9th June 2010

TIME FOR REFLECTION?

Ah well!  That's another chess season tidied  up, dusted off and locked away in thousands of score books, or the computer file carried to our own archives ready for another edition.  Game points have been added up and prizes have been distributed, names inscribed on silverware that is currently on display in hundreds of lounges throughout the country.  Displayed, that  is, until the wife gets fed up with dusting in and around the hard won trophy and it finds its way into the depths of a nearby cupboard from where it will eventually have to be rescued and passed on to another worthy winner.

Now our weekly dash to the chess club is replaced with a careful study of available week-end tournaments and our leisurely played one or two games a week gives way to the boiler house of playing five games in two-and-a-half days.

This year however we have one very special event to look forward to - the 60th Jubilee Paignton Congress.  We now know the mouth watering menu that includes a special junior tournament, enhanced prize lists and a simultaneous display by local hero - Michael Adams.   The appeal of this latter event will have been enhanced by the fact that Michael will have participated in the British Championship, having been enticed by special expenses made available to him.  In addition, the Championship will also include the participation of Nigel Short and this will contribute to another special event.  This will be a busy period for both players as the Olympiad will follow in October.

In addition to the Paignton event other tournaments to be held in Devon include the popular Torbay League Congress organized by Ray Chubb and the Beacon Seniors which will continue in the Royal Beacon Hotel, Exmouth.  Sadly both these tournaments will miss a regular attendee in Michael Stoop who died earlier this year.  The fact that Michael was a regular is rather quite extraordinary as organisers never knew whether he was playing or not until ten minutes before the start of the first round.  It was always a waste of postage sending Michael an entry form!

The past season has been a busy one for the Devon County sides and after the second team won the Wayling Cup, the first team have won through to the quarter-finals of the under 180 tournament and are due to meet Warwickshire in the semi-final.  We wish them well.

The DCCA tournaments provided some close finishes particularly in the Peter Rooke Cup that was won by Newton Abbot on a board count. Newton Abbot continued their surge and also won the Brembridge as well as the Schofield Cup and the juniors displayed their strength lifting the Bloodworth Cup by dint of winning all their matches. 

There is a lesson to be learned here as these results were founded on good and active club administration.  Some clubs are failing in this vital part of club success and as a result are losing membership and matches.  So come on chess lovers, roll up your sleeves, sharpen your quills and get some organisation going!  There is a little more involved in club activities than sitting down to play a game.  The newly formed Bovey Tracey club is a fine example of what can be achieved by a few enthusiastic members.

In August of last year, the British Championships were held at the Riviera Centre, Torquay and proved to be very successful.  This is a very popular venue and attracted a lot of local attention.  Hopefully the Championships will return to Torquay quite soon.   The display prepared by the DCCA in the entrance hall provided a popular source of interest particularly the charts, photographs and other information on chess in Devon devised by Ray Chubb.

So the next few months will provide a breathing space for many chess players, but now is the time to look over our results for the last season and see where we can improve our play sufficiently to challenge Vishy Anand next year.  

14th December 2009

A look ahead and a look over our shoulder.

It would seem that the purpose of an editorial is not clearly understood by some hyper-sensitive viewers.  It's main purpose is to provide an outlet where the opinions and perspectives of the editorial staff can be expressed, no matter how unpopular these may be perceived.  It may be as well to point out here that "Chess Devon" is not associated with the Devon County Chess Association, but is an independent website as is clearly defined on its home page.

Our last editorial seems to have evoked a number of responses ranging from personal and rather abusive, threatening e-mails received by your editor, to comments, adverse or otherwise, on various forums.  Most of these adverse reactions emanate from those persons nursing a guilty conscious on the matters raised.  Our main comment concerning various forums is that although a particular subject may have been genuinely initiated, sooner or later further contributions tend to descend into frivolous banality and negate the significance and importance of the initial comment. It is not our intention to turn "Chess Devon" into a forum, so we would advise our various critics who express such vituperative comments -  if you don't like the programme then switch it off, don't write to the editor!

Setting the rather childish comments that have been received to one side, fortunately there have been some constructive suggestions offered which have been passed on to those persons who initially raised the problems with your editor and hopefully this will enable those bodies to deal constructively and effectively with the matters that are of concern to them. We thank those serious minded persons who have made these suggestions.

The New Year is fast approaching and in many ways this rings up the half-way stage of the chess season. For some peculiar reason, clubs within the Torbay League have deferred the main thrust of their matches until the New Year.  Now everyone is sat on the edge of their seats waiting for the bubbles to burst and hoping that the explosion of matches will result in their favour.  We wish you all well in forthcoming months.

In South Devon we are still savouring the migration of Keith Arkell to the area.  Keith has already agreed to a simultaneous exhibition at the Torquay Club premises in January and we hope that this will be followed up by other enthusiastic clubs in the area.  In addition Peter Griffiths, late of Sutton Coldfield, has also moved into the area.  Peter was a many times popular winner of the Ron Bruce Premier at the Paignton congress and his presence in the South-West is very welcome.  Peter has not played competitive chess for a number of years, but many of us recall his many and instructive contributions to the British Chess Magazine and the excellent books he authored on the endgame.  We do hope that he will now be inspired to continue with his instructive contributions to the annals of game.

There is good news from the Devon County Chess Association.  More entries have been made into the county competitions and now these tournaments have a real significance.  In particular the Tiverton Club membership has been boosted to an extend that has enabled them to contest more sections than previously   This must be particularly gratifying to Stephen Thorpe-Tracey, President of both the DCCA and the Tiverton club.

During this coming year we look forward to the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Paignton Congress.  This is an amazing achievement in that this attractive venue has been made available for such a long period and has been enthusiastically used by many congress administrators - myself included.  Currently these preparations and proceedings are in the very capable hands of Alan and Linda Crickmore, who, over the last few years, have jealously preserved the comfort and considerations of some two hundred or more entrants, even to the extent of financial disadvantages.  May I remind you that the first Paignton Congress, in 1951, included ex-World Champion Max Euwe in its entries.

In addition to this prestigious event, The East Devon congress will be held during February.  This is another landmark as the last event could have been a financial disaster, but then a late influx of entries was very welcome and ensured the optimism for the coming years event.  We do hope that you will ensure the comfort of the administrators by entering early.

May I wish you all many enjoyable hours playing chess in 2010 and a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

18th October 2009

Is this what we really want?

The 2009/10 season has started. 

In Devon we always consider the prestigious Paignton Congress to be the opening event of a new season.  This proved to be the normal immaculate presentation that attracted close to the maximum number of entries that the congress can comfortably support.  We have to thank Alan and Linda Crickmore for maintaining the high standard of playing conditions that we have become accustomed to whilst they have been in the driving seat. 

The Paignton Congress was followed by the WECU annual jamboree held at the very acceptable venue of the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre in Taunton.  This event has recently experienced a revival in popularity and on this occasion, a record number of entries was recorded.  But, a rather sour note was introduced by the fact that Somerset entered two teams in the Graded Tournament and none in the County competition, despite the fact that the sum total grades of the first six players in the graded sections equalled the total grades of another side that entered the County competition.

Lamentably this example pales into insignificance when compared  with another rather suspect practice which has appeared in team competitions in all the Devon leagues.  All these events - the DCCA leagues, Torbay league and the Exeter and District league - are designed to provide genuine competition between the membership of the respective affiliated clubs.  This is a laudable aspiration which we now find is being flaunted by the inclusion in some teams of players that have little or no connection with the club they are representing.  In most cases the only games played by these "members" are in team events and they do not participate in internal club competitions.  The rules of these events provide for participants to be "bona fide" members of the clubs they represent.  This is a very airy term that needs to be tightened up by decisive and unambiguous definition.  On one occasion when I asked a competition secretary the meaning  of "bona fide" I was told that this was left to the discretion of the pertinent team captain!  Wow!!

Like MP's who state that their claims for expenses are "in accordance with the rules", some clubs hide behind the definition of "bona fide members".  Amongst many remedies that could be applied I would suggest that the rule be amended so that no person is permitted to play league matches unless the club can clearly demonstrate to the competition secretary that such member fully participated in internal tournaments during the previous season.

Not only is this present (mal)practice a rather jaundiced approach but it makes me wonder how other genuine members of the clubs that flaunt these rules feel when their team places are usurped by players that probably they have never met!

This is a creeping disease that needs rigorous remedies before it destroys the very framework of genuine league competitions.   Is this what we really want?  Such suspect practices are perpetrated by very few clubs but are symptomatic of the "win at any cost" culture, which has no majority support in our chess community.

Other views on this matter are welcomed and will be published if so sanctioned by correspondents.

On a lighter note, the appetite for chess seems to be unabated in the county and we hope that this will continue and increase the membership of clubs.  During November the Beacon Seniors and the Torbay League Congresses will be held.  The signs are that these events will be well attended.

Sadly the Totnes club has decided not to continue mainly through the lack of support.  However, the club has a long history and a similar thing occurred some time ago.  It was resurrected and continued to flourish for many years.  We hope that history will repeat itself.

Good luck in the coming season and enjoy your chess!

Bill Frost

1st July 2009

A chance to advertise our activities.

The club chess season is grinding to a halt, albeit the congresses continue.  Herein - the congresses - lies a bit of a problem.  During this month the new ECF gradings will be published but - and this is a big BUT - there will be adjustments incorporated that will favour the lesser graded players.  The effect of this on individual gradings are difficult to assess and this makes it difficult for players to enter specific congress tournaments.  For instance, I have heard players saying that they cannot enter the forthcoming Paignton Congress until their new grading is published.  Hopefully this problem will soon be ironed out.

Many clubs will have held their last meetings for the season 2008/09 and have concluded their internal tournaments.  Similarly the leagues have been decided and once again the Torbay League have had a very satisfactory season.  All competitions were decided and provided some close run finishes, particularly in Division Three where Totnes and Plymouth vied all season for first place, but unfortunately Totnes slowed down in the last few weeks giving Plymouth the victory.  The recently reformed Newton Abbot club have survived their birth pangs and pulled off clean victories in Division One, and the Rapidplay.

Unfortunately, little is known of the Exeter & District League as they no longer subscribe to Chess Devon. 

The DCCA Leagues once again suffered from a lack of entries.  There are still some major county clubs who do not enter any competitions for whatever reason and this is most unfortunate.  Should this paucity of entries continue into the forthcoming season there is a need for the DCCA to seriously consider the tournament format.  For instance, the Mamhead competiton has attracted just two clubs for a number of years now, and this cannot be considered to be a satisfactory state of affairs.  A possible remedy may be to merge the Mamhead and Schofield into one division and play the new competition on six boards.  If anyone has ideas on this that they would wish to air this website is available for comment.

In August the English Championships make a welcome return to the Riviera Centre at Torbay.  This must be an ideal venue for this event, given the space that can be made available.  Several local players have entered various events and Chess Devon will endeavour to publish as many of their games as  possible.  One very welcome entry to the Championship will be Gary Lane who returns from Australia to his home stamping grounds.  Gary comments on this in his long running column on "Chess Cafe".  This is well worth visiting -  http://www.chesscafe.com/lane/lane.htm.  Note carefully from the current article that Gary is willing to take on board any questions on openings and provide expert advise.

The Championships are an ideal opportunity for clubs and associations to publicize their activities and hopefully every organisation in the county will make the most of this platform.  

Bill Frost

28th February 2009

A TESTING TIME AHEAD

The current economic problems appear to be affecting the chess world.  Sponsorship, already difficult to obtain is due to become even more difficult.  Some tournaments are bound to suffer and this may not be solely confined to national events.

Another aspect of the economic problems is the reluctance of players to enter tournaments that entail travelling and hotel costs.  This is particularly pertinent to our West Country congresses as the geographical situation requires that a high percentage of entrants travel from the east and use local accommodation for the duration of the event. Entries to our forthcoming congresses are already showing signs of this manifestation and this is forcing organisers to appeal for more local support.  The East Devon congress may well be the first event to suffer but it is hoped that even at this late stage local players rally around the organisers and ensure that the congress returns the financial success that will enable it to continue.  The West of England Championships follow shortly thereafter, but this is not so vulnerable as the number of entrants is capped.

Club and local leagues are reaching a point in the season when competition begins to warm up.  Many club players and club teams are seeing prospective victory in various tournaments and this always sharpens the mind and the competitive spirit.  The positions of teams in the Torbay League are fluid and in some events there are many permutations possible.

Several clubs were forced to change premises for this season.  These included Plymouth, St Marychurch (now known as Torquay), Totnes and Exmouth.  In most cases this change was necessitated by landlords increasing their rent demands.  A rather odd policy as the vacated premises have yet to find new tenants.  In all cases the clubs are well pleased with the move and one result has been an increase in membership.

One or two odd - and somewhat humorous - episodes have occurred.  One in particular involves two clubs jockeying for a winning position in a local league, playing each other in what might prove to be the deciding match.  The result of the match depended on the last game to finish in which a draw would have resulted in the match being drawn.  However, in the final game, under great pressure one player placed his rook en prise with no compensation likely.  His opponent, who had been looking at the ceiling and thinking that a draw would give his team victory, without looking at the board and noticing the blunder, offered a draw. His opponent shook his hand off!  The losing side were playing away and it is reported that the player offering the draw had a very uncomfortable return journey.     

Chess Devon wishes all players a successful finish to the season and the hope that the rallying cry above will not go unheeded.

Bill Frost.

22nd December 2008

HALF - TIME

December always marks the approximate half-way stage of the club season.  Many club members are busy in contesting their internal club competitions and flying the flag for their clubs in county competitions.  Christmas provides a brief breathing space from such rigours but we all know that following the respite, battle will continue to rage with ever intensifying fury.  So how do we stand at the half-way stage?

An examination of your seasons results to date is worthy of close scrutiny.  Can you just cruise along to the end of the season, or do you have to amend your technique to either maintain or improve upon your performance in the previous season?  Do you have to take a close look at your opening repertoire or is it still standing up to the close scrutiny of your opponents?  These are all questions that no doubt you are wrestling with and need to resolve.

In the Torbay League and DCCA club and individual competitions, some intriguing situations are building up.  The Torbay League continue to steam ahead under the leadership of Trefor Thynne and the skilled administration skills of Tony Tatam as the Competition Secretary.  All tournaments are wide open and the next two months play will prove to be crucial.  The DCCA competitions are enjoying greater team and individual participation mainly due to the persistence of Brian Hewson, the Competitions Secretary. It is particularly gratifying to note that the Tiverton club are enjoying a renaissance and have attracted a stronger membership than previously and this has enabled them to enter the Schofield and the Moyle competitions.  They continue to hold their team tournaments at Blundell's School which provides excellent playing conditions, as witnessed by the Teignmouth club recently in a Schofield clash.

Unfortunately, Chess Devon have no reliable information on the progress of the Exeter & District League, as for some unexplained reason, the League have opted out of participation on this website, a rather strange decision that denies their membership access to up-to-date information on the current state of their leagues.

On the congress scene, Devon continue to stage first class events that, even in these days of financial restraint, continue to attract our friends from outside the county. 

The Paignton Congress under the stewardship of Alan and Linda Crickmore proved to be a great success and more importantly, secured that the 60th anniversary of the event will be held for the 60th time in Oldway Mansions in 2010.  We have been promised that this will be a spectacular event and I am sure that we shall not be disappointed.

The Beacon Seniors continue to be a comfortable and rather laid-back event for we old-timers, and mainly due to modern health techniques and medicines, our numbers are not diminishing.

The Torbay Congress reached new heights this year.  After the failure of the Belgrave Hotel to provide the accommodation that we have enjoyed for the last two years, Ray Chubb made a penetrating examination of alternative venues and eventually decided on a return to the Riviera Centre.  His decision was well rewarded and everyone enjoyed pristine playing conditions that can provide for greater numbers in the coming years.

Our next Congress will be the E. Devon event which has been under considerable strain in the last few years.  This will be held in the newly named Corn Exchange in Exeter, formerly the St Georges Hall and it is hoped that this will attract many more new participants to our county capital city.

Chess Devon wish all readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Successful (winning?) New Year

Bill Frost. 

14th October 2008

THE NORTH/SOUTH DIVIDE

There was a time when there was complete and satisfactory chess interface between the north and south of Devon.  Devon is the second largest county in England and geographically has to grapple with the huge mass of the Dartmoor National Park interposing between the north and south populated areas.  At one time this did not present a problem to the chess community but now it appears to be an insurmountable difficulty that is preventing a chess intercourse between the two regions.

There is no doubt that the cost of travelling by road has become extremely onerous but such an increase is relative and particularly so when the composition of teams is no more than just a car-load of chess players who tend to spread the travelling costs between passengers.  The composition of clubs has varied over the last twenty years.  Clubs in the south have tended to expand their membership whereas the membership of northern clubs have declined.  There was a time when the Barnstaple club were strong contenders for the Brembridge trophy, but such is not now the case because of the decline in their membership.

So it would appear that travelling costs and club memberships are the main reasons why such a divide exists.

What can be done to overcome these difficulties?

On the question of travelling costs and travelling time, there is a clear example of how this affects county competitions. The Teignmouth club always enter the DCCA Moyle Cup competition and always send a team to Ifracombe when this club has entered the league.  However, Ifracombe only enter the competition when they are at home to Teignmouth and duck out when they are asked to travel to Teignmouth!  This is clearly a question of venue which would have been easily solved if the DCCA had realistically considered the Teignmouth proposal to identify central venues whereby match tournaments could be held that would enable travelling costs and time to be shared by the participating clubs. 

What is the solution to these problems?

To genuinely refer to the DCCA as being representative of chess within the county as a whole they need to realistically address this matter and come up with a workable and acceptable solution.

Has anyone out there got a solution?  All comments are welcome and will be published.  

24th September 2008

Once more clubs, leagues and other associations are gearing up for a new season.

Most players take the Paignton Congress as the trigger for a fresh season and this year it was extremely well attended with two grandmasters participating in the Ron Bruce Premier.  Again, the Congress is indebted to Alan Crickmore and his wife Linda for the impeccable arrangements. 

Close on the heels of the Congress came the WECU Jamboree which has of late been invigorated by a well chosen venue in the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre.  This is a grand venue, not solely because of the playing facilities as the other features of the Centre are well worth exploring and the voluntary assistance in supplying refreshments are extremely welcome.  Thanks go to Bob Jones for the arrangements.  This years Jamboree was noteworthy for the Devon team recovering the open trophy against fierce competition, and the spectacular success of the Torbay League team in the graded tournament wherein they amassed ten points from the twelve games played - a truly amazing performance in which no Torbay team member suffered a loss.  The event is notable in that it brings together players from all quarters of the WECU for a convivial afternoon.  Frank Kingdom is to be congratulated for keeping this tournament going over the rather lean years and ensuring that it survived into the calmer waters that it now enjoys.

Following these events, most clubs arrange their kick-off meetings and the scene is now being set for the forthcoming season.  In the south of the county two clubs have chosen to move to new quarters.  Plymouth will be joining forces with the local bridge club at their HQ (no doubt very welcome to Ken Bloodworth)  and Totnes have moved back into the centre of the town where there is no doubt they will attract additional membership.  Both moves have been necessitated by previous landlords rather unjustly attempting to get extra rent.  The efforts of these clubs to maintain and improve their meeting places are to be applauded.

The Torbay & District League will shortly be holding their starting meeting but there are already signs that the success of recent years is going to continue unabated.  Last year over 100 matches were played in the league and the regular reporting by Tony Tatam to "Chess Devon" stimulated interest and a competitive spirit.  The league is blessed with enthusiastic officers always ready to roll up their sleeves and inject their personal dynamism into the proceedings.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the DCCA who seem to be intent on grinding away at the same procedures as were adopted over fifty years ago.  They are unfortunately woefully short of volunteer officers and this inhibits the business they can perform.  However, a more innovative approach is lacking.  Very recently the incumbent Competitions Secretary appealed for a volunteer to take over his duties as he was doubling up as the county Match Captain.  However, an instant remedy was at hand in that the Teignmouth Club had proposed that the county competitions be arranged on a match tournament basis to be held at central venues.  This would have allowed clubs to share the expenses of hiring venues and would have been more socially acceptable.  It was proposed that these tournaments would be organised and administered by a management team of three persons who had already volunteered.  This proposal was rather undemocratically brushed aside!  It has to be said however, that the DCCA have introduced one innovation.  Members attending their meetings can now obtain a travelling subsidy.  Now where have we heard this before?  Ah yes, don't MP's vote for increases in their own salaries!

The next major Congress to be held in the area will be the Dorset Congress and this will be followed by the Beacon Seniors back to back with the Torbay Congress.  Ray Chubb has negotiated a return to the Riviera Centre and this opens up prospects of being able to accept more entries than were otherwise possible.  It also provides more experience for the newly ECF ratified arbiters, John Arris and Tony Tatam.  The first congress of the new year will be the E. Devon Congress.  After a few failing years, Alan Maynard advises that some changes for the better will be introduced and we trust  that WECU players will support his efforts.

This will be followed by the WECU Championships being held over the Easter period at the Royal Beacon Hotel, Exmouth.  Details are or will become available for all tournaments on "Chess Devon" who wish chess players everywhere a happy and successful season.

12th September 2008

Mobile phones are the curse of a chess tournament hall.  Nigel Short has just become a victim of the dreaded shrill electronic whine of a communication device that seems to be a necessity in modern-day life, no matter whether the receivers are in a train, bus or a chess tournament hall.  Short's phone rang in the second round of the European Championship now being played in Liverpool, and it was not as a result of an in-coming call, but because it was either short of battery strength or was getting bored because it had not made a sound for the last few minutes.  Nonetheless it was a distraction and his game was rightly forfeited.  Nigel accepted this decision with commendable composure. 

Electronic noises are more penetrating than a sneeze or a cough from a spectator and FIDE have acknowledged this in their ruling of a penalty in the event that the little monster emits a disturbing shrill.

Recently I was playing in a congress when the dreaded electronic peal assaulted everyone's ears.  Not only did it effect the opponent of the perpetrator but I noticed that everyone else bringing a mobile phone into the tournament room, desperately searched their back packs and pockets for an instrument that may have been emitting the offensive screech.  In itself, this was a distraction to their opponents.  Perhaps the penalty for a mobile phone ringing should be more severe!  Expulsion from the tournament? 

Whatever, it is very good advise to leave mobile phones out of tournament rooms and not risk the penalties that may be imposed should they offend other persons sensibilities. 

22nd August 2008

With a rather laconic announcement on the home page of "Chess Devon" we reported that John Arris and Tony Tatam had been ratified as ECF Arbiters.  It is time that we now recognise and appreciate their achievement and the possible impact that it can have on chess within the county.

Both John and Tony have worked very hard over at least three years to satisfy ECF examiners that they are worthy of such a title.  During this period, they have officiated at local congresses, honing their skills and progressing their learning curve by observing and absorbing knowledge from more experienced arbiters. Now we can feel comfortable that when they are taking care of a section of a congress we are in the hands of  well qualified officials.

It is rather unique that Devon now has two qualified arbiters and we should applaud their success.

What effect could this have on the many congresses that are organised within the boundaries of our county?

For many years we have had to employ arbiters from far and wide in order to guarantee the quality of the controlling.  The employment of such expertise has been very expensive in travelling and hotel costs, and in the current financial climate such costs are bound to escalate.  We have always had to attract competitors to our congresses from all corners of the country and have had to recognise that they are also involved in rather heavy travelling and accommodation expenses. 

Now that John and Tony are eligible (and hopefully willing) to perform the duties of arbiters at local congresses, such costs can be contained.  However, their diligence, dedication and expertise should be recognised and adequately rewarded.

In turn, this may well allow our congresses to press down on otherwise escalating costs and constrain entry fees to a level that will still attract entrants from outside our county boundaries.  In Devon we value our visitors and strive to provide not only perfect playing conditions at reasonable cost, but the best qualified arbiters available.

John and Tony - "Chess Devon" applaud your achievements and look forward to your participation in the ever increasing organisational expertise that our county is building.

17/08/08      

We continue to enhance both the appearance and content of Chess Devon and during the next few weeks we shall gradually ease our way to a new format.

Two new pages have been added being this Editorial and the Congresses page.  The content of the Editorial will be directed towards comment on any local or international news that is thought to be of interest to Chess Devon readers.

Perhaps we should here comment on the new links bar that we have introduced.  We feel that this presents a cleaner home page on which we are now able to provide more space for news and coming events.  We hope that you will very quickly become accustomed to using this bar.

For some time we have felt that our reporting on local congresses has been scattered in various and sometimes obscure sections of the website.  Now we shall be concentrating all tournament reports, games and results in this section.  The first congress that we shall address in such a manner will be the forthcoming Paignton Congress.

Hopefully, it has not escaped your attention that Chess Devon has been awarded the ECF title of "Website of the Year 2008".  We are greatly honoured by this award and  a presentation will be made at the Paignton Congress.  This is indeed a great honour for the website and to the many contributors that have brought it to the attention of the adjudicators of the award.  It also confers a responsibility to maintain and improve the standards that has achieved this award. I feel confident that all persons associated with the website will achieve these objectives.

Bill Frost