Back To The Roost

Wow, its March already and this is the first update of the new year. Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long but time recently has been short.

Well alot has happened since my last posting, most isn't very exciting just shooting lots more indoor rounds. But this year there was a bit of a play on with the fixtures list and to break away from the standard Portsmouth and Bray I shoots, a Bray II and a FITA 25m were shot. Despite a bit of grumbling from a few archers it was something different and people seemed to have enjoyed it overall.
I have managed to beat all my PB's from last year, though getting decent scores on Portsmouth rounds are still starting to test me. One of my ravens did have its tail shot off and its wing clipped by another longbow archer, but night in the surgery and its flying once more.

The Chester Indoor was the big event so far this year in which NCB walked away with a nice lot of awards:

Now if I've got this right, the awards were:

-Highest unrewarded recurve team,
-Most golds for Leigh Walmsley
-2nd Junior recurve girl for Meg Shaw
-2nd compound gent for John Stubbs
-2nd compound junior boy for Joe Shaw
-1st longbow gents for Shaun Allan
-2nd longbow ladies for Elsie Smith
-1st longbow team
-Plus a raffle prize

I think that's everything.

The Valentine's Cup was the other big club event and despite putting in a decent score, it wasn't enough to secure the longbow trophy for this year. The club champs are looming so it'll be fun, another Portsmouth though and atm my shooting is not overly reliable and in a state of dramatic fluctuation. I'm not able to practise as often as I used to, only twice a week for a couple of hours and tbh its not enough to keep up a consistent level and improve, or at least for me. But its almost the outdoor season soon (yay) where the shoots are longer and more fun.

This year I've picked up a number of longbow shoots and in the process of picking which ones I am planning on attending, which unfortunately means I have another set of projects to be getting on with, as in making a longbow stand for outdoors, and making some longer distance arrows. Though my current ravens will reach 100yds. they have to be arced quite high and with their long tail feathers if a windy day it can prove hard for them to remain on course, esp with the varying winds on our range.

I'm also going to be experimenting with trying to straighten my arrows using a home made straightening tool, otherwise known as a block of wood with a hole cut to size. I'm not sure how well it'll work but no harm in trying.

Today's quote is from Confucius. Until next time, good shooting:

"In archery we have something like the way of the superior man. When the archer misses the centre of the target, he turns round and seeks for the cause of his failure in himself."