Tag Archives: thanks

Jan 18 2013

snow, snow, and some more snow

This has nothing to do with archery and simply a series of pictures of my walk home on Friday. The UK doesn’t get snow that often and in turn often suffers from not always being prepared.

The weather forecast had been predicting snow for a few days but it still caused problems. Despite this many of us managed to get to work. Having said that I did head in prepared with my winter walking gear (walking boots, lined trousers, hot drinks etc)

The first picture is taken at the train station at about 7:30 am when I had walked there from the house, not too bad yet.

taken on way to work

taken on way to work

8:30 am and here are the next photos taken from my office window, it had only just started to fall any amount

8-30 am

by 9:40 Birmingham was seeing heavy snow fall

9-30 am, note the snow on cars

View from office at 9:30 am, note the snow on cars

 At 1 pm an email went out saying managers could allow staff to go home early due to weather. My next train was at  2 pm so I headed to the train station, and this was where these were taken.

university station from walkway

university station from walkway

university station from platform

university station from platform

Unfortunately because the previous train had been cancelled when the 2 pm train arrived (late) it was already packed and no-one could get on. Option left was to wait for the 3 pm train or catch a different train and have about a 3.5-4 mile walk home via country lanes.

Me being me I chose to walk and in some ways so glad I did. Okay so walking 4 miles in snow might not be everyone’s idea of fun, but to put it simply I love cold weather. It also gave me an opportunity for a country walk and this is where these photos were taken.

Starting walk home

Starting walk home

snowy train

snowy tree

snowy lane

snowy lane

snowy field

snowy field

And finally got home. Have had about 4-5 inches (10-12 cms) of snow since 7:30 am

20130118_160814

Just like to say a big thanks to all the workers and volunteers who have kept UK going, whether it be rail service, gritting roads, meals on wheels or emergency services, thanks.

Hope you like them and for those of you out in the cold, keep safe and stay warm, thanks for reading.

May 15 2012

Shoot report – Lyme Valley May 2012

Sunday saw another early start and long drive, this time stopping off to collect Ben on route a fellow Black Arrow member who we were acting as shoot guardian for. Thankfully it was dry and sunny day, a rare combination recently. Our destination was to be the Lyme Valley  grounds just north of Stoke on Trent who were hosting this NFAS shoot.
We like Lyme Valley shoots and try to get to them whenever possible, so the early start is normally more than worthwhile.
It is a lovely wood situated on the sometimes steep sides of a valley, with a stream at the bottom.
See previous shoot write-up.
Renowned for being a course where you will be going up and down the valley sides and crossing the countless foot bridges you work up a good appetite. I’m not a fan of having lunch breaks at shoots, I rather shoot through where you stop off and grab a bite to it between pegs. However due to the layout of the wood it’s not practical for Lyme Valley to run as it as a shoot through. This Sunday would see 160+ archers joining us for a day shooting a mix of  3D targets and paper faces.
We had a great group with Sharon, Ben and I being joined by Jill and David Haynes from the Pride Park club, 2 very good compound archers and great company laughing and joking all the way round the course. Jill is also a coach trainer and had been one my assessors when I was taking my coaching course.
The Lyme Valleys course itself had been extensively modified since the last time we shot it, providing a mix of short medium and long shoots, going up, down and across the hillsides. Add to this the careful use of dead ground and trees to frame shots all made for a real challenge.
I’m still amazed to have hit the long turkey shot after the lunch break. Especially with the audience watching, themselves waiting to shoot the target. I’m sure the marshal had jinxed us when he’d said just before we were about to shoot “everyone gets it first arrow” – thanks Tom. We’d seen the group before lunch shoot the target and not all hit with their first arrow.
Amazingly we proved Tom right and did all hit it with our first arrow, though I did feel the pressure when I went up to shoot. I was the last adult to shoot and Jill, David and Sharon had all nailed it with their recurve and compound bows. There was me with my little flat bow and wooden arrows, I’d only finished making and marking up the day before.

Sharon did really well scoring 628 and winning ladies barebow. In fact I think she was only 2 points behind the third placed gents. All in the group did well with all of us getting placed. Yes that means I won my first ever medal in American Flatbow, only a third place but still a medal and placing 🙂
After all my concerns about target panic and reading on the subject and not forgetting the support from followers of this blog and fellow archers I’m more convinced than ever that you have to persist and work at it.

Big thanks to all at Lyme for a great day, already booked for your next shoot.
Thanks for your time in reading this.