, please bring them in on the next fencing night.

A video of some of our novices fencing in the competition is available on youtube.

The 2009 St Albans Open Air was held Sunday 13 September. A great day of fencing finishing with a barbeque meant everyone had a fantastic time. Thanks to Jon D for organising the event and running the competition so efficiently. A full report will appear soon

There will be a cold buffet lunch and a BBQ in the early evening. Tickets include both meals. A selection of soft and alcoholic beverages will be provided.

Entry fee: 1 weapon £5, 2 or more weapons £10. Download the entry form here

St Albans Fencing Club has four teams competing in the Team Foil competition held on 7th June. Details below, results to be posted next week.

Date: Sunday 7th June 2009 . 10am-3pm
Venue: Hertfordshire Sports Village,
St Albans Road West, Hatfield Herts

Note: All Fencers must fence or reside in Hertfordshire.

More competition dates can be found on the H.F.A website.