Today I have just heard that one of my early Orienteering Coaches who used to look after the Devon Junior Orienteering Squad in the 80s was tragically killed in a road accident near his home in Shropshire last week. John was a driving force for junior orienteering based at QE school in Credition as well as being a stalwart of Debon orienteering club organisation. He lead some of my very early trips away orienteering including probably my first real adventures away from home when I was 11 or 12 to the White Rose Orienteering Festival in Yorkshire and to the British Champs on Shining Cliffe.
John was an advocate of public transport and cycling and used to cycle everywhere therfore it is so tragic that he was killed in an RTA presumably just commuting to work after so many years of pedaling.
My thoughts are with his family, so terrible at 59 – John Searle RIP, thanks for giving so much to junior orienteering.
