Burton-on-Trent, 5th February 2006

Northern Academy Juniors kicked off the days performances with a stunning equipment display, and despite not having their best performance were still able to secure 1st place by a clear 2 points over exiting rivals, the Pride of Bristol Cadets.

Commenting on the performance, Nicola Garlick said "I am extremely pleased that some of the changes we put in place were handled very well by the members. We now need to focus on the remaining adjustments to the program and ensure that it is clean for the next outing in March".

Congratulations to all competing guards in this class, it was an extremely hard fought competition, and I am sure that going forwards the entertainment factor of all the units will be well received by the audience and judges alike.

Northern Academy Open Class took the floor with poise and purpose, and although not quite ready from the alterations from the previous show, still managed to demonstrate just how excellent their written book is, and delivered an excellently fluid performance from start to finish. Still a ways to go, but there are now clear indications that this program will be the one to watch as the run up to Finals starts in earnest come March. Even with the flaws, Northern Academy were still able to notch up a secure victory within the Open Class, and making NAPA history by confirming a double win on the day.

Congratulations to all competing guards who made the day so entertaining for the paying public. The hard work now starts in the preparations for Holland and the next most important competition in the UK in March.

Jason Wallace comments "we are happy with the segments of the program that have started to be performed by the members, and this is clearly having a positive impact on the program as a whole. There are still areas that we are working on that are yet to be fully achieved, but we are very confident that these areas will be addressed over the next several weeks. We aim to go to Holland, have fun, relax, and then knuckle down to ensure that the performance levels and program are maximized to their fullest potential. This years program is one of the most exciting ones that I have been involved in for quite some time, and I look forward to pushing it as far as we can".