#JKMemories : The JK’s Social Side

By Clive Allen, Former Chairman of British Orienteering Federation

In the 1970s the JK always had an Event Centre for registration, with O-shops and for general socialising, and a Social was usually arranged for the Sunday night when British Orienteering Federation also held a dinner for invited guests (usually paid for by the event sponsors). Guests of Honour were Jan Kjellström’s parents, Alvar and Ebon, who attended the event for many years in succession.

This account of the 1974 Social, written by a member of the orienteering club at St. Peter’s School, York, is taken from the school magazine:

The JK Social was held on Sunday night in an extensive modern ballroom. This was arranged in three rooms; in one, the foreign guests were provided with a banquet, one was fitted as a comfortable chatting room, and reasonably proofed against the pop music played next to it by a band in the third room. The third room was available for dancing. There were two bars which seemed to be adequately used. At 9 o'clock everybody was ushered into the dance hall, which was packed like a sardine tin, for the presentation of the certificates and trophies. Most of the prizes went to Scandinavians, with the British coming into prominence in the junior classes, though I suspect their foreign adversaries having stayed at home. After the presentation, there was a little dancing and a little restricted talking (mostly "Pardon, I can't hear!" shouted above the music), though there was little inclination to talk to strangers, in case you were faced with the babble of Swedish. Everyone was ready to drop into bed at the end, looking forward to the next day's ‘relaxation’ event. C.A.F.B.

In 1978 the Sheffield City Council laid on a silver-service multi-course banquet for JK guests in the city’s Cutler’s Hall. There may have been some influence here from Rik Plumb CH, who I believe was Banqueting Manager there at the time. Guests, as well as the Kjellström parents, included Roger Bannister and John Disley, the latter marking the occasion with a hilarious speech.

The 1980 JK Dinner had a real Scottish flavour – see the menu here:

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Memories of the JK Online
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