This was the sixteenth event of this kind, another opportunity to get together with members of other clubs and see some good slides. Unfortunately it is becoming less popular than previous years as only nine clubs had entered, to this end there was an unofficial change to the rules - there would be no elimination at the end of round 2 and all clubs would compete in the final round.

So, same as for the last few years, and the same ass the rules for the PAGB event. Round 1 eight slides nominated in advance, marked by three judges scoring between 2 and 5 each.  Results were: - Worksop - 91, Peterborough - 88, Nottingham & Notts - 86, Beeston - 84, Bolsover and Clay Cross - 82, Rolls-Royce - 80, Long Eaton - 79, Chesterfield - 78.

Round 2, another eight slides but this time nominated after the results of round 1 were known. Results - Worksop - 91, Peterborough - 87, Rolls-Royce - 86, Beeston and Bolsover - 84, Clay Cross and Nottingham & Notts - 83, Long Eaton - 75, Chesterfield - 73.

Add the scores from the two rounds together and we get - Worksop - 182, Peterborough - 175, Nottingham & Notts - 169, Clay Cross - 165, Rolls-Royce - 166, Bolsover - 166, Clay Cross - 165, Long Eaton - 154, Chesterfield - 151.

Normally at this point, Chesterfield the last club would have been eliminated, but lived to fight on.  The slate is now wiped clean, past performance counts for nothing; the previous rounds are only there to get into the final. The final round calls for 20 slides, at least half of them have to be previously unseen - work out the average scores in the early and final rounds to find out who had enough slides to hold some back for the final.

After everybody had sorted out their 20 slides, battle commenced, at the half way point the scores were - Peterborough - 121, Beeston - 116, Nottingham & Notts - 113, Worksop - 111, Rolls-Royce - 110, Bolsover - 107, Chesterfield - 102, Clay Cross - 90, Long Eaton - 89. Halfway scores of course mean nothing except to show who puts their best slides at the start, creates a lead and hopes to keep it, or puts them at the end and hopes to overtake everybody!

At the end of the round it was - Peterborough - 226, Worksop - 224, Beeston - 223, Rolls-Royce - 218, Nottingham & Notts - 210, Bolsover - 205, Clay Cross - 190, Chesterfield - 182, Long Eaton - 179. In fact Peterborough had taken the lead with the second slide and had kept it until the end.

Peterborough won this competition for the first five years, so it is nice to see their name back on the trophy, however as their allegiance to the PAGB is via EAF, it will be Worksop and Beeston who represent NEMPF at Warwick for the national finals on 15^th July.

The last item was the best slide - this year the judges decided to award a "Highly Commended" to "Female Blackbird" by Len White of Beeston, the Best Slide was "Shoal of Compass Jellyfish" (left) by John Jones of Rolls-Royce

It only remains to thank those without whom the event would never have happened - judges Janet Edwards, Peter Jones and Philip Lawson and other workers - Neil Malton, Peter Cheetham, Dave Gibbins, Chris Forster and Julia Farnworth.

DIGITAL WORKERS a plea

Several clubs responded to the invitation to compete with the response "Everybody is doing digital, we have not got enough slide workers." Well there are many companies who will convert your digital file into a slide for between £1 and £2 which is most likely cheaper than the price of a mounted print and is also easier to carry around.  So how about it - can NEMPF have a better entry next year?

Peter Farnworth

Knockout Organiser