Contents: EXCLUSIVE! SHOOT REPORTS 4 COVER COMPETITION WINNER! 12-13 Cloth of Gold 08/04/2018 6-9 FAN UK FEATURED ARCHER: 24-25 Broadland Bowmen 15/04/2018 Jason Meehan!! 30-32 Raven Field Archers 29/04/2018 14-17 FAN UK introducing presents 38-39 Company of Sixty 13/05/2018 ARCHERS OF DOLPHINHOLME! 46-48 Rednex Easter Extravanganza ‘18! 20-21 NEW! Traditional Bowhunter NFAS 52-53 Delamere FA 01/04/2018 Shooting Style by Bradley Hunt 56-57 Wolfshead Archers 25/02/2018 26 FAN UK invites you to meet… 60-61 Oakwood Bowmen 15/04/2018 “SpinPin”! 78-80 Bowmen of Bude 08/04/2018 42-44 “Out of the Wilderness” 84-86 Dearne Valley Easter 2018 by Maureen Rylance REGULARS NEW FEATURES 23 A Superb Cartoon for you! 62 The John Hartfield Memorial 28 Archery on the Big Screen by Ian Brown 34-35 The Bowyer’s Diary 70-74 “The Making of a Longbow: by Derek Hutchison a study of a Master Bowyer” 49 Hoods & Maids (Editor: Anthony Bailey) 66-68 “A Journey in Archery” by Mitch Vaughan 77 A Superb Cartoon or two for you! SHOOT INFO/ENTRY FORMS SPECIAL OFFERS 5 Regent Archers Summer Shoot 22/07/2018 58 EXCLUSIVE FAN UK READERS’ 10 Delamere Field Archers 10% DISCOUNT for 10/06/2018 England’s Medieval Festival 2018! 18 Lawton Field Bowmen 01/07/2018 33 Dunbrody Archers 100 Arrow Shoot 30/06/2018 & 01/07/2018 PHOTOGRAPHY 36 Aurora FAC 25-27/08/2018 45 2018 South West Crown 15/07/2018 COVER SHOT Ian Brown 82-83 IFAF National Championships 22 Archers of Dolphinholme @ Killygarry Archers 28 & 29/07/2018 27 Mark Service 90 IIAC Killygarry Archers 88-89 John Hans Oam 25 & 26/08/2018 REAR COVER Adam Browning 92-93 2018 South West Challenge 28/07/2018 - 05/08/2018 2
* FAN UK - for the love of field archery * A very warm welcome to the June/July 2018 issue! It’s our 2nd birthday & this is a hugely happy occasion so thank you SO much for your kind support!! Your editor, Hels. If you would like to contribute shoot reports, club info & contacts, photos, event calendar dates or other articles I would love to hear from you and, as always, please email [email protected] to do so or you can get in touch via the FAN UK website, our Facebook or on Twitter. The Editor reserves the right to edit any submissions received. 3
Our front cover competition winner is... IAN BROWN! Ian told Hels the following about his winning entry… The picture is of me. Place:- Wrexham Bowmen Archery Club, Bryn Yorkin Estate Beautiful views from Targets 13 - 14 and 23 The targets are aptly named: Target 13: Mount Killmyarrow Target 14: Don't look Down Target 23: Vertigo A massive THANK YOU to everyone who entered the Cover Competition for this issue. 4
Regent Archers’ Summer Shoot 22 July 2018 nd 40 mixed 3Ds & hessians Catering Ian told Hels the following about his (NFAS members only) Contact:- [email protected] or 01262 401738 / 07505 122749 A massive THANK YOU to everyone who entered 5
FAN UK would like you to meet FAN UK would like you to meet FAN UK would like you to meet 3-time British Barebow Champion; 3-time indoor Champ; double-Bronze medallist at the 2017 European Field Champs and 2017 4-time World Masters Champ in IFAA field, WA field, indoor target & outdoor target - Jason Meehan! Jason Meehan! Jason Meehan! mid-table. I then went to Poland for field and also finished mid table; then to Slovenia for the 3Ds, a little better than the last time but I still finished mid-table. As we don't shoot much World Archery 3D here, I did better than I could have hoped by getting a mid-table finishing position. Next was Ireland for the WA World field So, how did you get into archery and champs; then on to Slovenia for the Field how long have you been shooting? Champs where I became a double-bronze medallist in the individual barebow and I picked up a bow first in October 2011. the team competition. I was then off to France I started archery because I needed an hour for the WA World 3D, where I just missed or so off a week from looking after my dad who had Alzheimer’s. out on the top 16. Finally I went off to New Zealand for the World Masters in 2017 where I won 4 Gold Medals What specifically do you love in IFAA field, WA field, indoor the most about field archery? target and outdoor target. You get to talk to people a lot more and literally every shot is different. You can shoot the same course/venue 15 times and every What has been your biggest shot is still different. Field Archers are great achievement in archery so far? people to shoot with... everyone is willing to It has to be winning 2 Bronze Medals at share their knowledge and information. It is the European field championships. also a great challenge. Where have your competitive shoots taken you & how did you fare? Terni in Italy was my first international competition and was a WA World 3D tournament. I really enjoyed it, competing against the best in the world. I finished 6
Where is your favourite shoot location? time British Barebow Champion; I have lots of favourite locations that I have shot in; the most scenic of which was Terni in Italy. It is very difficult to pick my favourite venue medallist at the 2017 European in the UK and Ireland as the course setters are all so good that every shoot is a real pleasure time World to go to. Which associations/societies What sort of practice regime do you have; and do you have a set training schedule do you compete under? Almost entirely World Archery; IFAA less or adjust your practice to suit different competitions? often. I have done a couple of shoots with NFAS but with NFAS I have to shoot as I don't get to practice as often as I should. freestyle because I string walk. I usually go from one competition to another and have rarely shot in between tournaments. and also finished mid table; then to Slovenia I use each tournament for practice for the next. for the 3Ds, a little better than the last What is your favourite type of field target I know I should have some form of practice (2D, 3D, FITA field etc.) and why? regime but working full time, having no nearby It would have to be roundels or 3D. If I have As we don't shoot much World Archery clubs and not having a garden big enough to to shoot something paper, I would prefer a practice in hinders this. I shoot for fun. roundel but I do also enjoy shooting 3Ds. Next was Ireland for the WA World bronze medallist in the individual barebow and for the WA World 3D, where I just missed Finally I went off to New Zealand for the Medals in IFAA field, WA field, indoor It has to be winning 2 Bronze Medals at 7
What is coming up for you in the next year? It is hard to say, it depends what I qualify for. I would like to qualify for the World Fields in Italy and the European 3Ds in Sweden. Which competition would you most like to win? Which bow class do you currently shoot? Also, what other styles have you shot and do Definitely the World Field Championships! you miss them? Do you have a preferred style/association bow class and if so, why? Who do you admire most I have only ever shot barebow. I did my within the sport of archery? first two lessons with sights on and as soon as I was allowed to take the sights off and try My two idols are David Garcia (top without, I found it hugely liberating shooting Spanish Barebow) and Erik Johsson (from Sweden) but I admire everyone from club level without sights. I have never looked back. upwards who shoot field archery because If I ever changed bow styles for some reason, I would change to another bow class without they're all doing something that is fantastic. signs, AFB perhaps. Who inspires you? Is it your family, fellow archers, someone/something else? Do you have any routines when you prepare for a big shoot? My partner Michaela because she is so dedicated. She focuses on a target, aims for A big breakfast, I chat to as many archers it and is driven and does it. as I can and remembering that I only shoot for fun. When you were young were you interested in archery or did you find inspiration to If you could have any type of bow from any period of history what take up the sport another way? would it be and why? Squash used to be my main sport originally. I had cartilage taken out of my knee so couldn't I am very happy with the bow that I have, continue with it but I thought I would take up my greenhorn. I can't think of anything I would rather shoot. archery as it is something I could do for years to come, so thought I would give it a go. What equipment do you rely upon to keep you on top form? What do you do to relax? I also do archery to relax! Other than that, My dog! I walk every day and it keeps me generally fit. dog walking mainly; oh, and ‘Pokemon Go’ helps to keep me relaxed also. How does it feel competing at a variety of levels? Does it feel different when you shoot at local, national & international level or is it all the same to you?! This is a difficult question... in some ways they are all the same but it is an extra privilege to be shoot at international events. 8
It is hard to say, it depends what I qualify for. Which competition would Who do you admire most My two idols are David Garcia (top Spanish Barebow) and Erik Johsson (from Sweden) but I admire everyone from club level Who inspires you? Is it your family, My partner Michaela because she is so dedicated. She focuses on a target, aims for Squash used to be my main sport originally. Do you have sponsors and if so, how do they support you? Yes, I do. I am lucky enough to get my vanes from XS wings. I do not buy a lot of new things, I also do archery to relax! Other than that, most of my equipment is second-hand but when I do buy new, it is from Wales Archery. If you could offer one piece of advice to The arrows I used for the European Champs new archers, what would that be? were second-hand arrows that would Make sure you try field archery! normally cost £6 each. I use Ebay quite a lot but unfortunately am not sponsored by them. Laszlo from VLBB tabs gives me the most Is there anything else you'd like fantastic barebow tabs; I get great arrow wraps to share with our readers? You are never going to make a living out from Arrowsocks and I have had a lot of of archery, don't stress about shooting and help from SCAS - the Sussex County and Southern Counties Archery Association. just enjoy it. 9
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Cloth of Gold th 8 April 2018 Sunday was a bit cold and quite damp but that didn’t put off nearly a hundred archers who came to Cloth of Gold for our first shoot of the season. The course had been re-laid and was still challenging! We had nothing but good comments on the course in spite of the mud. Our new moving target was quite an attraction too! Our next shoot is a Master Hunter on 24 June 2018. ~ By Rose Goss ~ Ladies Longbow Gents Longbow Ladies Hunting Tackle Julie Hawkes 494 Brian Simcox 504 Jan Seed 446 Maggie Bremner 398 Rob Slatem 478 Alayne D’Attoma 442 Nicola Desforges 394 Alberto Martinelli 418 Katharine Roper 316 Carl Gibbard 408 Gents Hunting Tackle Clair Parfit 314 Neal Hall 398 Steve Rand 620 Cat Chandler 310 Gary Powel 336 Cliff Meyer 504 Carol Clark 186 David Searle 272 Steven Taylor 446 Jackie Willoughby 164 Kevin Hall 252 Tim Seed 436 Amanda Burgess Non Comp. James Walker Retired John Lee 398 William Walker Retired Kevin Finnegan 390 Ladies Primitive Adrian Mercer 388 Sue Blunsdon 350 Ladies American Flatbow Jacqui Johnson 404 Ladies Crossbow Gents Primitive Mikki Hall 336 Margaret Rickard 676 Phil Johnson 502 Alex Mannix 294 Stewart Fuller 336 Gents Crossbow Fred Wentworth 326 Gents American Flatbow Ian Blunsdon 752 Roy Easton 304 Simon Webster 536 John Newton 630 Antal Dobondi 240 Darren Hawkins 534 Adam Browning 532 Ladies Freestyle Junior Traditional Bowhunter Simon Rivers 514 Lisa Fowler 646 Brandon Brown 380 Andy Doyle 488 Karen Howard 608 Peter McDermott 480 Ladies Traditional Bowhunter Stephen Hinton 442 Gents Freestyle Kathy Jones 454 Fauvel Volker 406 Richard Green 730 Paul Little 708 Gents Traditional Bowhunter Junior Barebow Lawrence Goodall 704 Gerry Tierney 604 Zoe Hill 310 Doug Shaw 618 Steve Tuson 550 Hugh Stalker 612 Craig Jones 516 Ladies Barebow Terry Wentworth 528 Alistair Sutcliffe 444 Teresa Little 508 Garry Egglestone 460 Pedro Portela 440 Jane Rivers 406 Steve Manning 454 Karl Kamm 380 Patricia Lee 234 12
Gents Barebow Gents Bowhunter Gents Unlimited Terry Stevens 704 Phil Mayer 602 Jon Holland 800 Martin Joy 608 Carl Tagg 586 Simon Willard 794 Ian Desforges 566 Danny Brown 474 David Stone 786 Stewart Beckham 554 Andy Williams 746 Ben Ringshaw 546 Don’t forget! Mick Lee 714 Ken Sparham 536 Next shoot:- Master Hunter Nick Hearne 670 Kert Kamm 534 th Ken Hayes 658 Fraser Whieldon 474 24 June 2018 Peter Whieldon 466 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. 13
FAN UK introducing presents… Archers of Dolphinholme - an NFAS Field Archery Club near Lancaster (or “a mini epic-one step at a time”). Hels caught up with the lovely Alison Rayson Photos by Brian Robinson who below shares her splendid tale of the & Alison Rayson awesome Archers of Dolphinholme. We are a young club of 5 years and so have little much poring over maps ensued. Bordered by history to tell; but for all clubs, starting out is a the sea on one side, and the vast hunting battle and like all battles there is an epic tale in estates of two Duchies on the other, the sites there somewhere. So, this is ours… available were few and guarded by that most ferocious of beasts, the Lancashire farmer. Back in the mists of time a young hero came and kept bothering his dad. In desperation his Much foot slogging, tea supping and polite dad turned to a bloke at the end of the street entreaties ensued, all drawing a blank. Finally in and said, “Gerrim out of ‘ere fer a bit!” That desperation, our hero visited one farm - and a bloke took the young hero out, put a bow in misdirection was uncovered! Another farmer his hand, two mismatched arrows in the other had turned down the offer from our heroes to and so our hero began his quest. Years passed make his wood the site of epic competitions. and the hero grew in stature, then in girth. However he had neglected to say that he only He looked about him, and realising that he was owned half the wood - one can only surmise isolated from likeminded heroes, decided that that this irked the other owner, and with the time had come to put something back “No, lad yer got me interested”, and “B….r it! into the sport which had saved him from an No one tells me what I can do wi’ my land” - ‘ear-clipping’ all those years ago. The quest a handshake sealed the deal. The walk over to became more arduous – to find others like the woods has views across Morecambe Bay himself locally, a hall to practice in and - the to the Lakes, Wales and - on a clear day - the holy grail - a wood worthy of the sport. A quick Isle of Man; food for the soul. word at local shoots brought him a few names and word began to get round, others came to However, was the half wood enough to set the call. a course in? With much ‘umming’ and ‘ahhing’ it was felt that a 20 target could just about The practice hall was next - cut to a small village be squeezed in, which brought the next trial some years previously... the Women’s Institute for our heroes... money was non-existent and industriously sewing a marvellous tapestry of what to shoot pointy sticks at? the users of the hall - including a GNAS It is said that with the closing of one door, archery club which promptly then died a death. The village mourned its loss and the constant a window is opened and for our heroes this reminder on the wall nagged like toothache. proved the case. The ailing gallants of another club some miles distant withdrew from Then our band of heroes arrived and the tapestry was complete once again. the fray and thus, putting their hands in their own pockets, our heroes bought some Now the hardest part of the quest came and second-hand gear. 14
coloured my opinions on the approach the club should take in future. But it was done and we were signed off as fully-fledged members. Here I should mention that I am also a member an NFAS Field Archery Club of the Girl Guides and was not long after this offered the opportunity to train as an Archery GB level one coach to instruct the little darlings at a local centre. As the club’s own coach left soon after our course was finished, this left me as the only one with a bit of paper in the club, and so I joined the merry band. who below shares her splendid tale of the One would feel that having got this far our heroes could rest on their laurels and enjoy the fruits of their labours, but really the journey had only just begun. The club was up and the sea on one side, and the vast hunting running but existing hand to mouth - time to take a gamble or two. Our first open was booked into the NFAS calendar and much wood work ensued. The wood was small and Much foot slogging, tea supping and polite neglected, geology meant it was wet, but oh the shot opportunities. The money from that first open went out as soon as it came in, Falteringly, with much by the seat of your pants, a club was being formed. Heroes fell by the paying off the money loaned to the club from wayside and others emerged; and this is where its initial members and swallowed up by rents. The small band of heroes fell in love with the your humble author steps up. wood and began to learn how to set courses. Parents will do lots for their offspring and here This was hampered by our lack of facilities that this irked the other owner, and with I am no exception. My son came home with the and our first hero was once again sent to ‘chat ‘ fateful words - “Mum, can I ‘ave a go at archr’y? to the farmer. “Aye, be reet so long as its wood Me mate does it at Dolphinholme”. This was an’ a match can clearit.” came the reply and our quickly followed by my dearest daughter piping stilted shed was born. Scrabbling together a the woods has views across Morecambe Bay up: “Can I go too?” Now this is where I confess large shed for ‘nowt’ as they say is no mean ‘previous’ as they say. Many years earlier, newly feat, enter another hero of our band, who just qualified, in a new job in a new country so happens to go out on patrols a lot and is very good at getting ‘stuff’ - legitimately I (Scotland) I had had 6 months or so at an However, was the half wood enough to set archery club. Unfortunately I moved with work hasten to add! The floods in Lancaster was before that club had signed up a wood. Once our boon as a replacement printing press it was felt that a 20 target could just about again, in a new town, I went to a local target was delivered on the biggest pallet I have ever be squeezed in, which brought the next trial archery club. As a young lass, after 6 weeks where no one talked to me, I gave that up as a game of soldiers and moved onto other things. I could not escape my fate however and It is said that with the closing of one door, the Gods of Field Archery were calling me back again. Sighing, I bundled the kids in the car proved the case. The ailing gallants of and trekked to Dolphinholme, to be met by the aforementioned hero and his compatriots. the fray and thus, putting their hands in their own pockets, our heroes bought some Forking out for 3 courses to be signed off (and then equipment) is no mean feat and 15
ever seen – we had to chainsaw it into pieces small enough for 6 of us to struggle to lift. More pallets were blagged and screwed together and suddenly life at the wood was a whole lot Unfortunately there were too many other shoots more pleasant. and other attractions on to entice a good turnout, despite the good weather. Not all things have been plain sailing. Our last Open happened at the end of one of the wettest Were we downhearted? summers on record. The course was set but on Not at all dear reader, for we had an epiphany! the day the heavens opened. It was likened, unfavourably, to the battlefields of the Somme There were several reasons for this: and our fledgling wood and our reputation was in shatters. What did our heroes do? Sat down The week before we had moved one of our and had a long hard discussion. practice nights to test shoot the course and one of our older members came in trepidation. The novelty shoot we’d planned was cancelled At the end of the evening he said: “That’s the for safety and in order to let the wood recover. first time I’ve enjoyed shooting in the wood as Time for us to roll up our sleeves. I wasn’t afraid of falling all the time”. He is shooting it again - this was enough for me. The wood was combed for the driest routes and timber bought thanks to our ‘acquisitions officer’ Each time we made improvements to the wood and his charity box. Steps on an industrial scale the less work we have to do for the next shoot. were made offsite and imported. We got muddy. Our receipts balance from hall practice nights The novelty shoot was booked in again and was now sufficient to cover all the rents, so the we grafted some more. As it came close we income from shoots was not so vital. held our collective breath and our fears were realised - the turnout, despite our work, was low. The damage to the wood was minimal. The way the novelty flowed with fewer archers made the whole thing almost stress free to run, and feedback from the archers shooting it was how much they enjoyed not stacking up and the relaxed atmosphere, so much so that our heroes looked at each other and suggested limiting entry to our future shoots. So what if it takes us a little longer to get those expensive massive group one 3Ds? If we have more fun getting there it means we will be more relaxed and welcoming to new members and give the right impression about what the sport is all about. Sometimes bigger is not better. 16
The thing is, when you get sucked into field We believe that the sport should have no barriers archery, you do it because it does something for to anyone, so we don’t currently charge beginners you. Firstly it’s the challenge of mastering yourself to learn so long as this happens in the normal to control a bow, one of the oldest machines practice sessions, they pay just the same as the known to man. We can easily forget the sense of other members there. We run a monthly indoor achievement a beginner feels when their arrow league based on full NFAS shooting rules and goes where they actually wanted it to go. This is have an algorithm to try and even out the playing surpassed when two arrows go where you want field between experienced and less experienced them and so on. Later it’s the archers - it is still early days for challenge beyond the con- this yet. Keeping focus go- trolled sterile condi- ing when practicing in tions of the practice the hall can be butts - can you hit difficult so we run s o m e t h i n g regular fun ses- a course setter has sions, including an challenged you to annual Halloween hit? Saying here, this night, put the candle is a bit like what an out, Winner stays on animal would do - can you and exploding bottles! hit this? Then it becomes - can I get round without a blank? Then how many Our recent novelty shoot seemed to go spots? Can I compare myself to the archer who down so well that it will probably become an an- won last time? The challenges never stop coming nual event (*Ahem, also some of the novelty tar- but none are out of reach. Whether I hit it or not, gets didn’t get that many holes in so could easily I’m going to make sure I get the most from each be used again…). challenge, but most of all I will be doing so in the Our next company of other like-minded heroes who will be shoot will quick to congratulate, or commiserate and joke be a Lancashire and will never, ever let you forget any minor, league shoot on th slightly embarrassing slips you make, just as you 8 June followed will remind them of theirs. And when I’m out there by our Open in at some point on every course I stop, look around September. and breathe. In fact the more I think about it, Field Archery should be available on the NHS. That just about brings us up-to-date. We are To get in touch to talk bendy and pointy sticks, Dolphinholme-based, a village close to Lancaster email [email protected] or and the M6. The club is small with 20ish members search ‘Archers of Dolphinholme’ on Facebook. but slowly growing. We are a friendly bunch and fortunate in that there seems to be no ‘politics’ and feedback from the archers shooting it affecting the club and how it’s run. This I know from experience is something to be valued. limiting entry to our future shoots. So what if 17
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“A New Home For Trad” The Introduction of Traditional Bowhunter With the ever increasing popularity of Traditional style shooting with modern material arrows, it was always a common conversation had on an open shoot among those shooting traditional style bows that there wasn't really a place for them; because unless you were shooting a very specific type of flatbow with wooden arrows, you were competing with Olympic-style risers using a rest and pressure button, in both Hunting Tackle for the rest of the wooden arrow slingers and Barebow for those that preferred carbon or aluminium. It almost felt that we were being penalised for our choice of equipment. This led to the idea of proposing a new class, to bridge the gap, a new home for traditional archery. The original proposal that outlined the intended rules for the new style was met with mixed views and some great constructive suggestions from both sides of the discussion. Following this were several back and forths, rewrites and small amendments, to make Traditional Bowhunter be the best it could be. Now there are always going to be those that argue it is unnecessary and that we have enough classes already, although I don't agree. Yes, maybe the sheer amount of classes and the time it takes to get through awards can seem a little much but it was put a vote and enough people felt that there was definitely a demand for this new introduction to the NFAS. It was always my view that the classes should be based on the bow and not the choice of arrow or loose, so if it’s a traditional recurve shot off the shelf, then it should be HT; if it is a Flatbow, regardless of whether it is D-shaped, reflexed, long or short, then AFB; and if it is a recurve using a rest and/or pressure button then BB, but we felt it would be far simpler to bring a new category to the table than try to rewrite an entire rulebook. 20
So, “Why not just change your equipment and compete in Barebow?” Well... because it just doesn't appeal to me, my heart is with the simple stick and string. “Why not just use wooden arrows?” I hear you say. My answer is: because although I do enjoy shooting wooden arrows, again I just simply prefer carbon. I like swapping and changing my equipment too much and it's much simpler to swap a screw in point for different weights than to spend time and money making several sets of arrows for each bow. Also, because of my preference for a higher poundage bow, it also makes it very hard to get an appropriate spine wooden shaft which is a shame because I enjoy making them (and I've gotten pretty good at it if I do say so myself!). Unfortunately, with the new bow style, came many accusations, the most common being that we created a class to suit ourselves, so that we could win medals, but that is simply not With the ever increasing popularity of Traditional style shooting with modern material the case. To be honest, myself, Jim and James who are 3 of the 5 proposers, don't attend all that many open shoots, I out of the 3 of us attend the most but even then its only 1 or 2 every few months; but the shoots we do attend, we are more often or not in the top few in barebow, with at least one if not all of the wooden arrow slingers and Barebow for those that preferred carbon or aluminium. us getting a medal; but that's not why we shoot - we would be quite happy with a well done and a handshake, we shoot for our love of the sport. The other 2 proposers continue to be in Barebow even after the The original proposal that outlined the intended rules for the new style was met with introduction of Traditional Bowhunter, with Rob Cook being one of the best Barebow archers in the NFAS. Following this were several back and forths, rewrites and small amendments, to make has already proven to be popular with the numbers booked into shoots being It greater than some other classes that have been part of the society for many years; but, most of all, Yes, maybe the sheer amount of classes and the time it takes to get through awards along with bringing the NFAS in line with other societies around the globe, what the new class has brought is a more accessible and welcoming shooting style for those wanting to get into traditional archery. ~ By Bradley Hunt ~ 21
Pictured: One of the “merry band of Archers of Dolphinholme” Pictured: One of the “merry band of Archers of Dolphinholme” Pictured: One of the “merry band of Archers of Dolphinholme” @ Hollywood Archers in 2017! @ Hollywood Archers in 2017! @ Hollywood Archers in 2017!
Pictured: One of the “merry band of Archers of Dolphinholme” Pictured: One of the “merry band of Archers of Dolphinholme” Pictured: One of the “merry band of Archers of Dolphinholme” 23
Broadland Bowmen EFAA Hunter Round th Sunday 15 April 2018 When we first got to the club to set up you could hardly see the 40 yard practice butt due to the mist but luckily it cleared just in time for the shoot to begin with 20 archers taking part - 7 Broadland bowmen mem- bers and 13 visiting archers. We had an archer that hadn’t been to our club and complimented us on what a lovely club he was greeted by. After today, 3 archers are putting in for their 10 spot badges and 1 archer is claiming an EFAA record! All archers were out by 10am and finished by 4pm and an enjoyable day was had by all. ~ By Stacey Service, Broadland Bowmen EFAA Rep. ~ 24
Our next shoot is our 30th June & 1st July Weekend Crystal Shoot (NFAS) 40 x 3D targets & Full Catering both days - we hope to see you there! 25
FAN UK invites you to meet SpinPin! Hels caught up with Stephen Tomkins and he told her all about his new range of paper face targets with a difference! Here is what he had to share... Zombie target faces designed by archers, for archers! The zombie apocalypse is coming… everyone grab your bows and lets keep these monsters at bay! Okay it’s not that bad, they’re only zombie target faces - but at least we’ll have something new and exciting to shoot at – and who doesn’t like killing zombies!? SpinPin have put together a collection of zombie themed target faces to go along side their unique screw-in target face pin. The target faces are professionally illustrated and look simply stunning. They are printed on a very high quality card which has water resistant properties & are biodegradable. The designs are a good mix of sizes and challenges. The challenges “We have worked with feature – risk rewards, group shots, victims and ‘gimme’ shots. SpinPin products for almost 2 years and have found the There are no points or scoring marked on them, so it’s up to the clubs quality to price ratio excellent. or individuals on how they want to score them and keeping in with We are excited to stock the tradition of the zombie genre, the only kill area is the brain. the new HD zombie faces, they should prove a great hit with both seasoned archers ‘The SpinPin zombie target faces will be available this spring at and leisure shooters.” all good archery retailers, including Merlin Archery @ (Daniel Jones – Merlin Archery) http://www.merlinarchery.co.uk/spin-pin-zombie- faces-set-of-11.html Call: 07958 407 981 Email: [email protected] Visit: https://lovespinpin.com/ 26
The zombie apocalypse is coming… everyone grab your bows and lets keep these monsters We are excited to stock Photographer: Mark Service Marked Forester Round at Kings Forest Bowmen, February 2018
ARCHERY ON THE BIG SCREEN 28
~ RAVEN FIELD ARCHERS ~ OPEN SHOOT (NFAS) 29 April 2018 We held our open shoot at Head Down, part of the Queen Elizabeth Country Park in the South Downs, about 1 mile from Buriton in Hampshire. Head Down has one of the highest spots in Hampshire (perfect for those steeper angled shots), plenty of well-managed woodland and large areas of wild garlic in parts. We treated 78 archers to 36 challenging 3D targets, made more challenging because of the brisk wind and surprisingly chilly temperatures for late April, of around 7°C! The catering team were kept busy serving hot food and drinks to keep everyone warm. As our club’s wood is not suitable for open shoots, the planning and work that goes into running a shoot by the field and catering crew is an amazing feat and always deserves a huge round of applause. Thanks to all the archers who supported us and who gave us such great feedback! By Sue Kenworthy. American Flatbow Gents NAME CLUB SPOTS SCORE Mark Jones Rednex 2 562 David Bennett Fleet Ibex 4 548 Andy Doyle Invicta 0 510 Garfield Thomas Spirit of the Greenman 2 504 Darren Hawkins Alresford 2 488 Stefan Purdy Company of Sixty 1 470 Ian Nuttall Fleet Ibex 1 458 Pedro Portela Magna Carta 2 452 Nicholas Mitchell IND 1 436 Chris Hurst Longbow Heritage 1 416 Steve Rufus Windwhistle Archers 2 408 Paul Hankin Company of Sixty 3 406 Steven Gill Raven (Non-comp) 1 356 Danny Sanders Wight Company of Archers 0 234 American Flatbow Ladies Niki Marr Senlac 5 470 Cathy Kerr Wight Company of Archers 1 364 Stacey Payne Wight Company of Archers 1 300 Bowhunter Gents Phil Maher IND 3 612 30
Barebow Gents NAME CLUB SPOTS SCORE Morten Allpass Company of Sixty 8 646 Terry Stevens Invicta 6 642 Paul Skippins Copra 4 598 Jamie Rawson Ballands 4 588 Ken Sparham Aurora 3 534 Ben Ringshaw We held our open shoot at Head Down, part of the Queen Elizabeth Country Park in Fleet Ibex 3 528 the South Downs, about 1 mile from Buriton in Hampshire. Head Down has one of the Anthony Shorter Highcross 1 506 Compound Unlimited Gents Gary Cole IND NR 762 Tim Woolcott South Wilts 18 758 Stan Bartosz Fleet Ibex 11 714 Simon Willard Longbow Heritage 9 712 John Holland IND 11 696 Andrew Crawford Raven (Non-comp) 10 646 Jason Sawdy IND 4 582 Compound Unlimited Junior Boys Archie Crawford Raven (Non-comp) 18 744 Crossbow Gents NAME CLUB SPOTS / SCORE James Rigler Ballands 16 716 Chris Harwood Longbow Heritage 3 576 Freestyle Gents John Taylor Fleet Ibex 7 644 Freestyle Ladies Penny Cox Ballands 4 588 Hunting Tackle Gents Jed Cullen Raven (Non-comp) 2 610 Steve Rand Invicta 0 566 David Curwen Ratpack 4 550 Ken Payne Magic Dragon Archers 4 528 Steven Taylor Alresford 3 488 Ashley Gollop Windwhistle Archers 3 472 Peter Eldridge Copra 2 458 Alan Jones Ratpack Archers 1 448 Terry Rendle Magna Carta 1 426 Peter Parker Ratpack Archers 0 398 Shaun Bateman Company of Sixty 0 340 Mike Davies IND 0 326 Allen Blanchard Wight Company of Archers 1 318 Charles Liston IND 1 310 Hunting Tackle Ladies Sharon Trodd Ratpack Archers 1 372 Anna Swan Wight Company of Archers 0 350 Pauline Heijman Magna Carta 0 248 31
Longbow Gents NAME CLUB SPOTS SCORE Rob Slater BUFAC 5 506 Mick Baily Longbow Heritage 1 504 Steve Blake South Wilts 2 502 Ben Knight Copra 3 464 Paul Knight IND 2 446 David Smith IND 0 436 David Alvey Medieval Society Bowmen 2 410 Mr R Meeking Fleet Ibex 0 322 Longbow Ladies NAME CLUB SPOTS / SCORE Sylvia Marshall The Medieval Society 0 426 Freda Marshall The Medieval Society 2 410 Carol Pearce Longbow Heritage 0 398 Monique Purdy Company of Sixty 0 370 Maggie Bremner Company of Sixty 0 326 Sue Bint Longbow Heritage 0 312 Traditional Bowhunter Gents Primitive Gents Brett Field South Wilts 9 598 Simon Banks Magna Carta 2 482 Mark Stockton Archers of Battle 6 582 Andy Neville Fleet Ibex 0 372 Stewart Stevenson Dragon Archers 5 582 Gerry Tierney Company of Sixty 3 572 Primitive Ladies Jeremy Ingledew South Wilts 3 548 Carolyn Neville Fleet Ibex 0 356 Traditional Bowhunter Ladies Denise Field South Wilts 3 498 Yvonne Munro Raven (Non-comp) 0 260 Field Archery News UK’s Events Calendar is updated every day with shoots for the forthcoming year … don’t forget to keep checking in at - http://fieldarcherynewsuk.wixsite.com/fanuk/event-calendar 32
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Del The Cat’s “Bowyer’s Diary” ~ Like a Phoenix… finishing & musings. ~ by Derek Hutchison (AKA Del the Cat on various archery forums!) JT’s Hazel bow that he’s made with my guidance was indeed shootable, not without it’s problems, but shootable! The problems are actually a good thing as it becomes an opportunity for further learning. So we set about fixing the nasty chrysals (compression cracks) on the belly by rasping them out and patching it. The chrysals went right down halfway through the bow and it needed a long deep patch made from an off-cut of the Hazel to do the job. Some careful work to get the patch a good fit, checking it by holding it up to a light and looking at the gap. It was glued with Resintite (aka Cascamite) and bound with several layers of rubber strapping pulled as tight as possible. Once the patch had cured it was a matter of working it down to the right size, being extra careful not to simply recreate the original problem by making it too thin! This restored the stiffness of the limb admirably, however the problem now was that the other limb was now too weak where it had been previously reduced to match the chrysalled limb! Ah the joys of bow making! Some patient work eventually produced an even tiller and effectively taught the need to take it slowly in these final stages. JT was rasping and scraping off small amounts and nothing appeared to be happening, many repeated trips to the tiller slowly revealed subtle improvements and then all of a sudden it appeared even. It’s very easy to overshoot and make a stiff limb too weak, it needs a good deal of patience, a keen eye, and the bow needs to be repeatedly flexed. The flexing allows you to see how it is bending and it encourages the wood to settle down. There is a lot of hysteresis in wood and it can be reluctant to bend or recover from bending. After re-tiller the bow was 40# at 28”, which isn’t too bad considering we were aiming for 40- 45# originally. The point is that it’s better to have a well tillered 40# than a badly tillered 50# that chrysals! We had a final session, cleaning and polishing the horn nocks to show the process. The whole bow hasn’t been taken to a high level of finish, as it’s all been about the process. JT can finish it at his leisure when he’s got his workshop up and running. 34
Meanwhile I’ve been tinkering with other odds and ends, while I’ve been waiting for Bandsaw blades that have been lost in the post (I phoned the company and they delivered replacements by hand!) I have a few bows on the book and I don’t like too many as there is the danger of feeling I “ought to” get on with it rather than doing it because I want to. Anyhow, I picked up a Pacific Yew stave that a chap wanted making into a Yew bow ELB (50-55#). It was a pleasure to get back to working some yew and it progressed very quickly as the sapwood was a nice thickness and didn’t need reducing at all. I was a tad flamboyant with my roughing out on the Bandsaw and took it rather close to final dimensions having pretty much marked it out by eye, string and pencil, with very little measurement. The stave was fairly symmetrical with undulations in each limb, one was however a bit deflexed. I ended up doing a bit of heat correction to leave it overall The problems are actually a good thing as it becomes an opportunity for further straight, this also helped keep the draw weight up as it was in danger of coming in slightly under. The chap wants it for roving and some re-enactment and didn’t want a leather gip The chrysals went right down halfway through the bow and it needed a long deep of inlaid arrow plate, that suited me fine as it made it a bit cut of the Hazel to do the job. Some careful work to get less work and gave me the satisfaction of getting on to the patch a good fit, checking it by holding it up to a light and looking at the gap. shooting it all the sooner. It’s a lovely bow and not too heavy, certainly bangs out the arrows. Meanwhile I’ve set a new PB for flight shooting record 341 yards Once the patch had cured it was a matter of working it down to the right size, with a self bow of Osage bow with a little deflex, recurved tips and a cut away arrow shelf. This is the same bow that gave my previous best at a 24” draw. Taking it to about 27-28” draw sounds extreme and can add a lot of stress, Some patient work eventually produced an even tiller and effectively taught the need but remember 3” extra draw is only about 1” of extra tip movement… (just don’t stand behind a flight archer and clap as and nothing appeared to be happening, many repeated trips to the tiller slowly they reach full draw!) Yew ELB ‘early on’ It’s very easy to overshoot and make a stiff limb too weak, it needs a good deal It may interest and surprise some readers of patience, a keen eye, and the bow needs to be repeatedly flexed. The flexing to learn that this 80# bow at 28” was shooting arrows of between 263 and 310 grains in weight, with a static spine of just under 40#. This illustrates that static spine is only at best a very rough and ready indication of arrow suitability for “normal” use and that tiller the bow was 40# at 28”, which isn’t too bad considering dynamic performance is governed by so many variables. I think spine is hugely misunderstood especially by some who have The point is that it’s better to have a well tillered 40# than a badly tillered 50# felt the need to put me right or call me an idiot before now! 341 yards, probably isn’t that far compared with a We had a final session, cleaning and polishing the horn nocks to show the process. bow using modern technology, but for me flight shooting is The whole bow hasn’t been taken to a high level of finish, as it’s all been about about the whole package, bow, arrow and archer being the same individual and using natural materials. Yew ELB Mind it would still be interesting to see how far it would lob a skinny carbon arrow! ‘almost finished’ 35
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Company of 60, Shoot Results ~ Bluebell Shoot, 13 May 2018 ~ Despite their early blooming because of April’s mini heat-wave, our bluebell woods still put on a great show of colour. Almost 120 archers turned up to see their splendour. Both our Bluebell and Savanah courses had been completely reset by our course layers especially for the event. Savanah in particular had adopted the real life hunting practice of the ‘concealed archer’, where pegs were set within the natural cover of the woods so the animal would have not been aware of the oncoming arrow until it was too late. “Challenging, but in a good way,” seemed to be balance of the comments from satisfied archers during and after the shoot. Special thanks must go to Monique and Stefan Purdy who arranged an extended work party where many club members helped across the four days prior to the shoot, which guaranteed our grounds were looking their best for a long time. Thanks also to Lorraine Thorn and the catering team for dealing with the large numbers of famished archers. Our next shoot is the 9th September Friendly when we hope to have all four of our courses available for you to choose from. See you there! Shaun Bateman, Company of 60 Events Officer Open Shoot Results:- Gentlemen Primitive Ladies Longbow Simon Banks Magna Carta 518 Many Linn Rowen 494 Fred Wentworth Westcott Archers 390 Martin Ward Windrush 350 Gentlemen Longbow Lazslo Varga Independent 314 Ben Knight COPRA 564 Bob Miles Dragonfly 290 Ladies Hunting Tackle Gentlemen Hunting Tackle Rae Gulliver Independent 556 Roger Massey Archers of Battle 670 Alayne Dottoma Hartspring 508 Mike List South Wilts AC 652 Jan Seed Invicta 472 Simon White Belvedere 596 Sue Kenworthy Raven 442 Alan Jones Ratpack 592 Samantha De-Buriatte Invicta 428 Ken Payne Magic Dragon 586 Linda Lehane Independent 416 David Curwen Ratpack 568 Elizabeth Heath Independent 402 Alan White South Wilts AC 566 Georgia Lewis Independent 392 Steven Taylor Alresford Bowmen 558 Sharon Trodd Ratpack 346 Tim Seed Invicta 556 Linda Palmer Raven 326 Antony Barnatt Archers of Battle 542 Peter Eldridge COPRA 504 Gentlemen American Flat Bow Graham Bowbrick Ratpack 490 Denis Alsten Fleet Ibex 638 Ken Lewry Ratpack 480 Darren Hawkins Alresford Bowmen 612 Peter Parker Ratpack 458 David Bennett Fleet Ibex 548 John Cappello Belvedere 442 Phil Adams Rowen 536 Charles Liston Independent 408 Andrew Lehane Independent 508 Terry Randle Magna Carta 354 Rob Williams Holmbush 458 Andy Millard Ratpack 388 Roger De-Buriatte Invicta 410 Mick Maxen Cloth of Gold 390 Junior Boy Hunting Tackle Jack Massey Archers of Battle 700 Ladies American Flat Bow Joyce Morgan Cloth of Gold 466 Mel Roberts Holmbush 396 38
Company of 60, Ladies Barebow Ratpack 292 Gentlemen Barebow Thornbury 696 York Gibson Val Dock John Barcroft Senlac 684 Ladies Free Style Paul Skippins COPRA 608 Pat Luff Raven 414 Dan Simmonds Bridgewood 538 Jancint Bagdi Independent 346 Gentlemen Bow Hunter Peter Morgan Cloth of Gold 668 Gentlemen Free Style Phil Maher Independent 620 Glenn Martin Fleet Ibex 714 Terry Wentworth Westcott Archers 578 Ladies Compound Limited Roy Luff Raven 550 Andrea Beddard-Smith Independent 682 Steve Munnings Independent 540 Michll Kenworthy Raven 506 Gentlemen Compound Unlimited Stewart Fenwick Independent 826 Junior Compound Unlimited Adam Valovec Independent 792 Archie Crawford Raven 862 Stone Henriksen Red Neck 758 Juray Valovec Independent 746 Gentlemen Traditional Bow Hunter Andrew Crawford Raven 746 Steve Hipgrave Independent 666 Richard Searl Independent 742 Steve Stevenson Magic Dragon 634 Mick Lee Hartspring 724 Ollie Skuse Thornbury 612 Stan Bartosz Fleet Ibex 720 Roy Fisher Med Soc 570 Nick Hearn Hartspring 716 Glen Bolton Med Soc 552 Gareth Pearson HNA 500 COMPANY OF SIXTY RESULTS:- Club Handicap Competition: Lady - Sylvia Marshall Gent - John Holland Club Results: Ladies Longbow Gentlemen Longbow Ladies Primitive Sylvia Marshall 548 Alan Ruffle 512 Helene Dysart 394 Freda Marshall 542 Peter Briggs 456 Karen Freeman 344 Monique Purdy 480 Phil Stratton 440 Maggie Bremner 432 Gentlemen Primitive Meltem Raven 380 Junior American Flat Bow Antal Dubondi 422 Sally Smith 264 Stirling Rourke 382 Cub Barebow Gentlemen Hunting Tackle Gentlemen American Flat Bow Megan Goodman 234 Patrick Bishop 464 Stefan Purdy 492 Martin Shadbolt 448 Ladies Barebow Ladies Traditional Bow Hunter Victoria Way 234 Peta Stockton 372 Gentlemen Compound Unlimited John Holland 824 Gentlemen Barebow Gentleman Traditional Bow Hunter Simon Willard 772 Jim Timberlake 590 Mark Stockton 616 Paul Ware 400 Gentlemen Crossbow Paul Wilson 272 Cub Traditional Bow Hunter Chris Harwood 710 Tim Goodman 168 Seb Stockton 622 Don’t forget our next shoot:- 9th September 2018 Friendly… see you there! 39
“Out of the wilderness” by Maureen Rylance. There is a wilderness, an archery wilderness. set and knowledge base and we have become Once in there, it can be a long and tortuous road analysts of both technique and equipment. As I back. said, there is more to lose. After several years of frustration, isolation and The term “target panic” implies something manic bewilderment I am leaving this wilderness, and noticeable and you imagine an archer cautiously but optimistically in the hope that I throwing a real “wobbler” when facing a target. now have strategies that will prevent my return. Well, in fact it can be all of that but, to the casual observer, there will probably be no outward sign Anyone who has had, or is presently suffering apart from an expression of abject misery. from what is commonly called “target panic” will Also, the word “panic” infers something sudden, know this wilderness well. Actually, I prefer when in fact archery breakdown can to describe this condition as “archery be an insidious affair, creeping over breakdown,” simply because your you, quiet and relentless in its skills, technique and know-how momentum. all seem to break down and desert you in an It can take several forms. abandonment that sweeps Those I have knowledge of away your confidence and are:- leaves you floundering, - the inability to aim desperately seeking an or stay on chosen explanation and - more aiming point. importantly - a solution. - the inability to draw the I say more importantly for bow back to the face. you soon come to a state in - the compulsion to loose which you no longer want to prematurely, before you are know why it’s happening but in control of the shot. only how to make it stop. If all of this sounds familiar, please read on. You may be familiar with one or all of these difficulties. Often these problems seem Interestingly, archery breakdown rarely strikes insurmountable and leave you in a love hate beginners and novices. More often than not, it is relationship with your beloved sport. You may the seasoned and experienced archer who falls even have stopped shooting altogether. victim to its vagaries. Is this because in the experienced archer, there is more to break SO, there is good news and bad news... down? Often we carry within us a huge skill 42
The good news is that you CAN return to our purposes they are used to bond again with competent and confident shooting. The bad your bow and to reassert control over the draw. news is that there is no quick fix. You can If you are not happy with your efforts, do not only do this with a level of self discipline and commitment that will really tax you. beat yourself up, simply tell yourself that it is okay and will come right in time. And SMILE. If you are prepared for a long and difficult Yes, I am serious. (This is one of the reasons journey back to the wonderful pleasure and you should try to be alone in these sessions satisfaction that archery can bring, then read on. as there will be some talking to yourself and some smiling to be done. ) The first task is to regain control over your bow. You may have felt for a while that your Do this again and try to hold each full draw for bow controls you or has a will of its own so it is three seconds. time to take control and to begin this process Now, nock an arrow and come to full draw you must impose upon yourself some strict conditions - again then down slowly and smoothly. DO NOT apart from an expression of abject misery. SHOOT THE ARROW. Do not put target faces on the boss… This may seem a simple instruction but do not when in fact archery breakdown can these are a distraction from what you are fall apart if you discover it to be difficult. trying to accomplish. Scores are irrelevant to the you, quiet and relentless in its process. The process is all. Consequently, do not The reason for this may well be because you have had considerable time in which your bow compete or score ( I told you it would be hard). appears to have taken on a will of its own. Practise daily if possible or as many times So be kind to yourself and, once again, SMILE. Those I have knowledge of as you can manage and follow this series of exercises... do this alone if you can and Repeat sets of six draws until you are in control. do not engage in any long explanations If this is not happening, move on to CLOSED EYE the inability to aim about why you are doing the exercises. or stay on chosen SHOOTING. If you have succeeded, then come Be polite but firm and make it clear that to full draw six times with an arrow in the bow, you need no distractions. but only loose on every third draw. Do not do There are three strands to the exercises. Do all this for long or you will be doing the rest of the of them in your session or at least attempt them. session in a tired state. Do not expect to succeed straight away. I list the Then rest a moment, tell yourself well done exercises in no particular order. Try them and see and move on to CLOSED EYE SHOOTING. how they fit with you. You may be familiar with one or all CLOSED EYE SHOOTING of these difficulties. Often these problems seem ONE IN THREE insurmountable and leave you in a love hate This is an excellent exercise for all archers Take up your position at the line or peg with whether they have technique breakdown or not. the target (faceless) at a short distance away. This has been my go-to strategy for the last Without an arrow, come smoothly and slowly to thirty years of shooting. Place a blank boss SO, there is good news and bad news... full draw then smoothly and slowly down again. about 5-8 yards from you. It is there simply used mainly to increase strength. However, for to stop your arrow. Take up your stance and 43
relax, dropping your shoulders to eliminate any So there we have the proposed programme of tension. Nock an arrow into your bow and - as retraining. It will be demanding but well worth you draw back to your face - close your eyes. the effort. As your confidence and competence Feel your anchor point and slowly and smoothly return, refamiliarise yourself with a target face loose the arrow. Repeat this with three arrows but eliminate the “area of tension” by cutting out (no more or you may damage arrows because the gold area or even the red and gold - this you will find that you group very closely.) enables you to return to shooting with a face but without the stress that the Gold can bring. You As you shoot your sets of three arrows, try to can decide for how long you need to do this. FEEL each part of your process, the draw, the anchor point, the weight across your shoulders, Take everything slowly and return to these the dynamic tension before you loose. Try to exercises any time you feel tense or visualise yourself executing the shot as though uncomfortable. These strategies will help you you were above yourself, looking down. through until the wilderness is just a distant memory. Spend at least fifteen minutes on this exercise. Take a short break and feel good about yourself. So, Good luck and be kind to yourself. You are on your way to a good place. SMILE. After all, you are an archer and we all know how wonderful that can be. LET FLY This is a corker of an exercise to free yourself MAUREEN RYLANCE of inhibitions and tensions. If you are familiar with clout shooting then you are prepared for April 2018 this. All it entails is to lean back as far as is comfortable, then draw and loose an arrow as though you were at Agincourt. No finesse is needed, just let fly and experience the freedom of no aiming point or target. Many archery clubs will not have sufficient distance for this style of shooting so we overcome this by using arrows fitted with blunts and flu-flu feathers. These slow down the arrow flight so that you get the feeling of shooting long distance without the worry of overshooting. It is advisable to use longer arrows than normal as you may find you become so relaxed that you draw back further than usual. 20 minutes of this can really open you up and make you smile of your own volition. 44
this Take everything slowly and return to these exercises any time you feel tense or After all, you are an archer and we all know 45
REDNEXTRAVAGANZA #2 EASTER 2018 THORRINGTON HALL FARM WOODS THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! We Rednex had a great time at our recent two-day event and that is all down to YOU, our archery buddies that came from far and wide to visit us and play in the woods, whether just for one day or the two. Once again, this year, we were lucky with the weather, given what we had for the weeks prior to the weekend, with just a few spots on the Saturday and a cooler day on the Sunday. The lack of any downpours was just as well, the conditions underfoot in some areas were pretty sticky to say the least. We tried our best to avoid the really nasty bits and nothing seemed to hamper the enjoyment too much if at all; honestly, I think some of you only came for the mud and the muck! What say you Mr. Piercy? The team that set the course - led by Mark - did a fantastic job and, on both days, set fair but challenging targets for everyone to test themselves against. The feedback at the event and in the immediate aftermath would seem to back that up, the challenge had been accepted and enjoyed. For your information, Mark is already con- templating the options for the next one. The team of 1: Madi, did a superb job with administration, filtering and sorting the groups to meet as many of the requests as possible from the 130 + archers that wanted to come and see us. At the event Madi was ably assisted by Pe- ter and despite this all was proc- essed in good time with the only error we found being reported to us as a courtesy after the event. To cover this, we owe Mark Allen a medal as Peter failed to pick up an alteration made to a card and we had him out of position. Photographs courtesy of Robyn Parker 46
Need I say anything about our catering team? Scott did a brilliant job keeping you all fed and tea’d/coffee’d up, but our special thanks must go to Julia who provided us with the many (10) varied cakes and confectionaries and then came along to take your orders and dish out the cakes, too. Judging by the compliments at the event, and subsequently on social media, they were extremely well received. We understand that, due to his efforts recycling the mugs, Curly earned himself the status of “Domestic Goddess”. Others that volunteered and to whom we owe our thanks: Mike Ashington, Jas Tait, Bob Bassett, Jim Gillespie, Stone (the Viking) Henriksan; you all did a great job and you are very much appreciated. Finally, our thanks go to Josh and Mary and to Gibbon Farms for allowing us to use the woods, we are hoping to be able to use them again in 2019; rest assured we will keep you posted. Once again, thank you for your support, we are humbled by the warmth and kindness of our archery family. Ladies Barebow Ladies Bowhunter Lynne Harrison 1266 4 Centaura Sue Birch 574 1 Independent Liz Holmes 1084 2 Nemesis Barbara Roberts 854 2 Independent Ladies Crossbow Vikki Motchman 626 0 Tendring FA Margaret Rickard 1582 22 KLFA Robyn Parker 306 0 Tendring FA Ladies AFB Ladies Freestyle Joyce Morgan 1134 3 Cloth of Gold Lisa Fowler 1288 8 COLA Jacqui Johnson 914 5 Centaura Theresa Hearne 720 0 Excaliber Ladies Hunting Tackle Julie Lawless 358 0 Independent Alayne D'attoma 1114 3 Hartspring Emma Winning 328 1 Independent Karen Critchley 998 0 Spirit of Sherwood Suzanne Norton 254 0 Independent did a fantastic job and, on both days, Anne Moon 870 3 Robin Hood LB’men Linda Lehane 860 0 Independent Ladies Compound Limited Jan Beckham 818 1 Tendring FA Shirley Donald 1436 7 Spirit of Sherwood at the event and in the immediate aftermath would seem to back that up, the Amanda Thompson 438 23 Aurora Merry Thompson 298 2 Aurora Ladies Longbow Pennie Grew 1100 5 Tendring FA Ladies Compound Unlimited Julie Hawkes 1054 5 Longbow Heritage Sue Dickenson 1626 22 Panther Bowhunters Sue Fenyn 1044 5 Holly Stewart 1596 27 Aurora Alex Tyler 1018 3 Oakwood Bowmen Wendy Young 868 2 DW Longbow Gents Barebow Olivia Morgan 838 0 Independent Terry Stevens 1478 18 Invicta Amanda Burgess 826 2 Bowmen of Salcey Graham Holmes 1414 11 Nemesis Clair Parfit 816 1 Tendring FA Ron Patterson 1310 7 HNA Lynette Fisher 714 1 Independent Stephen Parsons 1270 1 Briar Rose FA Josephine Allen 648 0 Tendring FA Tony Young 1262 3 South Hams Anita Sutton 422 0 Independent Sean Haldane 1200 5 Bridgewood Georgina Thompson 236 0 Independent Garry Fisk 1120 2 Oakwood Bowmen Tom Rushton 1106 5 Tendring FA Alan Roberts 940 1 Independent Chris Rushton 834 3 Tendring FA Roy Fisher 580 1 Bridge Woods Stone Hennriksan 504 0 Rednex Adam Thompson 448 2 Aurora 47
Gents Bowhunter Gents Crossbow Peter Morgan 1374 11 Cloth of Gold Colin Rose 776 9 Totem Archers Phil Maher 1348 10 Independent Carl Tagg 556 0 Independent Gents AFB Chris Moon 1246 8 Robin Hood LB’men Gents Freestyle Andy Doyle 1182 6 Invicta Steve Palmer 1482 12 Raven Dave Wood 1152 4 Robin Hood LB’men Lawrence Goodall 1466 13 Newham Martin Langford 1138 5 Independent Stewart Beckham 1444 11 Aurora Adam Browning 1112 7 Aurora Richard Gardiner 1422 17 C.A.D.A.C Graham Piercy 1096 5 Independent Terry Wentworth 1310 11 Westcott Archers Andrew Lehane 1080 2 Archers of Battle Steve Munnings 1138 4 Independent Keith Cattermole 1054 3 Tendring FA John Smith 614 5 Aurora Gary Thompson 590 1 Independent Paul Roberts 1358 11 Independent Mark Oakes 584 3 Oakwood Bowmen Graham Radford 546 0 HNA Steve Gill 524 1 Oakwood Bowmen Russell Mutton 462 0 Oakwood Bowmen Morgan Thompson 428 2 Aurora Gents Hunting Tackle Steve Hipgrave 1342 4 South Hams Ken Adams 1234 5 Spirit of Sherwood Kelly Lake 1216 6 Independent Neil Gamble 1188 6 Totem Archers Kevin Pyle 1168 2 Tendring FA Tim Cathmoir 1165 4 Independent Steve Osborne 1156 3 Tendring FA Elric McClouds 1118 5 Excaliber Charlie Hitching 1102 2 Independent Gents Compound Limited Mick Hitching 892 2 Independent Peter Jones 1600 24 Druids Shaun Beckham 840 5 Tendring FA Duane Williams 1574 22 Totem Archers Stephen Robinson 772 3 Independent Andy Knott 1466 13 Oakwood Bowmen Glenn Bolton 540 1 Bridge Woods Bob Basset 324 0 Independent Gents Longbow Roger Grew 1176 7 Tendring FA Shaun Lake 576 0 Independent (N-C) Mark Tarbuck 1166 4 DW Longbow Mark Allen 1128 6 Tendring FA Compound Unlimited Carl Gibbard 1124 8 Bowmen of Salcey Mark Wiseman 1792 51 Independent Ian Stanley 1104 6 Priory Bowmen Andy Williams 1630 31 Bowmen of Salcey Keith Sharp 1080 5 Priory Bowmen Steve Dickenson 1616 22 Panther Bowhunters Graham Baker 1076 2 Robin Hood LB’men Mick Lee 1554 17 Hartspring Brian Simcox 966 1 Bowmen of Salcey Ken Scott 1474 16 Raven Ben Hearne 910 1 Excaliber Nicholas Hearn 716 8 Hartspring Martin Sutton 894 4 Independent Graham Birch 702 4 Totem Archers David Piercy 802 2 Independent Ian Leonard 670 0 Aurora Gents Primitive Philip Johnson 1206 4 Centaura Kevin Button 1204 4 Priory Bowmen Ken Whitiker 1156 7 Raven Mark Peet 1056 5 Centaura Stuart Fuller 876 3 Longbow Heritage 48
Welcome to this issue’s “Hoods & Maids” - those fine souls whose resultant arrows never fail to inspire awe and wonder!! First we welcome MIKE SCHOFIELD of Brothers in Arms Archery Club. When asked by Hels if this was his handiwork, Mike replied:- “Yes it was me..... (very nearly missed).... at our club woods.... ‘Gibbet Firs’ (very apt).” Mike, arise and henceforth shall you be known as ”Sir Schofield, Bird Whisperer - silencer of all species” … long may you reign! Secondly we induct into our eminent annals no less than 2 from the same clan! Nominated by Rob Slatem, this induction - entitled “The Marr Double” - played out thusly… “Hi - family Hoods and Maids with Georgia Marr barely scratching on the back of the wolf and Niki Marr's toenail shot”, said Rob. Taken at Fleet Ibex on Sunday 1st April 2018, this class of dexterity cannot and proficiency of execution shall not (and will not) go unnoticed! Arise “Lady Georgia - fur fascinator” alongside “Lady Wolfclaw AKA Niki the Podiatrist”… we salute you both and the House of Marr!! 49
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