by Flash Flash Archer dropped in on Sunday on Bolton Longbow Archers, a newly formed Longbow Club run by two amazing gentlemen, David Vacey & Graham Mawhood. Based in the North West of England they are promoting the practice & tradition of shooting the Longbow & Warbow, from target to Clout. They are at the moment shooting Two Sundays a month at Aspull RUFC Ground in Woodpark, (Woods Rd, Aspull WN2 1PJ) from 1.30pm – 4.30pm, hoping to increase this to Four Sundays a month in the coming weeks. David & Graham are both qualified coaches and although the shooting practice is strictly Longbow they have at the club several longbows for archers use who wish to participate. The cost is £5 for the afternoon if you have your own insurance (NFAS etc) or £10 if you are not insured. During the middle ages weekly practice of the longbow was a regular occurrence thoughout the land, in fact it was made law. So we can safely say that some of the people from Bolton and the surrounding areas were indeed shooting the bow at practice grounds now long forgotten. Locally it has been written that Bolton sent men to fight at Agincourt in the Hundred Years War, if this is true and whether these were archers no one knows. But what we do know is that in September 1513 Sir Edward Stanley led local forces which included a contingent of archers from Bolton in the English army at the battle of Flodden Field, the last great medieval battle of the British Isles and unfortunately, the swansong of the Longbow. The afternoons shoot consists of archers & their longbows, shooting six arrows from one end of the rugby pitch at a series of flags on poles distanced at 100 metres, 120 metres, 140 metres and 160 metres. Collect arrows & re-shoot etc. When I said Id dropped in on The Bolton longbowmen, it was literally that, as I watched in awe as twenty archers loosed arrows up high into the blue sky which then, when reached their peak dropped at an alarming velocity upon the unsuspecting flags. The nearest flag was was a fun skull n crossbones the second a practice three lions banner, the third a Yorkshire Flag (do I suspect rivalry from these Lancs men) and the final 160 metre flag, the French Banner! It immediately evoked thoughts of how the use of the longbow decimated the French knights as I watched just twenty arrows on their deadly descent. Agincourt had thousands of archers who were capable of loosing twelve arrows a minute. Dave explained how once your bow was comfortable with its optimum distance (my own longbow 47lbs : 28in, shot just under 140 metres) the choice of fletchings could determine a reduction or increase in achieving distance accuracy on your choice of target. Btw : Dave shoots a Warbow – 140lb ! ….. 160 metres merely a start for him. A Warbow he and Graham agreed was a 60lb plus longbow, but I was amazed and intrigued how my 47lb performed. They even sorted the weather and as I watched my arrow arc through a clear blue sky on the last day of August I felt I was continuing a skill and tradition that the archers in the Hundred Years war had honed to perfection. At that moment I felt I was in tune with every archer who ever was, and nowt else mattered at all. Bolton Longbow Archers next shoot is on Sunday 14th September 2014 at Aspull RUFC Ground in Woodpark, (Woods Rd, Aspull WN2 1PJ) from 1.30pm – 4.30pm Contact Dave Varey on 07973879941 … davidvarey@googlemail £5 for the shoot if you have your own insurance (NFAS etc) or £10 if you are not insured. It is a Longbow/ wooden arrows shoot only (bows available for use at the club) New members welcome, or anyone with an interest please feel free to come along and just shoot for the day.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 06:57:27 +0000