nocks and knots, they can also be ground down to make tiny chisels for use when inlaying an arrow pass or ground to a point to use as a scriber or for digging out knots. Ah, but how do you grind them down? A small drill mounted grind wheel will do, or a belt sander and this leads us on to power tools. Some people will shun power tools and that’s their choice, I was reluctant for a while of grounds of cost, space and a general reluctance, but my Bandsaw has been a huge boon, not just for bow making but for general DIY. If you do buy a Bandsaw get the biggest, most powerful you can find and make sure spares are available. I got mine second hand cheap on E-bay and the lower blade guide was cracked...no problem, spares could be ordered on line. Power tools save effort but do require a good deal of care in their use and maintenance, so take your time to study their use and set up. A lot of jigs and special tools can be made ad hoc, my string making jig is made out of Dexion (angle iron with holes that they use for building racking). In fact almost everything can be made by hand and the first tools all had to be made by hand originally! There are some great videos of very effective bandsaws and lathes and belt sanders made of wood! These are the tools I use in the order I use them on a bow:- Saw, string and chalk! Bandsaw, draw knife, spokeshave, rasp, tile saw (for nocks), file, scraper, abrasive paper and String making jig. There are other tools like flat bit wood drills shaped for horn nocks, a hot air gun for heat bending or heat treating wood. I recently made a machine for thicknessing and tapering billets or laminations from an old power plane that I’d inherited. It took a couple of iterations to get it working well, but it’s very effective and cheap to build. I made it so that I could use a Purpleheart slat that I’d been given by Matt from Cambridge Longbows to make a tri-lam English longbow (Bamboo, purple heart and heat treated Yew). horses on the internet, it’s best to make a quick try out and then modify it to fit and If you really need a tool, but can only afford a cheap import, don’t despair, just “Thicknesser” The whole subject of sharpening is vast as it depends what you are using the tool for. 51
“End of the Tri-Lam” < < < < < < < < (pictured left) I don’t like to see laminate bows where the belly lamination almost disappears at the tip and the way to avoid this is to taper the core lamination. Why use multiple laminations at all? There are various reasons; one being to save on expensive or scarce belly wood and another is to make it pretty! Both of these reasons applied in the case, there are performance reasons too, but I won’t go into that as laminates aren’t really my thing. The Purpleheart was tapered with the thicknesser, using a taper sled. The taper sled is two length of channel section aluminium extrusion pivoted at one end and adjusted at the other end (by inserting a wooden block) to give the desired taper. The slat is stuck down onto the sled with double sided tape and the sled/slat passed through the thicknesser. The whole thing comes out planed parallel, but as the sled is tapered, an equal and opposite taper is planed onto the slat. Hmmm, that’s hard to visualise so here’s a sketch:- “Taper Jig” The taper is done as two separate pieces which were then joined with a simple scarf joint. The Yew I used for the belly was an off-cut from a big warbow stave, the off-cut was thin in the middle an thick at the ends, so I sawed it in half and used it as two billets. The billets were roughed out on the Bandsaw and then passed through the thicknesser a few times, gradually increasing the cut. I use a taper of about 2mm every 6” for longbows - this is a good basic taper but the tips need extra taper as the bow is being made. The theoretically perfect thickness taper is a sort of parabolic curve along the limb, and that’s where the final tillering and the bowyer’s eye come into their own). The Yew billets were then heat treated (this strengthens and stiffens the wood to withstand the compression of the belly) and joined with a short Z splice. The bamboo back was prepared a one long continuous piece with some thickness taper planed into it, and the three pieces then glued up on a former which gave it a very slight gentle recurve (about an inch). I use Resintite glue and the assembled stave was clamped with plenty of G clamps. I had to buy extra clamps and found that the 4” G clamps from Toolstation were the most cost effective. I applied additional rubber strapping pulled 52
good and tight and I could see more glue squeezing out from the joint, so the additional strapping was worthwhile. You simply can’t have too many clamps or too much strapping. You really don’t want to waste all your work with a bad glue up… trust me, I’ve had to rasp off a bamboo back and re-do it before now! Now this bow was for a friend who is an accomplished lady archer, so I wanted to make it special. I did the arrow plate from Abalone shell and a red leather grip. The finished bow shoots really well and The Purpleheart was tapered with the thicknesser, using a taper sled. The taper sled looks stunning. down onto the sled with double sided tape and the sled/slat passed through the “Stitching the grip” thicknesser. The whole thing comes out planed parallel, but as the sled is tapered, “Glue up” an equal and opposite taper is planed onto the slat. Hmmm, that’s hard to visualise (below left) cut a few times, gradually increasing the cut. I use a taper of about 2mm every 6” for The Yew billets were then heat treated (this strengthens and stiffens the wood to back was prepared a one long continuous piece with some thickness taper planed “Grip and arrow plate” (pictured right) > > > > > > > > recurve (about an inch). I use Resintite glue and the assembled stave was clamped 53
Dot Southgate Championship 2017 (EFAA 3D Champs) Saturday 30th September & Sunday 1st October 2017 ~ Report & images provided by Gez Davis. ~ The shoot was held at Kings Forest in Thetford which is a very well run and organised club. A precision round on Saturday and a marked 3D held on Sunday with the president of the EFAA in attendance. We had approx 99 archers in attendance which included two juniors and one cub. A guest archer from Poland also joined in. Saturday was slightly overcast but turned out to be a lovely sunny afternoon, on Sunday the forecast was for rain but it held off during the shoot with only a very fine drizzle which did not last long. At the end of the shoot we had 4 tiebreakers two in AMBU and two in AMFSR. Three teams competed with Black Eagle scoring 3790, Kings Forest scoring 3442 and Whitemark Bowmen in at 3rd place with 3317. The Results:- AMFU Club 1st 2nd Total AFFU Club 1st 2nd Total Rnd Rnd Rnd Rnd Martin Pearson TAC 551 560 1111 Victoria Duncan TAC 526 558 1084 Dan Waters White Mark 548 560 1108 Pauline Swift White Mark 499 550 1049 James Mason TAC 548 558 1106 Helen Kelly Oakleaf 432 554 986 Tom Duncan TAC 545 560 1105 Karen Carter Pearson TAC 528 DNS 528 Allan Lawson TAC 538 558 1096 Heather Pearson TAC DNS - - Barry Rampling Kings Forest 535 560 1095 Martyn Cotterill TAC 537 554 1091 AMFSC Gary Harvey Kings Forest 527 558 1085 Graham Kemp Panther 435 552 987 Tony Weston TAC 524 558 1082 Mark Wiseman Panther 521 552 1073 AMFSR Neil Laszkowicz TAC 508 558 1066 Scott Stanbury Artemis 474 524 998 Paul Kelly Oakleaf 509 554 1063 Richard Green IND 456 542 998 Ian Malcolm Panther 492 554 1046 Damien Lewington Broadland 368 504 872 Trevor Vanstone IND 488 552 1040 Rod With Panther 444 542 986 AFFSR Steve Kendrick West Mercia 432 544 976 Penny Kennedy Ballands 401 532 933 Michael Gudgeon Kings Forest 388 544 932 Jim Syme Panther 384 534 918 Simon Holmes IND 520 RTD 520 Dean Layton-James Artemis DNS - - 54
AMBU Club 1st 2nd Total Rnd Rnd Dave Hill Kings Forest 533 556 1089 Jez Dix IND 518 560 1078 Matt Farnham Merlin 520 558 1078 Ricky De Freitas Black Eagle 509 558 1067 Zeb Kwiatkowski Kings Forest 497 560 1057 Graham Ackeroyd Mutley Crew 492 544 1036 Stuart Robson White Mark 479 542 1021 Sean Quelch Avalon 464 550 1014 Dave Moore Marraway 456 532 988 Ron Potter Kings Forest 430 540 970 Ian Harris Kings Forest 420 534 954 Brian Collier White Mark 403 538 941 David Goddard White Mark 375 542 917 AFBU JFBU Club 1st 2nd Total Rnd Rnd Jo Healey Black Eagle 453 550 1003 Harriet Farnham Merlin 174 448 622 Clare Akeroyd Mutley Crew 336 516 852 Kay Farnham Merlin DNS - - AMBL Dave Underwood Black Eagle 462 546 1008 AMBHC James Cowie Paradox 400 542 942 Trevor Walter IND 426 526 952 Glen Hardman West Mercia 414 534 948 AFBHC Daniel Weedon White Mark 347 534 881 Helen Harris Artemis 195 452 647 Bob Maguire IND 269 480 749 Jane Walter IND 249 RTD 249 Alan Rogers Kings Forest 242 460 702 David Arnold Kings Forest Three teams competed with Black Eagle scoring 3790, Kings Forest scoring 3442 196 396 592 AMBHR John Thomas White Mark 261 474 735 AFBHR Adrian Brett Kings Forest 184 486 670 Carol Fowles Kings Forest 314 462 776 Pedro Soler White Mark 234 414 648 Amy Moralee Kings Forest 232 396 628 Darren Lambert Kings Forest 199 430 629 Christine Smith Kings Forest 176 428 604 Gez Davis White Mark 193 432 625 JMBHR AMETR - GUEST Thomas Harding-Brett Kings Forest 104 378 482 Piotr Kownacki Guest 119 390 509 AMBBC AFBBC Charlie Pinches Kings Forest 403 540 943 Natasja Pinches Kings Forest 148 256 404 AMBBR Alan Bolton Black Eagle 404 536 940 John Hillsden TAC 277 484 761 AFBBR Ash Cowie Paradox 242 504 746 AMHS Joe Lloyd Black Sheep 264 438 702 Brian Simcox Black Eagle 247 442 689 Kevin Finnegan Red Rose 197 446 643 Philip Smith Kings Forest DNS - - CMHS Henry Beacon Black Eagle 234 362 596 55
AFLB Club 1st 2nd Total Rnd Rnd Bela De Freitas Black Eagle 177 394 571 Janet Lloyd Black Sheep 144 382 526 Amanda Burgess Black Eagle 147 360 507 Rosie Potter Kings Forest 98 DNS 98 Sue Crowe White Mark DNS - - AMAFB Gary Beacon Black Eagle 260 440 700 Stuart Oldman Black Eagle 171 486 657 Jamie August IND 151 404 555 Mark Allen IND 165 378 543 Mike Cullen Black Eagle 156 378 534 Clive Moss - 107 334 441 Steve Tuson Red Rose 205 DNS 205 AFAFB Club 1st 2nd Total Rnd Rnd Dee Rayner Black Eagle 277 498 775 The Mixed Team Challenge Results:- 1st Black Eagle Bowmen 3790 Ricky De Freitas Dave Underwood Alan Bolton Dee Rayner 2nd Kings Forest Bowmen 3442 Barry Rampling Charlie Pinches Carole Fowles Amy Moralee 3rd White Mark Bowmen 3312 Pauline Swift Dan Wedon John Thomas Pedro Soler 56
——————————————— UNDER £10 ——————————————— FLEX ARCHERY - SENSE & FEEL BOW STRING WAX Protect, feel and sense your bowstring! The Flex Sense & Feel wax protects your bow string, extending its life and comes in 7 lovely scents / colours. That means it will not only condition your string, but it will maintain the colour as well. £ 2.99 https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/wax-lube ____ JVD - 80CM WATERPROOF TARGET FACE For those of you who still want to shoot outside in this weather, here is a durable target face designed for the most challenging weather conditions. It is resistant to tearing and shrinking and it is approved for tournament use. £ 2.99 https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/fita-target-faces ____ WHITE FEATHER - STRING SILENCERS This set of two string silencers is perfect for traditional archers. It reduces noise and vibration and it is made from natural fur material that has excellent water resistance. £5.99 https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/string-silencers ——————————————— UNDER £50 ——————————————— SOCX - ARCHERY SCARF Wrap yourself up in this fun to wear archery scarf. Eat, Sleep, Archery, Repeat! £ 19.99 https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/archery-presents ____ CARTEL - FOCUS K TARGET SIGHT This excellent value ambidextrous recurve sight is ideal for Beginners. Easy to use and built from durable material, it comes with 9\" extension bar. £19.99 https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/recurve-sights ____ MATHEWS - LIMB LEGS BOW STAND This compact design bow stand is designed for Mathews split limb models. It perfectly fits on Mathews Halon Series bows with a secure and stable hold, without damaging the limbs. £ 19.99 https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/bow-stands ____ SPIGARELLI - BB+ CORDOVAN BAREBOW TAB This tab is optimised for barebow style shooting. It’s ambidextrous design features a single piece leather cordovan face for an under arrow, three finger shooting style. The adjustable depth regulator ensures the same grip at every shot. £ 34.99 https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/for-the-archer ____ DOINKER - A-BOMB BACK DAMPER This Back Damper features a 1\" Diameter A-Bomb plus end weight. Features a 5/16\" male base thread and 1/4” threaded weights. £ 42.99 https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/dampers ____ 3DI - JACKALOPE 3D TARGET This antlered rabbit (known in folklore as the jackalope, wolpertinger or rassebock) will make a fun addition to your shooting range or eve to your garden. It features universal Scoring Rings. £ 49.99 https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/3d-targets 58
——————————————— UNDER £100 ——————————————— GOLD TIP - TRADITIONAL SHAFTS Gold Tip’s Traditional Series combines the elegant look of classic wood-grained cedar with the proven performance and durability of 100% carbon construction. £ 79.99 https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/carbon-shafts ____ VICTORY - VAP TARGET SPORT SHAFTS We love these shafts for their thick walled, carbon construction for tight group sizes. The nano-ceramic \"ICE\" coating provides improved penetration and easy arrow removal. They come in a good range of spines for a perfect tune. £ 84.99 https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/carbon-shafts ____ AXCEL - CURVE RX RECURVE SCOPE This scope is packed with features for the best aim. It features an 0x magnification, FITA legal, drilled lens for perfect fibre placement; red and green fibres are included, as well as a selection of apertures to frame the target as it suits you. £ 89.99 https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/sight-pins-accessories ——————————————— BLOW THE BUDGET ——————————————— ARC SYSTEME - INDEX WRIST RELEASE AID > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > In this high-end compound release, the quality of the production and the materials are of the highest standards. It was used for World Indoor record shot by Sébastien Brasseur 300/300. £ 184.99 https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/release-aids-wrist ____ SPOT HOGG - HOGG-IT MRT WRAPPED SIGHT New for 2017, the Hogg-It features the MRT Pin Guard and a lighter, longer sight bar. This sight incorporates all Spot-Hogg has to offer in the most complete, micro-adjustable fixed pin sight on the market. The Hogg-It sight is the #1 choice of pin shooters worldwide. £ 199.99 - finance available https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/sights ____ ____ GRAY ARCHERY - AIX RECURVE HANDLE UUKHA - VX+ XCURVE RECURVE LIMBS (2018) This 25\"riser is more than just another riser XCurve is a radically curved profile on the market. It is designed as a dedicated that stores more energy and provides target bow but can be set up as a bare bow an unmatched smoothness. Thanks to with the many weight attachment points. exclusive use of high strength and high It features adjustable stiffness with modulus unidirectional carbon fibre, removable damping bridge for vibration mass is reduced and torsion stiffness is tremendously increased. reduction (sold separate). The limbs characteristics will remain unchanged day after day, £ 689.99 - finance available despite temperature or hygrometry changes. https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/recurve-risers £ 748.99 - finance available ____ https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/recurve-limbs MATHEWS - TRX38 COMPOUND BOW (2018) The 38 inch axle-to-axle TRX38 fills the void perfectly for shooters looking for a shorter, lighter, more comfortable bow for their draw length. Draw lengths range 23 inches to 30 inches and draw weight goes from 50 pounds up to 70 pounds. £ 1,199.99 - finance available > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/target-bows ____ PSE - PERFORM-X 3D COMPOUND BOW (2018) The 2018 PSE Target line has been reinvented with a new, smaller version of the critically acclaimed PSE Evolve Cam System. Designed for increased speed & better hold, the new cam delivers comfort with the speed & stability you need to rule the target range. £ 1,289.99 - finance available https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/3d-field-bows 59
Ashcombe Archers Open Shoot - 1st October 2017 Men’s XB Club Total Kill/Spot Men’s UL Club Total Kill/Spot Simon Wright Arms of Old 720 13 Andrew Middleton Westcombe 688 9 Dave Hoppins Westcombe 666 8 Ladies UL Simon House Westcombe 664 8 Emily Penrose Labyrinth 680 7 Paul Inkpen Windwhistle 660 9 Mike Penrose Green Meadow 662 6 Men’s CL Barri Penrose Purbeck 640 8 Robert Parfett Labyrinth 658 6 Jack Campbell - 590 4 Junior CL Tony Cox South Hams 574 3 Alex Harris Labyrinth 614 7 Max Bishop - 134 0 Men’s FS Junior FS David Howell South Hams 684 7 Archer Snow Ashcombe 276 0 Andy Moore South Hams 682 12 Andrew Rycroft Individual 626 9 Men’s BB Andrew Hill-Jones Individual 546 5 Jon West Bude 628 5 Warren Potier Bude 612 5 Ladies BB Ralph Porteous Tavistock 588 5 Sarah Colman Bude 494 1 Andrew Richards South Hams 552 4 Nicola Macrae Individual 482 3 Tim Wedlake Westcombe 482 0 Sam Sharp Bude 520 4 Junior BB Matt Balcombe Toad Hollow 380 0 Thomas Birchell Tavistock 450 0 Arthur Bishop Thornbury 108 0 Men’s HT Steve Hipgrave South Hams 574 3 Men’s HT continued Tony Young South Hams 568 5 Pasty Cain Yelverton 486 2 Brian Bellinger Bude 554 0 Neil Bishop - 546 2 Albert Hibbert Individual 424 5 John Cappello Belvedere 444 2 Alan White South Wilts 492 4 Cameron Madie Bude 346 0 Oliver Boobyer Westcombe 372 0 Simon Maple Belvedere 448 4 Jon Water Westcombe 446 0 60
Ladies HT Club Total Kill/Spot Cubs HT Club Total Kill/Spot Georgia Lewis Druids 458 3 William Dunstan Westcombe 410 1 Juliet Harrison Toad Holow 422 1 George Bishop Thornbury 258 2 Anita Gibson South Hams 356 1 Jenny Lamgham South Hams 194 0 Men’s LB Jessica Grey Independent 334 2 Paul Harrison Toad Hollow 506 2 Annabel Bishop Thornton 224 2 Bob Scott Independent 462 0 Jonathan House Westcombe 450 3 Ladies LB Patrick Hutchinson N. Somerset 442 3 Jaine Whitefield Individual 242 0 Ash Woodward Westcombe 446 2 Tim Miller Tavistock 312 2 Men’s AFB Ian Egerton Westcombe 374 0 Matt Roberts Individual 538 2 Steve Rufus Windwhistle 332 0 Daniel Clarke Westcombe 528 0 John Kewley Windwhistle 418 0 Felix Miller Druids 522 2 Steve Bastyan Lamberts Castle Ret - Paul Froehilich Westcombe 420 0 Ian Mudie Bude 240 0 Dave More Yelverton 432 2 Daniel Francis South Hams 320 1 Ladies AFB Steve Devlin High Cross 450 0 Sophie King Westcombe 292 1 Norman Tucker Cranmore 364 2 Jodie Francis Individual 278 0 Nicholas Mitchel Ind 468 3 Junior AFB Men’s PV Michal Madden Bude 380 0 Giles Spearing Individual 380 1 Dave Andrews Aquarius 372 1 Ladies PV Paul Birchell Tavistock 248 0 Morwenna Dunstan Westcombe 316 0 FAN UK Embroidered Patches are now available to buy! Beautifully embroidered cream background, black logo and ruby red edging, our sew-on patches are beautifully crafted for you (65mm in diameter). Superbly detailed and made with love :-) ~ Only £3 each including postage & packaging (UK & worldwide) ~ To own yours simply go to http://fieldarcherynewsuk.wixsite.com/fanuk/patches or email fieldarcherynewsuk@yahoo.com, stating the quantity of patches you would like, your name and your address with full postal/zip/area information/codes please. Once payment has been received your patches will be on their way to you. 61
THE FINAL CUT- ATTENDING TO THE FINE DETAIL The final cut is the one that I have worked towards for a long time and is the stage for me which is the most pleasurable and rewarding because there is no going back. I have to deal with decisions made and everything that was prepared for months, or - in this case - years before. This is the time when I can put on good music and enjoy the carving as a purely pleasurable activity. The other half of the beard is gently set in, this is a re-carving job because I had to replace that side of the head due to a major fault in the timber. This is the last stage of the major shaping and forming work before attending to the figure’s detail in its entirety. The beard is drawn in in soft pencil for its matching flow pattern using a mirror to make sure that both sides are the same. Using different size V tools the beard is gradually becoming more detailed as the size of the tool decreases until finally individual hairs and highlights are done with a knife and a scalpel, this is carefully done under different lighting In my career I have carved what seems to be conditions to show deep shadows to give acres of hair, I do so hope that one day I get a more depth and form. portrait of a bald man and the workload will be halved accordingly as hair takes so much work and concentration. 64
The further detail is simply worked on in all areas to make sure that the standard of that detail is the same and constant for the rest of the figure. Mounted on a plinth in the shape of the battlefield of Agincourt, which in turn is mounted on a Lazy Susan bearing so the figure is easily turned round, (it seems to weigh a ton) and the first figure is now ready to be transported to Agincourt to be revealed on the battlefield. Check on the progress on my website: www.ohboyd.com Stitchings are set in and the odd loose thread put in here in there for to show off a little, though people do appreciate and are intrigued by that level of attention and finish. 65
Ink drawings are done of the figure for The next issue will tell the story about the artwork for the publicity both in England that exciting time. and France, see the blog about these because In the meantime, you can see some they can be downloaded as free targets. of the progress on the figure in the BBC 4 film “HANDMADE IN HULL”. This can be seen on the BBC iPlayer system. Progress can also be followed on my website: www.ohboyd.com, through the blog and on twitter. Pictured below, a “sneak peek” at myself, OH Boyd, on the Azincourt Battlefield with the carved archer himself... 66
The next issue will tell the story about In the meantime, you can see some of the progress on the figure in the BBC 4 film “HANDMADE IN HULL”. This can be seen on the BBC iPlayer Progress can also be followed on , through Pictured below, a “sneak peek” at myself, Photographer: Adam Browning Location: Aurora FAC, Aug. 2017
Shoot Report 8th October 2017 by Bob Bruce, photographs by John Heeley. Thanks to all archers for attending our shoot. We had 10 late cancellations, archers who attended gave plenty of complements on the well set course. Catering was managed Richard Knowles, John Mackintosh and Sandy Goodings. Marshalling was carried out by Peter Whittaker, Ian Blowers, John Clarke and James Thurston this helped to keep the shoot moving nicely. I would like to take this opportunity once again to thank all the archers who supported our shoot; we hope to welcome them all back again at a future shoot. Our next 3D shoot is on the 10th December 2017 so if you would like to take part then please contact Bob Bruce at whitefriars.bowmen@gmail.com or ring on 07802 758211. ~ Results (40 targets) ~ Hunting Tackle Gents Hunting Tackle Ladies Club Score Club Score Tony Smith Kings Forest 608 Jan Beckham Tendring 308 Denis Oates Noak Hill 602 Kevin Cook Oakwood 582 American Flatbow Gents Richard Watson Oakwood 414 Kevin Button Priory 600 Matthew Cook Oakwood 276 American Flatbow Ladies Longbow Gents Sandra Meek Kings Forest 470 Colin Rose Totem 554 Jim Harcus Kings Forest 548 Ian Stanley Priory 536 Keith Sharp Priory 506 Paul Gostick Whitefriars 452 Mark Allen Tendring 438 Shaun Beckham Tendring 348 Longbow Ladies Josie Allen Tendring 276 70
Barebow Gents Bowhunter Gents Club Score Club Score Tony Wells Noak Hill 604 Dave Arnold Rose & Arrows 616 Mark Svensson Magic Dragon 544 Andy Hubbert Black Sheep 532 Bowhunter Ladies Olivia Morgan Totem 516 Compound Limited Gents Duanne Williams Totem 726 Unlimited Gents Dan Rae Kings Forest 930 Unlimited Ladies Barry Rampling Kings Forest 912 Jane Zachariades Whitefriars 724 Gary Harvey Kings Forest 900 Thanks to all archers for attending our shoot. We had 10 late cancellations, archers who attended gave plenty of complements on the well set course. Catering was managed Unlimited Jnr Boy Richard Knowles, John Mackintosh and Sandy Goodings. Marshalling was carried out Alan Konno Whitefriars 628 I would like to take this opportunity once again to thank all the archers who supported 71
Welcome to yet another talented batch of “Hoods & Maids” - we salute you fine souls & bow to your superior skills!! First this time is the lovely MAUREEN WEST, nominated by loving husband Rob, who told us: “Maureen actually wanted a 10 for this shot but we agreed on 9 and a half!!” Pines Park must be very proud indeed :-) Much thought and consideration went into naming this shot but it shall hereby be known as “The Back Scratcher”! Loving your work Maureen - oh yes indeedy ;-) Second in this seasonal issue we re-induct a ‘usual suspect’ in the shape of the lovely BERNIE STAFFORD, who completed this trick shot on Saturday 4th November 2017 at the Delamere Archers’ ground. When pressed by Hels as to “How he does it?!”, Bernie answered: “Well, I'd like to claim that it was a consummate display of outstanding archery skill however, the sad truth is that I frequently don't hit what I'm aiming at!!!” Bernie, this shot conjures up several horrifying thoughts, such as “The Demon Chiropodist”, “The Hammer House of Horror Pedicurist” and other assorted torturous tags HOWEVER we finally landed upon the following of which we hope you approve... “Clawing for points is a field archer’s folly”! ;-) 72
Thirdly we welcome a nomination from Martin Shadbolt who got in touch to say: “Hi Helen, I took this picture yesterday at Company of 60, Prince of Wales Open Shoot. The Archer hitting the Beak is Barrie Cooper, he used to be a member of White Mark Bowmen but not sure if he still is.” Welcome to the Hoods & Maids Hall of Fame BARRIE COOPER!! Your name shall henceforth be “Sir Barrie, the Beak-Busting, Cooper”! Last, but by no means at all least, we say a hearty “Haloo!” and “Welcome” to TONY BRISTOW. Wife Teri Bristow said: “Can I nominate Tony Bristow of Thornbury F.R.A for this shot? He said it was a was a Captain Kirk shot...the final front ear!? I said, ‘I didn’t catch what you said - it went in one ear and out the other!’ , who completed this trick shot on Saturday 4th November 2017 Well we said YES! A most emphatic welcome to you TONY and THANK YOU TERI!! “Sir Tony the ENT Field Archer” we salute you & your fair maiden, “Lady Teri of Pun”! thoughts, such as we hope you approve... 73
FAN UK presents Fairbow Nederland’s Fairday - a different type of “competition”... Ten years ago, a small group of traditional archers in the Netherlands got together to organise a field shoot. Based around the Fairbow brand, open to archers shooting their brand of bows, the first one went well, was positively received and some good reviews came in. Over the following years the shoot became an annual event, grew in participant numbers each year, travelled to various venues around the country and removed the Fairbow-only bows ruling. One rule remained though- traditional wooden bows only, no sights permitted. Ten years later, the event has grown to full capacity: 200 archers; 30 x 3Ds (plus computers, steel plates & other nasty items in the “nerd corner”); camping and catering on site; permanent shower & toilet buildings; Hog Roast; BBQ; an LED-lit arrows zombie shoot in the dark; Flight shoot; Clout shoot; campfire shenanigans; old friendships rekindled, new friends made and - to finish the weekend off - a 3D Hunter round too. ~ Welcome to the 10th Anniversary: Fairday 2017 ~ This year, Overasselt (near Nijmegen and the River Rhein) was the venue. A carefully selected scouting camp called Scouting Labelterrein, a nature reserve with extensive woodlands, lakes, big ponds, dense forests, fauna and flora of many varieties and a huge selection of mushrooms underfoot. Normally in active use throughout the summer months by scouting parties from across Europe, the season only finished one weekend earlier so all infrastructure and facilities were in perfect working order. 74
Upon arrival, it was obvious that every tiny detail had been pre-planned and considered from the visiting archers’ viewpoint. Park the car, walk 20m to the registration tent. Booking and payment had already been done online (just €37.50 for the entire weekend, including all shoot, food and camping fees). The administration staff spoke multiple languages well, and the handover of goodie-bag items was a sign of things to come. Inside the bag - an event t-shirt to your size, food and drinks vouchers for all the weekend’s catering needs, a map of the venue layout, bow ID ribbons for each event required, pin badges, scorecards, pen and a small box of Belgian chocolates. Chocolates! On a field shoot! Parking next to your tent was not permitted to save the natural habitat - large flatbed carts were available to assist with the transport process, helpful staff were on hand to push/pull the 30m distance and set-up was soon completed. After familiarising myself with the site layout, it was time for food and a hot drink. No cheap greasy burgers here - tasty choices between chicken, beef, cheese, vegetarian, savoury, spicy, exotic sausages with unpronounceable names, a different type healthy options too if you fancied. Proper full strength roasted Dutch coffee, not the cheap nasty instant stuff. Plenty of helpful catering staff and ample seating and tables, some under canvas. Then, it was off to the huge Fairbow trade tent... an Aladdin's cave of hand-made beautifulness. One wall filled with the Rebel and Vertex, 5 racks full of Yew, Osage, various laminates, Hickory, Purple and Greenheart longbows, a gazillion arrows, a rack filled with horsebows and Manchu beasts, a table Ten years ago, a small group of traditional archers in the Netherlands got together to packed with Damascus steel knives, gorgeous hand carved leather quivers, strings, accessories for every requirement and a credit card payment terminal calling my name. As you can probably tell, Fairday is not your ‘normal’ 3D field shoot. The Dutch are well known for their creativity and this was in full effect throughout the weekend. It was obvious that careful planning and reconnaissance had been done well from the moment you entered the site. Preservation of the steel plates & other nasty items in the “nerd corner”); camping and catering on site; natural habitat was key to this. Challenging course layouts, lit arrows zombie shoot a good variation between shots for both novices and in the dark; Flight shoot; Clout shoot; campfire shenanigans; old friendships rekindled, experienced field archers. Arrow breakers in abundance, especially if you chose not to think carefully about your shot execution. That and fun. Lots of fun. The Saturday 3D shoot kicked off at 10am - team and start peg choice and the River Rhein) was the venue. was simple. Just write your name on the board at whatever peg you want to start at with your fellow team members, if you have one. No problem for archers not in a team - this is the easy way to make some new friends. There’s 3 sections to shoot, all routed back via the catering area so plenty of opportunity to grab a quick refresher before moving onwards to shoot again. Up hill, down vale, over ponds, through bushes, round trees, ring the bell with a blunt flu-flu above your head, demolish some computer screens, try to punch your arrow through what looked like a piece of used armour, kill the dragon, steal the poacher’s fish. Ooh look, a crocodile! 75
Arrow tally: 1 lost in the logs by the spider and 1 smashed to pieces somewhere inside an old television. Allegedly, there’s a competition element to this Fairday stuff also, but if you’re not smiling and making new friends, you’ve lost already. Finish time: daylight, somewhere near dinner. Score: who cares?! Bring on the hog roast and BBQ. Delicious. Perfect in every way. Now comes the interesting part. It’s 8pm, Saturday night, pitch dark. A thin mist is coming down and there’s a light drizzle in the air. I need LED-nocks in my carbon shafts for this bit - it’s the famous Zombie Night Shoot. Max 4 people per team, 3 arrows per target, stop shooting as soon as you hear your arrow going into foam. No torches allowed. The walking route is highlighted with glow sticks on the ground and you don’t really ‘see’ the target until you’re at the peg. My instinctive style of shooting is in hyper-overdrive sensitive mode here. Some targets are just a simple silhouette, some are back-lit so you barely see the outline, some are lit with tiny strobe lights. There’s snakes, lots of zombies, spiders’ cobwebs, Undead Fred, Dragons, Vampires, Osama Bin Wheely Bow is here... oh, and there’s a Dutch man (I think) in a haze of dry ice on the bridge, wearing a Polish soldiers helmet, gas mask with silver elephant trunk nose, sounds like Darth Vader with asthma- he’s at least 8ft tall because all his 4 limbs are on fluorescent hi-vis stilts and he walks like a spider! Just a usual day at the office. Not. It rained. I got wet. Time for whisky and multilingual banter with new friends around the campfire. Sunday was a sensible start time, after the on-site Full English breakfast option of course. It’s the Dutch Warbow Society flight competition: Livery, Quarter Pound, Standard, Poitier & Crecy and Mary Rose arrows are all huge things to see fly. Monster points to them all, hand forged and feathers at least 6” long, horn nock inserts and whipped and bound to shafts as thick as my finger. No wonder they need bows that pull 100lb plus. And these arrows fly really well. It was simply awesome to see these bows used to their full potential. Such power and skill. Then, after the flight distances have all been measured and recorded by the judges, the next part to Sunday is the Clout shoot. 180 yards for the gents and 120 yards, I think, for the ladies and juniors; all shot across a pond. 3 practice arrows at a small white target first, collect, then 6 ends of 6 arrows, all shot in salvos, groups of 8-10 archers on the line at a time, under the traditional command “nock, draw, loose” from the field captain. 76
1 lost in the logs by the spider and 1 smashed to pieces somewhere inside an There were 4/5 warbow archers from the UK taking part in this section too (they also shot the 3D competition on Saturday with 120lb+ bows!) - that’s the time to study their form and technique - it’s completely different to anything I’ve seen done on a field shoot and their bows are huge monsters! A great experience to take part in - seeing how close you can drop your arrows onto a small target from a long distance is great fun, especially if you’ve never done such a thing before. After a hot lunch and coffee, it was on to the 3D Hunter Round. This was the same course as the Saturday, but with a single arrow competition, remembering your errors made yesterday nocks in my carbon shafts for this was key to achieving success today. Again, great fun, with some lovely people. it’s the famous Zombie Night Shoot. Max 4 people per team, 3 arrows per target, And that is the essence to Fairday: the people. No matter what nationality you are, walking route is highlighted with glow sticks on the ground and you don’t really ‘see’ what language you speak, what sort of traditional bow you shoot, what the draw weight is, overdrive whether you shoot well or not... it’s the fun element to this shoot that stands out. I really can’t remember the target details well at all, I don’t care what scores I achieved or how many arrows I’ve sacrificed. It’s the friends I’ve made, the laughs I’ve shared and the spiders’ cobwebs, Undead Fred, Dragons, Vampires, Osama Bin Wheely Bow is here... pleasure I’ve had over the weekend that really makes Fairday THE standout shoot for me. oh, and there’s a Dutch man (I think) in a haze of dry ice on the bridge, wearing a Polish I’ll be back next year, for sure. vis stilts and Note to self: Fairday shoot bookings usually open in March via the Fairbow e-newsletter alert (sign up for it) and It rained. I got wet. Time for whisky and multilingual their website (fairbowshop.nl). This year’s shoot was sold out within 5 days. Book the first Fri/Sat/Sun in October off work. Buy more arrows. Try to find “stroopwafles” in site Full the UK... much better than cake. Poitier & Crecy and Mary Rose arrows are all huge things to see fly. Monster points to them all, hand forged and feathers at least 6” long, horn nock inserts and whipped and bound to shafts as thick as 77
Photographer: Gez Davis Location: The 2017 Dot Southgate Championships (EFAA 3D Field Champs 2017) @ Kings Forest Bowmen in Thetford
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Cloth of Gold Open Shoot - 8th October 2017 by Rose Goss. On a lovely sunny day 72 archers turned up to the last shoot of the year put on by us at Cloth of Gold. Bacon rolls were on, targets checked, marshals in place and everyone tried to get round the course before the light changed. At the end after the medals were presented and the raffle drawn, all expressed that it was again a challenging course, with good use of the ground and very enjoyable - as is normal for the club! Thanks to everyone who came and shot. See you next year! AFB Gents LB Ladies LB Gents Steve Tuscon *518* Freda Marshall 454 Alberto Martinelli 540 PeterMcDermott *518* Sylvia Marshall 356 Carl Gibbard 438 Jim Pierce 474 Bela DeFreitas 314 Martin Watson 426 Adam Browning 466 Wai Cammish 236 Dan Simmond 402 Barrie Cooper 394 Clair Parfit 226 Sam Furze 392 Mike Cullen 388 Carol Clark 220 Scott King 390 Rodney Edwards Did not score Jackie Willoughby 158 Bob Davis 366 Sandy Barrett Did not score Brian North 312 Andy Williams Did not score FS Ladies James Walker 276 Lisa Fowler 602 William Walker 270 BH Gents Nadine Eastall 360 Kevin Hill 218 Phil Maher 634 David Lovell 548 FS Gents HT Jnr Carl Tagg 544 Lawrence Goodall 650 Ashley Cammish 334 Hugh Stalker 630 PV Gents Terry Wentworth 520 HT Ladies Dave Cammish 348 Steve Munnings 512 Alayne Dattoma 406 Garry Egglestone 358 BB Jnr HT Gents Zoe Hill 354 BB Gents Steve Rand 568 Phil Johnson 604 Keith Burton 538 BB Ladies Martin Joy 582 Mark Stevens 472 Jacqui Johnson 440 Iain Morris 484 Kevin Finnegan 470 Karly Kamm 306 Peter Whieldon 484 David O'Donnell 430 Patricia Lee 280 Ken Sparham 482 Shaun Bateman 400 Georgina Simmond 146 Sean Haldane 480 John Lee 364 Rob Halliwell 474 BB Cub Guy Van De Walle 450 UL Gents Kalli Simmond 148 Stewart Beckham 440 Ricky DeFreitas 770 Andreas Meyer 438 Simon Willard 754 XB Gents Fraser Whieldon 308 Michael Lee 704 John Newton 724 Nick Hearn 688 UL Ladies John Holland 682 Holly Stewart 698 83
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* Word (& Number!) Search October/November 2017 Answers! * Hint: you were looking for FAN UK’s awesome supporters - the incredible suppliers who have superb products for you! M 3 Y R E H C R A S R E K C I L C D U D P O K C I G R E R C H F 3 D 3 S I A O S U 3 E T O P B I R A E L D T R R H E H W D U Q D J O A I K C A E O C S P A I H 3 J E W E L R O Y R G P H W E F O R D A S Y N M B I A C R M E O Y R L J E L W R I E O S P H A E R B W O B G K A I E G T W R A E T W S G U R I A F B R H O E N E D R D O J N H E D O H S D C A T E A R Y 3 B E O S H 3 K E N I R H O D S 3 I Y G W L X D T F H O G A S E E N D R R N E E 3 T U M A L U L E W R Q U E E O L H D I M O W E S O R P L Y K L H L L T E 3 A R M H I R J U A S H A C E E H O P G S H T F A E I N X I N R H R S 3 D I E L A N C D R D O L D A T Y T H E A R C H E R Y S H O P O S 87 5 8
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Coming soon in the FAN UK Christmas & New Year Special, Part 2:- What’s in a name? Delamere Field Archers explain... EXCLUSIVE interview with international archer Ülle Kell!! Song Lyrics… Mitch Vaughan’s “Journey in Archery” continues… “The Cumbria Challenge” A very special New Year Tradition with Dunbrody Archers Illustrations The Deer Park Archers’ Mini Field League Photography PLUS shoot reports and results from Muttley Crew, Dearne Valley & the Yorkshire Archery Association, Broadland Bowmen, the 2017 CSAA Field Championships, & much much more! ~ Going live on 1st January 2018 ~ * Anagram Answers from October/November 2017 edition * Hint: they were all films that feature archery... 1. HEATHEN MUGGERS (3,6,5) = THE HUNGER GAMES 2. A EARTHWARD OFTEN HELM (3,5,3,3,5) = THE FLAME AND THE ARROW 3. HAVE I ON (7) = IVANHOE 4. A HERBS LOCKET (3,5,4) = THE BLACK ROSE 5. FAKED EVENT HIGH NOON (3,7,2,6) = THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 6. EACH RATHER VERB (3,5,6) = THE BRAVE ARCHER 7. FATHER ROAR WOWS (3,2,3,6) = WAR OF THE ARROWS 8. FIELDER GHOST NORTH (3,4,2,3,5) = THE LORD OF THE RINGS 9. ARK RUG HIT (4,6) = KING ARTHUR 10. HOB DOOR IN (5,4) = ROBIN HOOD 87
FAN UK invites you to meet Team Sagittarius... Hels spent some time learning about the ‘team’ from Rod Harris - here is what he had to share! Who are Team Sagittarius? Team Sagittarius was formed by Rod and Sharon Harris back in 2007. As great fans of Howard Hill and the American longbow we decided to form a group that also loved this style of bow and keep it alive in the UK - in fact this is our 10th anniversary. What do you do at TS? We do lots! We make Quivers, bracers, arrows, strings, one-to-one training and, for the last 2 years, we have been making our own bows; all of which you can see on our web site at www.teamsagittarius.com … we are a one-stop shop for anyone who loves this How did you learn to make bows? style of bow. I've had the great pleasure of learning a lot from the master, Rex Oakes. Many How many members do you have? will know this man’s work and will have one of his bows and will appreciate what We currently have over 60 members worldwide - Canada, Germany, Australia, craftsmanship is in it. He truly is a master France, USA and, of course, the UK. and has made hundreds over the years. Some might remember his shop in How does someone join TS? Hampton Court. It's easy and there is no fee ... all we ask is that you purchase a T-shirt or hoodie to show your support and as long as you shoot a traditional American longbow style (not reflex deflex) like those made by the likes of Howard hill archery, Jack belcher, Rex Oakes or anyone who makes a bow that follows this tradition. You will get a membership card, sticker and wristband free also. 88
Did you become Rex’s apprentice? How does your wife fit in? No. I have been very lucky as he has I taught Sharon how to shoot about 15 years shared much of his wisdom over the years ago and she's gone on to win many comps, and I've acquired enough info to try it she's such a natural. I have to train to be myself. He's been such an inspiration but competitive but she just picks up her bow Hels spent some time learning about the ‘team’ from a true master never reveals all his secrets. and wins. She can pull off some amazing I really respect that. shots, I'm so proud of her. Does Sharon share your passion? To be honest yes! Without her I wouldn't have been able to do any of this. I can ‘bark’ What is it you love so much about at her that I need this that whatever and this style of bow? within a day or two it arrives, I sometimes I've had the great pleasure of learning For me it's the simplicity, the looks, shape think she hasn't heard me but it turns up anyway - she's amazing. Without her and feel that I don't think you get with one of his bows and will appreciate what any other bow. Just grab your quiver and support Team Sagittarius wouldn't be what you’re good to go! it is. You know, behind every man is a great woman. Summary:- Some might remember his shop in Team Sagittarius is a friendly group that supports the American longbow in the UK, in fact - the only group. We welcome anyone who is like-minded to come and join in the fun; or if you just want to chat we can cater for most things. We can be contacted on Facebook under Rod Harris or go to our website - www.teamsagittarius.com . 89
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Shoot Reports & Clubs’ Location Directory Name Location Afan Nedd South Wales Apollo Field Archers Hampshire Artemis Archers Belper, Derbyshire Aurora FAC Chelmsford, Essex Avalon Archers Near Sandy, Beds. Baldivis Archery Club Rockingham, Western Australia Bowmen of Bude Bude, North Cornwall Broadland Bowmen Norwich, Norfolk Caldy Bowmen West Kirby, Wirral CSAA Open FA Champs Various, Surrey Company of Sixty Oxshott, Surrey Dearne Valley Archery Club Near Barnsley, South Yorkshire Deer Park Archers Cheltenham, GL51 4UD Delamere Field Archers Delamere, Northwich, Cheshire Draig Goch Field Archers Rhuallt, North Wales Druids Field Archers Wiltshire Dunbrody Archers Nee Ross, Ireland Elmtree Archers Near Hatherleigh, Devon English War Bows NZ New Zealand Foxhill Bowmen Pendle Hill, above Downham Havering Nalgo Archers (HNA) Ramsden Heath, Essex High Weald Archery Club Etchingham, East Sussex King’s Lynn Field Archers (KLFA) Near Blackborough End, Norfolk Kingston Archery Club Ontario, Canada Lakeland Field Archers Wythop (Western Lake District), between Keswick & Cockermouth Longbow Heritage Shackleford, Surrey and Carters Clay, Hampshire Magna Carta Field Archers Lyne (near Chertsey), Surrey Mayo Archery Club Ballina, Mayo, Ireland Muscovy Archers Near Liskeard, Cornwall 96
Name Location Muttley Crew Archers Merseyside Noak Hill Archers Romford, Essex North Lakes Field Archers Penrith Oakwood Bowmen Near Woodbridge, Suffolk Overton Black Arrows Laverstoke, Overton, Hampshire Pines Park Archers Between Ravenshead & Calverton, Nottinghamshire Purbeck Archers Wareham, Dorset Raven Field Archers Based on the Sussex/Hampshire border Rebellion Archers St Austell, Cornwall Rednex Thorrington Regent Archers Bridlington, Yorkshire South Hams FA Yealmpton, Devon Spirit of Sherwood Worksop, Notts Tavistock Company of Archers Tavistock, Devon Thornbury Field & Roving Archers Thornbury, Bristol Umberleigh Field Archers Umberleigh, Devon Whitefriars Bowmen Between Westleton & Dunwich, Suffolk Wolfshead Field Archers Near Robin Hoods Bay, North Yorkshire Zenith Archers Whitney-on-Wye, Hereford 97
Don’t forget you can read all PREVIOUS ISSUES of FAN UK Magazine via the website! ALL FOR FREE AS ALWAYS at - http://fieldarcherynewsuk.wixsite.com/fanuk/back-issues-of-fan-uk-magazine 98
PREVIOUS Photographer: Philip Cave Company of 60 Field Archery Club www.co60.co.uk
Photographer: Mark Service Pictured: Stacey Service
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