57th William Somner Tournament

Simon Langton School for Gels, Canterbury, 2 September 2012

For once on a Sunday I was on time, leading to much startlement in the Griffiths household. Unfortunately, said startlement meant that by the time I got to Canterbury's grounds, I was running late.

Mark G, Steve B, Chris H, Dave P and Paul were already set up and encamped on the waiting line; pop-a-bivvies popped, tea poured and bacon sarnies being munched. Fortunately, I wasn't the last archer to arrive, nor the last member of the CM&FB posse to get there. Making a fashionably late arrival was Pete M, who got in from Spain the night before. It hadn't quite come to us taking bets as to whether he'd arrive before shooting commenced, but it was getting that way. I managed to find myself a little space in between the now-obligatory row of Quechua tents, put out my pathetic camping chair and promptly threw tea over it. It's not part of my competing ritual, but given how well I then went on to shoot, I might just start doing it. Though it is a waste of a good cuppa.


Cloudy, cold, humid, warm, windy, sunny - all of these could describe me first thing in the morning, but luckily this was the contrary nature of Sunday's weather. It started off cloudy and a bit cold, and the CM&FB massive stared fretfully at the sky as if it would rain any minute. It didn't. It became humid and sunny as the day wore on instead, and was just right for shooting.

I should take pains to mention at this point that this was only the second time that I had shot a Hereford round. The last time was at Allington's Sir Thomas Wyatt shoot and I managed a score so abysmal that I have publicly disowned it. By a happy coincidence I was shooting with Stella Wilson (of Bayeaux Bowmen), whom I'd shot with at Allington. Also joining us was the hugely talented Daisy Clark. Imagine my surprise when Stella asked if I'd realised that I was on the leaderboard after the first dozen. I hadn't and soon made sure I wasn't after that!

About halfway through the tournament came the announcement that CM&FB's very own Dave Plowman had shot his first six gold end. To cap it off, he'd done it at 100 yards. There'll be no shooting with him now.

Results wise, it was a good day for Castle Moat and Folkestone Bowmen. I was rather chuffed to come fourth in the ladies recurve; it made a change from last. In the gents compound, Chris came second, with Steve third, while Dave '6 gold end' P came a respectable fourth in the gents recurve. The compound team competition was won by CM&FB, but we could only manage fourth in the recurve, having been beaten by a team of juniors (the shame). Full results are available from Canterbury Archers. But there's more! Pete shot so well that he claimed his 800 Rose Award, while I, through some fluke, qualified to claim not only the 800 but the 900 as well. This presented a dilemma: collect the set or just claim the higher one? I went for the 900 Rose Award knowing I might never achieve it again (still waiting for it to arrive, though)!

All in all a good day out for the CM&FB massive!

Al

P.S. This is a woefully late post, to which I hold my hands up and apologise. The pesky revamp of our website kept getting in the way.