Thank you to Ralph for mending the rope winder. It makes things a lot easier when we have to rope off.

We’ve just found out that the Great Nottingham show will be held on the Highfields site on the weekend of 29/30th September. More details here http://thegreatnottinghamshireshow.wordpress.com/

Therefore no shooting on Sun 30th, and as the Robin Hood Marathon is being held the same day with part of the route along University Boulevard it sounds like the area is best avoided – unless you are going to the show, or running.

Wilford members had mixed fortunes at the Inter County team shoot last weekend (2nd Sept), between Notts, Lincs, Derbys, Northants and Leics).

Emma Thomason was called up at very short notice and joined Mike Thomason, Laura White and Steve Attwood and the rest of the Nottinghamshire team at Long Buckby Archers in Daventry. In all Wilford members made up one fifth of the Notts team.

Conditions were good. The shoot went smoothly. Emma shot very well and beat her personal best by 130 points. The rest of us acheived some season’s best scores. Despite Nottinghamshire’s best efforts, the opposition were just too strong and we finished out of contention.

These pages haven’t been updated much lately because we’ve been so busy.

Mike Thomason was one of the Nottinghamshire team in the Tri County match between Notts, Derbys and Warwickshire on 5th August. Last weekend (12th) Matt, Laura, Nicky, Steve and Mike were the work party (with bacon cobs prepared by Charlotte) AND shot in the third and final leg of the Notts League shoot (which we hosted at Sherwood Archers). Wilford were 1st on the day and joint 1st overall, but 2nd on total score. (Its done on a points basis) Result! In addition Laura, Mike and Steve have been selected to represent Nottinghamshire in the Thoresby Trophy Inter county event (Notts, Lincs, Leics, Derbys, Northants) on 2nd September in Daventry.

On top of that while the Olympics was on a lot of people took part in the Nottingham City Council “Game On” taster sessions. Although the “Game On” promotion got off to a slow start it picked up considerably as time progressed (17 for the last two sessions) and we could have filled the final session twice over. We have been offering an alternate session, but this hasn’t had many takers, mainly due to holidays. In all 53 people took part, some even turned up twice.

Many thanks are due to Mike, Ralph, Denis, Pete, Charlotte and Steve for all their hard work in dealing with this level of interest. We have had many compliments on the sessions. Thanks are also due to Matt for his wonderful posters.

There have been many enquiries about beginners courses from the “Game On” sessions, via our website and the Notts Archery website. Since mid July we have responded to approximately 75 requests for information on beginners courses, with the result that the two courses currently underway were oversubscribed, and there’s enough interest to fill another course later in the year.

After all this hard work, we expect that a good proportion of people from the course will want to join the club. That in itself will will be a challenge and we’ve a long way to go yet, but its all looking very positive for the future of Wilford Bowmen.

Wilford Bowmen are taking part in the City Council’s “Game On £1 Promotion” which will be running during the Olympics by hosting a series of archery taster sessions at a cost of just £1. Details are here

The second leg (of three) of the Nottinghamshire League took place yesterday at Sherwood Archers. Despite all the rough, wet weather lately, the conditons were very pleaseant, it was warm, calm and dry with enough sunshine for some archers to go home looking a touch red. Attendance was up slightly on the first event at Rolls Royce at the start of May.

We had a good turn out – Mike Thomason (Compound), Laura White, Matt Robinson, Terry Holden and Steve Attwood (Recurve) and Andy Kay (Judge). Interim club team positions will be available here shortly.

Each year Nottinghamshire take part in a challenge against Sherwood in Oregon. In recent years the teams are selected over the first two legs of the Notts League. Wilford were well represented, with Mike, Laura and Steve being in the respective teams. In addition Laura was just pipped as highest lady overall, having led after the first leg.

More information on the Sherwood Challenge is available here. http://www.sylvanarchers.org/subpages/Nottingham/50thAnivInfo.pdf

We are experiencing some teething problems with our new venue at Highfields, other than the wet weather! There are no scheduled events for Sunday 10th June and consequently it might be that there is no access to the ground – this is being addressed as a matter of urgency with the City Council.

A belated post.

On Sunday 20th May we hosted our annual (64th in fact) Tournament, which was also a Nottinghamshire Team selection shoot. Due to the tram works and our relocation earlier this year we had already decided to take up the offer from Sherwood Archers of the use of their ground and equipment.

Getting to Southwell for 7am was a bit of a shock to the system, but we had a small band of willing (!) helpers and the range was set up quickly and efficiently. Entries were slightly up on last year and a calm if cold day was forecast.

The shoot went very smoothly. the highlight of the day was that junior international archer Robert Gray showed the men (recurves) how to shoot, led all day and won convincingly. As for Wilford Bowmen, Laura White was third Lady (recurve) and gained points for the Notts team selection, as did Steve Attwood who was 4th Notts (recurve).

Thanks are due to Sherwood Archers for helping us out with a venue and equipment on what was referred to on the day as “Wilford on Tour”. Thanks are also due to Jane and Charlotte for all the preparation and Charlotte, Andy and Joyce, Ray, Terry, Laura and Matt, Ralph, Denis – and Vicky and Martin from Belvoir Archers. Without your hard work this shoot would not have been the success that it undoubtedly was.

The results are available Wilford Rose-Results2012.

Following the move to Highfields the orange sides of the containers that were previously hidden have become glaringly obvious. A work party was organised for this morning to get the everyday container paint in green so that it is a bit less noticeable.

Many thanks to Terry, Pete, Gary and Steve for getting the painting done.

Afternoon, here are the interim results after the first leg of the Notts League shoot (6th May).

Teams scores
Notts League leg 1 interim results teams

Individual scores
Notts League leg 1 interim results pure score

Individual handicap scores
Notts League leg 1 interim results hcap score

As mentioned earlier, we were just pipped into second place.