4th Anniversary Field Archery News UK magazine - June/July 2020

I’m already embarking on further experiments using a cardboard tube (that some arrow shafts arrived) in as the tunnel. I'm getting nice stable encouraging results using round plastic drainpipe . 101



4th Anniversary Messages I would like to wish FAN UK a very “Happy 4th Anniversary”. The amount of work put into this Magazine and Facebook page is fantastic in keeping us all informed with what is going on in the world of field archery throughout the UK and Ireland. Hat’s off to Helen for all the hard work and dedication she puts into FAN UK. Linda McArthur, Member of Larne Archery Club and NIFAA. “Happy 4th birthday! 90 countries! That is fantastic! I am so happy for you to see that your magazine is growing.” Salome Bester, Archery Success. \"Dear FAN UK, A Happy 4th birthday to you! In these hard times we need to remember what gives as joy and what is our beloved sport, remind ourselves that this pandemic will end and that the world will return to its normal state. Let's keep these positive memories with us even if it's hard. I wish Health and Safety to everyone.\" Dimitry Dembowski, Russian Longbow Club. 103

Limerick Field Archery Club 20th Anniversary Year by Tomás O’Maoldomhnaigh. This year is a milestone for our little club, it being twenty years ago that a French man - Yann Cousett (pictured below right) - decided to bring the sport of field archery to Limerick. The club, originally known as the “Limerick Yeomen Field Archery Club”, came from humble beginnings in a small commercial wood known as Bormans Hill, part of Glen Stale Forest next to the beautiful Clare Glens - a few kilometres outside the ancient city of Limerick. During those early years the membership remained small and funds were always scarce… just about enough to pay the yearly rental and insurance with little money for equipment. The back stops were made from found material with paper faces and new members had to share bows et cetera. There were many trials and tribulations over the years. Firstly, our course is on 104

an exposed hillside in the windy wild west of Ireland and every few years we suffer major storm damage, often destroying large tracks of our course as well as equipment such as back stops and netting. Secondly our woods are a commercial forest and as trees mature, they are harvested with the hill being left bare. So, every few years we have to move our course and set it all up again elsewhere in the forest. On these occasions all hands are needed for what can be a very labour intensive few weeks. Gradually the membership increased and so did the finances; this allowed us purchase all 3D targets, proper backstops also club equipment. We were in the enviable position of having a full 3D course. However, thieves struck and stole many of our new 3Ds worth several thousand Euros. An extraordinary AGM was called and disbandment was on the cards. Hard decisions had to made but we decided to carry on. We had to temporarily move to a new course at great expense but it allowed us time to rebuild bigger and better. The membership has now increased to 80 members with many more visitors. We have fully qualified committee and members that work tirelessly to keep the club up and running we also have very active social media groups, such as Facebook and WhatsApp group. We have added ‘forest bathing’ to our list of activities for those wanting to be closer to nature alongside many courses, including bow and arrow building. We are continually making improvements to our club woods, with 4 courses and a large base camp with bush kitchen, and we are hoping to open up a second ground in the city in the near future. 105

At this time of lockdown due to the Covid 19 restrictions and social distancing our club is closed. However, through our WhatsApp group, our club is still very active with news updates, archery discussions, ideas such as moving archery targets - one being how to build a floating Ping-Pong ball target. Presently our club is running a virtual archery competition for those members lucky enough to have space in their back gardens for a 10m distance target. We are looking forward to getting back out in the fresh air to field archery in the woods which hopefully will be very soon, to see all our friends and welcome new ones. 106



~ Bogenbau Rockhauser ~ The Journey Continues with the Birth of the Tattooed Bow… “From a piece of wood to a piece of art.” When I was asked to write another article for Field Archery News UK I felt honoured and surprised at the same time - I was not expecting this. So, I made my thoughts about possible topics and I decided to write a more personal story out of my bowyer’s life instead of explaining bow making techniques. It is about the birth of a special bow which means a lot to me. We all know that transformation and change are constant factors in life. It is the same with making bows. You take a random piece of wood, choose the right tools, apply some magic and a new bow is born. If it would always be that easy... ;-) Often you have to deal with surprises. Things you did not recognize before, are coming up when you take a closer look at your stave. Knots and cracks might be hiding under the bark, forcing you to change your plans and to find the new solutions. Despite of all the challenges you have to face as a bowyer, it is in the end still a matter of transformation. From time to time you are lucky and get the chance to carve a bow out of flawless piece of wood. In this case I got hold of a beautiful Osage stave, which is seldom here in Austria. Osage is often kind of snaky with knots, twists and turns, but this one was pretty straight. The annular ring I had chosen to be the back of my bow was super clean as well. So everything was set up to make a great bow and I started to work on it. Normally I have a precise idea of what my bows shall look like, but in this case I hadn’t set up a master-plan and I was simply going with the flow. In the beginning I was not even thinking about recurve ends or a painted artwork as finish. I made my decisions 108

from step to step just focussing on the next task. I simply did what my heart told me. I normally do not act that way. For this bow, there was no time pressure. I only worked on it when I was sure, what I wanted to do next and when I was in the right mood. As a technician I was not used to this approach but in the end it worked out fine and soon it was time for the first test shots. After successfully testing my bow, I thought that it finally shall look as great as it shoots. I was not sure about how I could add that certain something to my bow and that is why it was simply hanging around on the wall in my workshop. In my opinion there is a kind of connection between the archer and his bow and so I took it from time to time to shoot some arrows. Shooting a bow is not the only way to build up a good relationship. That is the reason why my bows get names. Back then this bow neither had a name nor a final finish. I decided that it deserved special artwork. When you look at the human history then you realize that bows and art have more or less always been there. I am fascinated by all kinds of art and I was looking for a suitable design. I followed several different artists on the internet to gather inspiration; one of them was a tattoo artist. We knew each other but we never really met in person before. His style got me hooked and I really love his work. You know, I am good at making bows but I am not the best artist and so I contacted him. He agreed to make a design in return for a bow. The collaboration with a tattoo artist was the perfect match. Tattoos, body art or body painting has always been there, whether it was for spiritual purpose or simply as camouflage for hunting. It was there when the bow was the ultimate tool for survival and is still here now. I gave him some input on what I wanted to see in the final design and all the rest was up to him. Now you find roses, a dragon, my logo and several other details, all painted by hand with acrylic pens. It is very similar to the process of making a tattoo. A few months later the two bows where finished and we met for the very first time in person to exchange our work. Both of us were stunned by the outcome and it was the beginning of a friendship. In the meantime we even had the chance to collaborate on another painted bow which was a great success too. This combination of craftsmanship and art was a great experience for both of us. We called this transformation from a piece of wood into this piece of art “The Tattooed Bow”. 109

This bow is one of a kind. It means a lot to me and the process of making it was a huge step forward. I learned a lot and could significantly improve my skills and, more importantly for me, my personal development as a bowyer. 110

For me it was a completely new approach. I recognized that it can be helpful to break up with your habits and to change your perspective to let new ideas in. If I would compare this bow with music, then it is my “Bohemian Rhapsody”, my “Stairway to Heaven”, my “Run to the hills” or my “Child in Time”. Hopefully a few more number one hits will follow… Thank you Field Archery News UK for giving me the chance to drop some more words for you! Happy 4th Birthday! All the best for the next years to come and keep up the great work! ~ Phil ~ https://www.facebook.com/BogenbauRockhauser https://www.instagram.com/bogenbaurockhauser_archery ~ Please also check out my tattooist friend @ prideandglory_art on Instagram! ~ 111





Photograph provided by JASON STOKES, The Flodden Marks Company of Longbow Archers



“One man & his shoot”: UPDATE! Truly lovely FAN UK family member, Barry Cheadle, told me how his set-up began & has evolved so far… enjoy! I had the idea of putting on Archery shoots at Bower Hill a long time before the first shoot. I wanted to concentrate on the things that people like most about shoots and leave out the things that they didn't like so much. An early decision was to concentrate on the traditional, non-sighted classes. This meant that I didn't have to bother with a wasp peg, and by reducing the number of classes, the shoot would finish earlier. At a busy shoot with entries in all classes, it's possible to get sore hands from all the clapping! Another feature that I wanted to incorporate was shooting from one peg only. This has several advantages: 14186

it saves time, it makes course laying easier from a safety standpoint and it's more realistic (if you missed an animal with your first shot, you certainly wouldn't be able to move closer for your second shot!). The scoring system used by Border Archery has always appealed to me. However, I decided on a hybrid of the Border and NFAS scoring system:- First hit counts - First arrow kill = 20 Wound = 15 Second arrow kill = 10 Wound = 5 Very convenient and easy to add up. A recent suggestion from Briar Rose was to mark the first arrow inner kill as a 20 spot, which I've now adopted. It hasn't happened yet, but in the event of a draw, the winner can be decided on the number of spots, and it's still easy to add up! 117

118

https://twitter.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ NewsukField FieldArcheryNewsUK/ https://www.instagram.com/ fieldarcherynewsuk/ Our FAN UK Embroidered Patches are available for you to buy! Our beautifully embroidered “Field Archery News UK” sew-on patches feature a pale cream background, our distinctive black logo and ruby red edging. Lovingly crafted for you they are superbly detailed and 65mm in diameter. ~ Only £3 each including postage & packaging (UK & worldwide) ~ To own yours simply go to http://fieldarcherynewsuk.wixsite.com/fanuk/patches or email [email protected], stating the quantity of patches you would like, your name and your address with full postal/zip/area code please. Once payment has been received your patches will be on their way to you. 119

Retro 24s Collection

Photographer: JASON QUINN, Audris-Hart Field Archers Location: Audris-Hart Field Archers’ Practice Wood, 8th September 2012

UPDATE! PEACE INTERNATIONAL ARCHERY CLUB ROCKHAMPTON, AUSTRALIA. Up until the Covid-19 virus put archery at a standstill this year, the club had been quite busy. In the past year we have trained around 40 more carers from various disability organisations and they have started bringing out their clients to the club on a regular basis. With the disability organisation, club members and school groups; we are hosting around 10,000 shooters per year and growing... one school brings 120 children twice per week! Also once again we held the annual CPL (Cerebral Palsy League) archery tournament which again saw increased numbers attending and was the first time the Rockhampton shooters competed against the Hervey Bay shooters for the annual team trophy - which the Rockhampton shooters won. We also had the local Rotary Club President who said he would drop by to look at what we do and ended up staying the whole day and enjoyed the after-shoot BBQ! Rotary put up some grant money which allowed us to purchase more bows and other equipment. At the presentation ceremony, which the President of the Rotary Club also attended, he asked if he could make an announcement in which he surprised us by saying that Rotary would continue to support this tournament and just in the last couple of weeks has spoken to me about putting together a wish list for more equipment! 122

(Pictured below are the Hervey Bay Archers) 123

(Pictured Left: One of our blind archers who only started a couple of months ago.) Then what can I say? Covid-19 hit us all which has shut the club down. Some restrictions are slowly being lifted but no word as yet regarding clubs. We received a grant to increase the number of target stands but because we cannot have a ‘working bee’ to assemble, I have been building at home in my garage and have them piled up in my dining room and other rooms until we get the go ahead and can take them to the club for final assembly. Well - that’s about all for now. Stay safe everybody. John Hans Oam President, Peace International Archery Club. 124





Photograph provided by JASON STOKES of The Flodden Marks Company of Longbow Archers

128

129



Several of our lovely readers & fellow archers have been asking me which clubs holding shoots allow dogs and which clubs allow crossbows – so… my question is, could you please help me to help them? You can let me know in a variety of ways, by letting me have your Club Name and a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ regarding Dogs and ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ regarding Crossbows at your shoots. You can contact me in the following ways:- 1. Email me at [email protected] 2. Contact me via the FAN UK website as a site member via Wix Engage message at http://fieldarcherynewsuk.wixsite.com/fanuk 3. Send me a Private Message via the FAN UK Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/FieldArcheryNewsUK/ I am compiling an ongoing updated list in future issues of “Field Archery News UK” magazine and on the website. Thank you to those clubs who have already let me know and thank you in advance (and fingers crossed for more responses) to other clubs!! ������ ������ ☺  ������ ������ ������ Hels 131

FAN UK family favourite, Rob Jones, updates us from “Off the Arrow Shelf! “Off the Arrow Shelf” would like to wish a happy 4th anniversary to “Field Archery News UK.” Well done Hels on 4 years of great articles and magazine! There is an old saying that hindsight is always 20-20. Well I think in hindsight, 2020 or rather, at least the first few months of 2020, have resulted in things that none of us could have foreseen. With many of us in isolation, lockdown or simply finding more time on our hands due to COVID-19, it might be easy to go a little stir crazy. As I started to write this (yes, I write this before typing it up!) the government had just announced another three weeks minimum extension of lockdown; so there is little doubt that it will continue to be testing for us all. I could suggest things for you to do during this period, including learning new skills, reading ‘War and Peace’, et cetera, but instead I would like to make some suggestions for when we come to the end of this lockdown - planning for the future in practical ways. As we approach the second half of 2020 let me offer some thoughts on how we can look forward, planning starts now for post-lockdown. I feel the first step to this is to change our outlook or mindset, starting with how you describe your situation. It's very easy to think of it as being stuck indoors. 132

We aren't stuck in doors, we are safe at home. We aren't just protecting the NHS by staying home but protecting ourselves and family. We aren't having an enforced break, we are having a shooting holiday. Okay - so that might sound a bit over-the-top, but I hope its making you think about things in a different light. Many of us have been unable to practise or even meet up physically. So secondly, let us plan what we can do now in preparation for when we return to shooting... stay active - mentally and physically. I am reminded of another old saying: \"The devil makes work for idle hands.” If you can't physically practise then use the time to research something that interesting on the web, read or review YouTube material. Think about how you prepare for a shot and then take it - i.e. your shoot sequence. Run through it in your mind so it remains fresh. Check over your kit to ensure it is ready - wax the string, check the fletchings, et cetera. So, if you have this “free time factor” in personal development, just like you did when you first started shooting, there is a ton of material out there and hundreds of hours of YouTube footage. If Saturday is your club day, make it your archery research day or use some of the social media systems out there to keep in touch with your archery buddies via a WhatsApp call or even use ‘old tech’ and give them a call. Have a chat about fletchings, the weather, whatever you would do face-to-face, just do it online. Social media is great for keeping in touch with friends and family, whether this be via Facebook, WhatsApp or Skype. Be warned though, there is a flip side where you can become overwhelmed by all the media reports and 24/7 updates. One thing I have found has helped me is unplugging from social media or rather the constant updates, news reports etc. I've taken to switching the phone off for a few hours and going to do some digging in the garden, reading a book or doing some online learning/research on 133

topics that interest me. I feel better for doing this and having some ‘down time’. Sure, I'm using it to keep in touch with friends and family. The important thing is that I'm not letting the constant deluge of stories fill my new-found ‘free time’. Back to practical skills… If you want to keep your distance judgement (I don't mean social distancing), then when you are able to go for a walk, try to pick a spot in the distance and try and work out how far it is. How would you shoot that distance? I know some archers who do this and then walk it to measure the distance and others who carry a range-finder in their pocket. Though I have my own practise area, I've not been shooting, which may seem strange for an archer and coach. Instead I've chosen to throw myself into writing more for my blog, sharing topics and articles I feel might be supportive to us all. I've also been working in the garden a fair bit too. If you are in a position to shoot to help keep your eye, muscles and head in the game; I would say be very careful. It's very tempting to pick up your bow and shoot in the garden, but is it safe to do so? What if you miss the target? What’s the overshoot area? Are you insured? We have our own archery insurance to cover our home for personal use, but many don't. It's also worth noting that just because you are members of a national archery body, it doesn't mean that society’s’ insurance covers you shooting at home. This has been quite a hot topic on some of the Facebook groups. On the subject of shooting, remember your mind can play games with you - especially when it comes to memory of how to do things - like the active skills of shooting. You might feel you should be able to get back to shooting straight away, at the same level you left off. Chances are you won't, but don't worry about it. When we all come out of this situation (and we will), please remember one thing... I say this as a coach and someone who has had to recover from unexpected 134

injuries or gaps in shooting…. several years ago, I broke my foot falling down the stairs. I was in plaster for weeks and on crutches for months. I had to realise it would be a while before I'd be walking properly again. You've had an enforced break, so set your expectations at a realistic level or you will become very despondent. I can see a lot of archers going out after all these restrictions are lifted and expecting to shoot as well as before it all started; hitting the bullseye at 20/30/40 or more yards every time. Well I'm sorry to say, but chances are that's not going to the case. So please remember your muscles, your brain’s distance judgement and your coordination have all been on an enforced break too; so please, please, cut yourself some slack and allow yourself time to recover and remember what to do. You might be better off dropping poundage until your muscles strengthen again. If you used to shoot 100 arrows every session, think about shooting a few less to allow your muscles to build up again. You might have to spend some more time on the range working on your form as your muscles and brain begin to remember how they should work together. Distance judgement can take a while to come back, but it will, given time and opportunity. You might find that chatting with a coach to help get you back on track is useful. If you understand what the problems might be and plan to expect this, then you will get back up to speed quickly. Yes, you will probably feel down and struggle, but you will be less likely to give up. “Forewarned is forearmed”, another old saying but maybe “failing to prepare is preparing to fail” might be more suitable. Remember - you could be the greatest athlete in the world, but if you have an enforced period of downtime you won't come back at the same level you left. You will get there, just take your time. After all, you didn't learn to shoot in a day or get to the level you were at overnight. Most of all - enjoy your shooting! Thanks for reading, keep safe and well - Rob Jones. 135

Retro 24s Collection Photographer: JASON QUINN, Audris-Hart Field Archers Location: Ashcombe Archers, 10th March 2013



4th Anniversary Messages Happy 4th anniversary Hels & FAN UK! From Swan Lake Archery Club :-) Happy 4th anniversary from Fiona, Oisin & Doc Smith x I would like to take this opportunity to wish “Field Archery News UK” and Helen a very special thank you on their 4th anniversary. It is no mean feat to get a magazine of this quality and content out to us archers, and I hope you have many more anniversaries - John Hans Oam. IFAF would like to congratulate you on your 4 year anniversary. We have enjoyed your publication and would like to thank you for all the hard work and effort you have put in over the years. In these frustrating times it is brilliant to open up and issue and be reminded of the good old days when the woods were alive with the sounds of arrows flying and archers laughing. Well done and we look forward to reading your future publications - from your friends in Ireland, IFAF. 138







142

143

Pictured: Forest Horseback Archers Group photo! Pic provided by: Kate Blinston



Field Archery News UK online magazine Clubs Dogs & Crossbows List (Updated 1st June 2020) CLUB Dogs Crossbows Pines Park Archers YES - on leads & with owners No - sorry, due to landowner Rednex at all times please restrict ions Stonebow Field Archers NO YES Kings Lynn FA Ye Olde Delph Bowmen NO - sorry NO - sorry Delamere Field Archers YES YES Paget de Vesey Black Arrow FAC YES YES Ashcombe Valley Archers YES, with well-behaved owners! NO Spirit of Sherwood YES YES Cheshire Oak Bowmen Westcombe Archers YES YES YES YES Archers of Dolphinholme Longbow Heritage YES YES Pennington Archers NO YES Redgauntlet Archers YES - with advance notificat ion, YES on leads & with owners at all times please YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES 146

CLUB Dogs Crossbows Forest Spirit Archers (near YES NO Cluny in Fife) Auld Kirk Bowmen YES YES Redoubtables Archery Toad Hollow Archers NO YES Oakwood Bowmen YES - on leads at all t imes please YES Butsfield Bowmen NO - sorry NO - sorry Druids Field Archers Lakeland Field Archers YES YES Brixham Archers YES - on leads please YES Aurora FAC Black Sheep Archers YES YES Artemis Archers NO NO Centaura Bowmen Hanson Bowmen YES YES Long Eaton Field Archers YES YES South Hams Field Archers YES YES Pentref Bowmen YES YES Birkhill FAC (near Wormit, YES YES Fife, Scotland) Riggwelter Field Archers YES YES YES YES We have a no dogs on the NO course policy however, archers are welcome to bring their pets but they must be left in their vehicles while the shoot is in progress YES - well behaved dogs on Sorry, it’s a NO leads at all t imes please YES - but on a lead NO Thank you to all clubs that have let me know so far! Hels :-) If you would like to be included in the list then just let me know. Please include your Club Name and a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ regarding Dogs and a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ regarding Crossbows at your shoots. You can contact me in the following ways:- 1. Email me at [email protected] 2. Contact me via the FAN UK website as a site member via Wix Engage message at http://fieldarcherynewsuk.wixsite.com/fanuk 3. Send me a Private Message via the FAN UK Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FieldArcheryNewsUK/ 147

4th Anniversary Edition ~ FOR THE LOVE OF FIELD ARCHERY ~