A new beginning, and we're making great progress so far
Archery NI took over from the Northern Ireland Archery Society last year and since then it's been all go.
There is a new website, Archery Northern Ireland www.archeryni.org.uk, with everything you need to know about the fee structure, tournament calendar, sponsorship and details of how the increased funding award from Sport Northern Ireland will be spent.
And there is a new Facebook page so members can get in touch, submit stories and keep up to date with the very latest news.
A new Board has been set up and has been meeting regularly. The Interim Directors are Neil Armitage, Muriel Kirkwood, Bryan Woodcock and two new elected directors have been appointed. They are: Ian McAuley, Director, Membership and Development and Damien Lennon, Director, Performance and Coaching.
Ian said: "Our archers, clubs, coaches and volunteers are enthusiastic and passionate about the sport they love. If we work together my vision is that we can attract new members, regain previous members and indeed further develop the performance of our athletes."
Damian said: "I recognise this is going to take a lot of hard work and dedication and I am prepared to put in the work to achieve this goal. I hope to share this determination with the coaches, clubs and athletes themselves that we can embolden our sport and create champions"
But there are still Board positions still to be filled, so if you are interested in playing your part in the future Archery NI and the development of our sport, then please go to the vacancies section of the Archery GB website.
Rising stars recognised
Three rising Northern Ireland stars, Rebecca Lennon, Jake Walsh and Dean Hamilton, have been presented with Mary Peters Trust Awards by Eilish Rutherford, Chairwoman of the Mary Peters Trust and Ruth Gorman, UTV Sports Correspondent. Rebecca, Dean and Jake, who won recently mixed-team silver at the European Youth Cup, have all represented both Northern Ireland and Archery GB at target and field championships around the world.
Olympian Patrick Huston, who was recently part of the Great Britain squad at the first stage of the Archery World Cup in Shanghai and took double gold in Slovenia, was awarded a Northern Ireland Sport Ambassador Award.
Blooming good idea
Daffodils are the official emblem of Marie Curie, which supports people with terminal illnesses. It is also the name of an annual field shoot, which this year helped to raise funds for the charity.
It was organised by Ballyvally Archers at Tolleymore Forest Park in Northern Ireland and everyone who took part gave £1. That, plus a few other contributions, quickly added up to £100 which was later handed over to a Marie Curie representative by club treasurer Patricia Mulligan.
And it is not the only time the club has dug deep. Over the past year it has raised almost £1,000 for various charities.
News: Scotland
It all started with: Hamish Robertson was there at the start of Glasgow Archers. This is his story
The origins of Glasgow Archers can be traced back to 1948 and a newspaper notice asking if anyone was interested in setting up a club in the city.
Hamish Robertson and his friend, Alfred Butler, attended a meeting of about a dozen people in Bath Street, above a shop selling musical instruments. The result was a new club and the chance to meet other clubs and members of the Scottish Archery Association; which was to be a great help.
Glasgow Archers decided to run a nationwide raffle, which was quite rare in those days because of red tape and problems getting permission. Money poured in; too much money as it happens. The treasurer decamped with the cash and was never seen again.
Hamish and Alf continued to shoot but the club faded away until, in 1954, SAA Chairman George Hamilton got in touch. Glasgow businessman Victor Scott wanted to learn to shoot and did not know how to find a local club. With his help, Glasgow Archers was resurrected and, through his connections, secured a new base: Thermotank's sports ground, Hogarth Park.
The club grew. George Cammidge, his brother in-law and younger brother were soon picking up medals and George joined the Scottish International lists. Les Fosberry moved from England to work in Glasgow. He joined as a learner and, in one season, became one of the top flight trophy winners, as was Bobby Hall. He was a joiner at Fairfield shipyard, had never drawn a bow and, by 1958, was British champion.
The postal shoot was born in 1957. A rail strike meant very few people could take part in Rowntree of York's annual open shoot. Undaunted, it sent out entry forms and score cards to every club in Britain asking clubs to do the shoot anyway, fill out the cards and get independent scorers to sign each one to make sure everything was above board.
It was well supported nationally and Hamish thought Glasgow Archers members, who were shooting at Kilwinning anyway, should be part of it. So he submitted five scorecards, plus his own, to make up the necessary six. The four best scores from each club were used to calculate the results and the winners were: Bobby Hall, Les Fosberry, George Davis and Hamish.
The trophy was delivered by train. Hamish picks up the story: "I went in to the Central Station by arrangement to pick it up and got the shock of my life when they wheeled out this three-foot square box. It was so heavy I could not pick it up. I got a taxi home and then unpacked the biggest mahogany-backed solid silver embossed shield which came with a folding stand because you could not possibly hang it up. We were also each given a small shield and I still have mine. Happy days."
In 1958, Bobby Hall became British champion at Liverpool, closely watched by other competitors. A few weeks later an English archer turned up asking Hamish to coach him. He stayed for a week, went home and attained Master Bowman status. That really started something as more and more archers asked for his help. By 1962, the club had moved to Haggs Road and he was either there or at the SAA training facility in Largs. He had also been asked to set up a Civil Servants' archery club; which ended up with him teaching evening classes in every week with his wages going directly into SAA funds so that his amateur status was not infringed.
But things were changing. He was now married, was not getting any time to shoot and it was time for a break.
News: East Midlands
A smash hit: Collaboration brings crowds flocking
When Derwent Bowmen needed a site big enough to host its first world record status double 720 shoot, it turned to its local cricket club for help. And the result was spectacular.
It was held at the picturesque setting of Darley Dale Cricket Club, nestled in the heart of the Peak District and attracted Olympians, Paralympians and GB squad members of all ages as well as club archers from all over Britain. It also pulled in hundreds of visitors for what the clubs hope will become a permanent fixture.
It was run over two days and Ashe Morgan topped the men's recurve on the Saturday, ahead of 16-year-old Alex Wise and Olympian Patrick Huston in his flat cap. On Sunday, the top two positions were reversed as Alex, who has only been shooting for two years, scored 1,316. Lizzie Warner claimed victory on Saturday followed by Derwent Bowmen's Sarah Smith and Eva Henderson-Hirst. Amy Gott took the spoils on Sunday.
James Mason dominated Saturday's men's compound competition ahead of Simon Frogatt and Mikey Hall. Derwent's Dave Dixon topped the table on the Sunday. Linda Townsend and Kirsty Robb were the top two women on both days.
And there was standout performance from Aber Archers' Alex Newnes who shot a new Welsh longbow record of 817.
Club Chairman Dean Hirst said: "It is great that two sports can collaborate to deliver such a wonderful tournament. The weekend brought hundreds of visitors to the area and we were able to showcase a stunning venue. Archers, visitors and judges alike were complimentary about the facilities and organisation and looked forward to coming again. We hope we can raise the profile of archery in Derbyshire and encourage more people to take up the sport."
Full results are available from the Derwent Bowman web site; www.derwentbowmen.co.uk.
Ready for battle?
In 1322, Edward II went head to head with his cousin Thomas Plantagenet, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, at a crossing over the River Trent. It became known as the Battle of Burton Bridge and, this year, there is set to be another.
Burton Bridge Archers is inviting anyone interested to join the king's army and defend the crown on 27 August at its ground, based at the original battle site.
The original conflict (there was another Battle of Burton Bridge, in 1643) saw Lancaster gather his 30,000-strong army just south of his seat in Tutbury Castle and, eventually, pay the ultimate price for his rebellion.
That, plus a trip to the annual Crecy shoot, inspired the club to set up a similar shoot in tribute. It will be clout-style, particularly at the longer distances, but archers will be shooting at life-sized targets of enemy soldiers and knights.
Tournament organiser Geoff Fisher said: "To keep it authentic(ish), we are welcoming longbow, barebow and traditional bows, with no sighting aids allowed, and throwing in the odd end of volleys… it's a lot of work to make these targets, so not hitting them will help them last.
"What better way is there to spend August Bank holiday than dressing up in medieval style; that's optional; flinging arrows through the sky at enemy soldiers, being fed mid-battle and, most importantly, being out in the fresh air enjoying the company of friends? "
The club also holds annual open western and clout tournaments and, last year, hosted the EMAS clouts. Its longbowers have even created the Burket Trophy to encourage a bit of friendly rivalry with their counterparts at Kettering Archers.
You can find more details of the first Battle of Burton Bridge on the Burton Bridge Archers website; www.burtonbridgearchers.co.uk.
News: General
Practice makes; A little too perfect
The longest Robin Hood ever?
It's great to try something new but sometimes you can get a little too proficient; as Steve Walker, a level 2 coach at Bromley Archery Club, found out when he tried shooting kyudo-style.
He was interested in how it forces archers to focus on technique rather than scores, so after three months' training from Jeff Humm and his wife Kiyo, he borrowed some arrows and a glove so that he could practice. His destination was Archery Fit and, after a couple of ends, the place erupted when he shot one 42-inch kyudo arrow into the back of another. It has to be one of the longest Robin Hoods ever.
Two for Wolds Archers
It's also been eventful at Wolds Archers in Brandesburton, East Yorkshire. First Michael Lucas shot a Robin Hood and then, a week after hitting the nock on another arrow and denting the end of the shaft, Derrick Barnes made a shot that left him counting the cost; again.
Fame does not protect you
Being one of the best known archers around doesn't make a difference either. Tom Williamson, honorary life member of Archery GB and father of six-time Olympian Alison, was shooting a Portsmouth at Long Mynd Archers when his grouping got a little too precise.
Blackpool to Worthing
And Kevin Holmes got in on the act during a club night at Blackpool Bowmen Archery Club, as did Trevor Little who shot his Carbon One into an Easton Jazz at 40 metres during Worthing Archery Club's sunburn competition.
Dice shot Alan
Now for something completely different. Well almost. Bowmen of Backworth held a fun shoot which featured swinging dice, courtesy of Alan Brown, who was shooting recurve instead of his usual longbow. Phil Scott had hit one of the dice, causing it to swing when Alan released an arrow. It split Phil's as it swung and rotated, leaving Alan as pleased as punch and Phil facing a shopping trip.
Almost there: Archery GB's new website is about go live
Archery GB's new website is about to go live; and it will make life a lot easier for members, clubs and everyone connected with our sport.
"It's been a long time coming," said Chief Executive Neil Armitage. "I hope you will all be very pleased with it.
"It's got a fresh new look, new sliders, new tabs and better navigation. It's much easier to move around and find the information relevant to you and it's much more responsive. Most importantly, it has been tested by volunteers from throughout the membership."
So what improvements have been made?
The menu has been simplified so that's it's easier to navigate around the website and find exactly what you want.
It is more user friendly, with quick link boxes to the topics you are looking for and a spotlight area highlighting our latest campaigns, competition entries, workshops and programmes as they happen.
All your latest news headlines, document and diary feeds are clearly displayed on the home page.
The all-new tournament diary has a new, clean look with an easy-to-use layout.
The club finder has been upgraded so that it is much easier to use and has more functions.
You can now filter and refine your search using quick links so that you can find all the resources you need.
There is a new video library for coaches and visitors who want to find out more about all aspects of the sport.
And, perhaps most importantly, it is fully responsive so that it can be used equally well on desktops, laptops, mobiles and tablets.
There is also a new customer relations management system to make it easier for you to interact and manage your personal data. It will help Archery GB too. Neil said the aim was to gather data, for example about bow styles and how often how members shoot. That, in turn, will give Archery GB more insight into the membership, what you want and how it improve and tailor its offer and services.
But the website is not the only way Archery GB is trying to keep in touch. Neil now holds regular webinars: the next are on 28 June, 26 July, 27 September and 29 November.
There is also an app being piloted and you can still keep up to date of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Derrick "Del" Bumstead
A member of Bowmen of Darenteford, passed away shortly after his 70th birthday. He was the second longest serving member of the club and had been its treasurer and membership secretary. Del has been described as a funny, friendly and approachable man who would give his time and effort to help anyone and who will be much missed.
Frederick Noone
Canterbury Archers has lost its oldest member, 95-year-old longbow archer Frederick
Noon. Fred recently received the Legion d'Honneur for his actions at Sword Beach in Colleville-Sur-Orne. After being transferred to the Hampshire Regiment he joined the commandoes, took part in the raids in Norway, was attached to the Eighth Army and was involved in the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944. He was accorded a military funeral. His legacy at Canterbury Archers includes the Fred Noone 90 shoot, first set up to mark his 90th birthday.
Louis Gladwell
Louis Gladwell, the Honorary Life President of Holdens Archers, has passed away. He founded the club in 1975 with his wife Lorna and friends Alan and Kitty Hatfield. He later set up the August Bank Holiday Hatfield Memorial Shoot, now in its 34th year, in memory of Alan and Kitty. It has raised thousands for the Bloodwise leukaemia and lymphoma research charity. He was also a qualified archery instructor and brought many people into the sport through lessons at the club and Brentwood School.
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