Report on NFC’s Epee community for 2021-2022, written by Ted Hudson.
1) As the sensible restrictions posed by Covid 19 gradually faded, masked figures returned to Wednesday evening combat. Sadly, some of those who had provided the Club with its backbone for many years, were no longer able to be present in the form of John Pearce (red socks), John Parke (blue socks), Bernard Harbourn, John Hemmant and Mick Meyer. (However, it is likely that at least two of the named epeeists will return at some stage in the not-too distant future).
2) Thanks to the admirable efforts of our coaches, a new crop of epeeists appeared, along with a welcome sprinkling of UEA epeeists, thus necessitating five pistes on many evenings. So, at the moment all is well.
Epee competition results:
3) Julie Henson came 5th in The Milner- Barry International Epee, 12th in the British Womens’ Epee championships and won the Cambridge Winter Epee Tournament.
4) Sophia Pickering moves from strength to strength. In the Eastern region under 16 Epee championships she was won the silver medal. In the British under 17 Championships she was placed 7th. As a result she was selected to represent Great Britain in an under 17 International match. Not content with those successes, she exceeded all expectations by winning the Eastern region Senior Womens’ Epee championships.
5) Robert Froud won a bronze medal in the Epee section of the UEA Master of Arms Competition.
6) An impressive total of 17 epeeists turned out to compete in the Club’s Christmas Turkey Competition. Kept firmly in order by Julie Henson and Martin Walters the fencers completed a magnificent 152 bouts on the first evening. On the second evening, the competition was won by Martin Walters with Nick Burton second and Julie Henson third.
7) GB 5 hit League organised by Rob Johnson of GYW Fencing club.
(Norfolk Epee and affiliated fencers mentioned).
1st Rob Johnson
2nd Adam Hickford
5th Luke Hewerdine
(10 competitors)
8) GB 5 hit League organised by Callum Pullen of UEA.
( Norfolk Epee and affiliated fencers mentioned)
2nd Martin Walters
3rd Rob Johnson
4th Peter Garnham
5th Ted Hudson
6th Adam Hickford
8th Matthew McLaughlan
9th Tom Driver
12th Callum Pullen
(12 competitors).
At the time of writing, the GB Leader board gives the National ranking to the following:-
4th Rob Johnson
5th Adam Hickford
12th Martin Walters
Finally all Epeeists would like to thank the following for all the hard work they do in keeping the NFC afloat: Luke Hewerdine, Paul Stimpson, Tom Bennett, Mal Mather and Peter Gallop.