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Mainstone Masters April 2024
April's Mainstone Masters provided us with some dry weather, and seeing our GBS friends supporting the event was brilliant. Mark Stoodley set the challenge, shooting 24, with Alan Meagher being close with 23, but ultimately, Mark won the high gun.
The competition is highly competitive among our friends. It is also a friendly and supportive competition, with everyone welcoming new shooters. I introduced a young lady, Daisy Payton, to her first competition, who had been shooting for only a few months, so this was a massive experience. Daisy was exceptional not only in her shooting but also in handling what was a draughting time. Daisy won Ladies High Gun, which I hope will start many years of enjoying a fantastic hobby.
Our next competition is Saturday, June 8th, and we look forward to seeing you all!
Poets March 2024
Bright sun with a chilly wind greeted us for the March Poets at NCSC Bisley.
Phil Mandeville, with 22, and Steve Pavey, with 23, got things off to a good start in round one on Range Three. Phil couldn’t improve his score, but Steve went one better for a super 24, only missing on Station 1. Sarah ‘lent’ him a Diamond for a photo to send to Keith, who was on holiday.
There were two more 24s in the second squad from Gordon Hamilton and James Faulkner, both missing just the second target of the pair on Station 4.
Also, in Squad Two, Tony Wolf joined Poets for the first time, and his third round 14 earned him a Bronze medal. Well done, Tony!
The best score on Range four was Tony Manser, who improved steadily through the afternoon to finish with a 21. Meanwhile, Sally and Angela were battling for the Ladies' honours. On this occasion, Sally’s ‘experienced’ 13 gave her victory over first-timer Angela. Are we going to have a rematch next time?
Note: No ranges are available in April so that the next Poets will be on Friday, May 3rd, with ‘Summer’ start times of 13.00 and 15.00. It is not too early to book your place if you have a preferred time slot.
Mainstone Masters February 2024
The 2024 Mainstone Masters Compak competition started on a damp and misty February morning. There were not many entries early on, but as the rain and mist cleared, a few more people joined in.
The targets had been ‘tweaked’ from last season, with the A target still proving deceptive to many shooters. Although it looked relatively straightforward as a single, it dipped rapidly if you chose it as the second target of the simultaneous pairs.
Mark Stoodley and Clive Revett started well in the first squad, hitting 22 and 18, respectively.
Mark improved his score to 23 later in the morning to take an early lead in the Masters, with only James Faulkner and Keith James coming close with 22. Keith looked like he was matching Mark until he missed his last target. Also looking good were Andy Daniels and Steve Pavey shooting in the same squad. After three stands, Andy had only missed one and Steve two – then the wheels fell off! Andy finished with 20, and Steve slipped to a 16.
In the Marshall Family competition, Dad Jon took the honours with 20, but Joseph’s 18 won him the Colts Trophy, while Sarah Franklin added another Ladies Trophy to her growing collection.
Many thanks to those who turned up, and we look forward to seeing you all for the next round on Saturday, April 13th.
Note: The Compak layout is available every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday if you need a lesson or a sneaky practice before the next round. Access to the ground is now easy, and even if your membership has lapsed, you will be welcomed and escorted in. Please ask us for further entry details if required.
Poets February 2024
It was a bright, sunny afternoon at NCSC Bisley for February Poets, but although the thermometer read 12 degrees, it felt a lot colder than that in the keen wind. The High House was ‘wind assisted’ while the low house was wound up to push through the wind and land ‘on the peg’. This meant both targets needed full commitment, and one or two regulars, including James Faulkner, were caught out on the first round. I won’t tell you what he scored in the first round, but he doubled it to 22 in the second!
Gordon Hamilton had the highest score on Layout Four with back-to-back 24s in rounds two and three, missing just a single target on each.
On Range three, James Faulkner recovered from his slow start to hit a very nice 23 in round three.
Next Poets is Friday 1st March. There are no ranges available in April, so make sure you reserve your place for next month. Don’t forget to book early if you have a preferred time slot.
The Artists Rifle Club will again be open for refreshments after the shooting.
Poets January 2024
Happy New Year to all our Poets
There were some good performances to start off the 2024 Poets Challenge on a cold but dry January afternoon.
Keith James and Gordon Hamilton both scored 25s on range four, while Jon Watson scored a very nice 24 on range three. Phil Mandeville has won the Master Poets title for the last two years and experimented with a 20-bore. He had problems adjusting to the weight difference at first and kept missing in front (not a common error at Skeet!). He eventually managed to hit 20, but we suspect that the experiment will not be repeated!
Peter Birch has won the December Handicap event for the last two seasons but may have peaked too soon this year, taking a Gold Medal for his 22.
Next Poets is Friday 2nd February. Don’t forget to book early if you have a preferred time slot. Evenings will be getting lighter for the second squad, and the Artists Rifle Club will again be open for refreshments.
Mainstone Master December 2023
December Mainstone Masters Final.
The Final of the Mainstone Masters competition was held on a cold, windy December morning with a few hardy regulars braving the conditions.
The targets had been tweaked for the Final, with the Incoming A target and the going away B target both pushed out to the right-hand side. Most people coped with the change to B, but like last time, several shooters were fooled by the slow A target.
Mark Stoodley scored 23, which was good enough to give him the High Gun Prize. Andy Daniels continues to put in good scores and was in equal second place with Ben Wells on 21, which, of course, gave Ben the Junior’s prize.
In the Final of the Mainstone Masters competition, the places were reversed, and despite Mark improving his total, it was not quite enough to catch Ben, who held on by the narrowest of margins to keep the title for the third year running.
The final placings were very close with only four targets separating the first four places.
Mainstone Masters 2023
Champion Ben Wells 68
Runner-up Mark Stoodley 67
Third Richard Worthington 66
Fourth James Faulkner 65
The latest news from Steve and June at Pirbright is that the ground will be open every Saturday and Sunday for an extended trial period, so please come and give them your support.
Access to the ground is now easy, and even if your membership has lapsed, you will be welcomed and escorted in. Please ask us for further entry details if required.
Now that the Security restrictions have been eased, we hope to see even more of you for the first round of the Mainstone Masters on Saturday 10th, February.
Master and Christmas Poets December 2023
The December Poets was the culmination of our year-long Master Poet competition combined with a Christmas Handicap shoot, so everyone stood a chance of winning a prize.
Master Poets
Phil Mandeville has shot superbly all season and had a commanding lead, despite electing to shoot in October with a full choked gun, but he still managed to hit yet another 25 straight with it! Cream rises to the top, Phil!
The best scores on a cold, dull December day were 24s from Phil and eventual Runner-Up Gordon Hamilton. The final results were Phil Mandeville's 149 to Gordon’s 145. By comparison, Phil’s winning total last year was 144, so well done to both of you on a great improvement.
Also in December, Graham Winter joined us for the first time and scored a first-round 23 to win a Bronze Medal. Well done, Graham, and we hope to welcome you back as a regular in the New Year.
Christmas Handicap
In the Sandbagging Handicap competition, Peter Birch shot brilliantly for the second December running to take the overall prize again with a great round of 19, and Sally took the Lady’s title Well shot, Peter and Sally.
Prize-giving and entertainment
Après Poets was held at the Artist’s Rifle Club with a Buffet provided for the Grand Prize giving, followed by entertainment from Peter Birch, Jon Watson and Peter Saich, playing guitars and singing after their fingers and voices had warmed up! Unfortunately, Peter’s Christmas Jumper arrived too late for Poets – Maybe it will still fit next year?
Thank you all for attending, and remember, it is never too early to book for next month.
Next Poets will be on Friday, 5th January 2024, with Winter starting times of 12.00 and 14.00.
Poets November 2023
We had a very busy Rainbow-filled Poets with both ranges working well. Peter Saich was on a well-deserved holiday, so Chris Turner stepped in to help Chip. Guy left me alone with my 2 p.m. squad, and they were pleased to see him return.
Alex Jordon joined us for the first time, and we were delighted to award him a bronze medal with his highest score of 14, with many more medals to come. We had three 24s, with Keith James and Gordon Hamilton slowly closing the gap for the Master and Jon Watson shooting a brilliant 24, which was a joy to watch.
We have our Christmas Poets next month with a buffet at the Artist at 4.30. All past and present Poets are welcome, and we would be delighted to see you all, even if you cannot join in with the shooting. Please let me know if you wish to join a squad with a 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. start.
Mainstone Masters October 2023
It was a dry, bright day for the October Mainstone Masters, but a chilly breeze added a bit of a curl to the A target, which troubled a few people again.
Entries were steady but still down on last season despite the excellent weather. Access to the ground is now easy, and even if your membership has lapsed, you will be welcomed and escorted in. Please ask us for further entry details if required.
Mark Stoodley returned to us after a break and led for a while with 21, eventually beaten by last year’s Champion, Ben Wells, who scored 23.
Just behind these two were Keith James, Andy Daniels and James Faulkner, all on 20.
Sarah Franklin took the Lady's trophy with her score of 18, and the Junior Trophy went to Joseph Marshall for his best round of 14.
Now that the Security restrictions have been eased, we hope to see even more of you for the Mainstone Masters final on Saturday, 9th December – Christmas Hats and Jumpers optional.
GBS Combat Stress at the Star Gun Club October 2023
What an amazing and genuinely blessed weather day we had on Sunday 8th, October at the Star Gun Club. A massive thank you to everyone who helped, including all the staff and caterers of the Star, Chip for using his skills to manage the ground, Chris for supporting me with raffle prizes and helping sell so many tickets and most importantly, all the GBS friends who supported us on the day. We had fantastic comradery, and with the generous donations from friends unable to come, donations on the day and the Star Gun Club contribution, we managed a tremendous £1220 revised amount of £1470.00 after gift aid.
A massive thank you to the Star Gun Club for making us feel so welcome and setting up a well-balanced course for all abilities. We look forward to seeing them again next year.
Full results are on the results page of the website.
Poets October 2023
There was warm sunshine and no wind for the October Poets – it was definitely tee-shirt weather and felt like a return to Summer. We reverted to our earlier start times of 12.00 and 14.00 in preparation for the clock change this month, so there was plenty of sunshine left for us to sit outside at the Artist Club and enjoy Après Poets ‘refreshments’.
Shooting in the first squad on Range 3 was current Master Poet leader Phil Mandeville, who planned to even up the leaderboard by shooting with Full and Full chokes – only to shoot yet another 25 straight with some impressive hits!
Best of the rest on Range 3 were Gordon Hamilton with 23 and James Faulkner with 22. Jon Watson also hit 22, while Nick Harrison missed a high one and the repeat in round four, then only dropped one more target to also finish on 22.
On Range 4, Chris Turner was obviously sandbagging for the Christmas Handicap after his Gold Medal win, missing his last three targets to finish on 18.
Ian managed to escape from work, joined us for the first time this year, and scored a good 21. Also shooting well on Range 4 was Tony Manser on 20. Sally started slowly but improved with every round to finish on 17. Shooting in the early squad, Keith James and Steve Pavey were equal on 22.
Keith from Swatcom was passing at the right (wrong) time, and Chip persuaded him to donate prizes for the Combat Stress Charity Shoot. Keith then joined us for his first and only round of Skeet and scored 19, so we presented him with a medal!
Thank you all for attending, and remember, it is never too early to book for next month.
Next Poets will be on Friday, 3rd November, with Winter starting times of 12.00 and 14.00.
Poets September 2023
After heavy rain in the morning, the dark clouds cleared and left us with a bright, sunny afternoon for our annual Pairs competition.
The four rounds were shot as usual with ‘encouragement’ where necessary from Guy, Sarah, Peter and Chip. The pairings had been selected at random by the NCSC staff, and the highest score of each competitor was added to their partner’s highest score. Clear so far?
There were some good individual scores on each range. Darren Hughes scored 24 to earn his Silver Medal. Keith James shot consistently with three 23’s and a 24, closing the gap slightly on current Master Poets leader Phil Mandeville who was not shooting. Also on range three, Gordon Hamilton and Steve Pavey scored 23 each, while Chris Daykin won a Silver Medal for his 22.
On Range Four, Tony Manser and Chris Turner shared the top score with 22 each, a personal best for Chris.
The finish in the Pairs competition was very close, with a mere ten targets separating the first and eighth positions. Chris Turner’s 22 was added to Darren Huges’ 24 to give them Victory on 46, collecting a Trophy and a prize. Narrowly behind were Steve Pavey and Chris Daykin on 45. See below for full scores and placings:
Total
Chris T 22 Darren H 24 46
Chris D 22 Steve P 23 45
Jonathan B 19 Gordon H 23 42
Keith J 24 Nick H 18 42
James F 22 John H 19 41
Tony S 19 Jon W 21 40
Bob H 16 Rob B 21 37
Tony M 22 Mick S 14 36
Well done to all the winners.
We look forward to seeing you for a ‘normal’ Poets on Friday 6th October.
Note: Winter starting times of 12.00 and 14.00.
Mainstone Masters August 2023
The Glorious twelfth of August saw the Mainstone Masters competition but with not-so-glorious weather. It was chilly for the time of year with a coat on / coats off / coats on again type of day. Chris did an early risk assessment and decided against putting up the gazebo to avoid recovering it from the trees later – at least, that was his excuse.
Access to Pirbright is now available without passes – Give your name to the Support Vehicle driver, and you, your friends, family etc, can all come in.
Guy had a last-minute Family emergency, so Sarah took on the scoring and ‘Gentle encouragement’ role while Peter took over the mysteries of programming the release buttons.
Everyone seemed to have trouble with the wind-affected ‘curling’ incoming A target, but after a slow start, James Faulkner managed to take the high gun with 20, one ahead of Stephen Bowers. Just behind them was Joseph Marshall, taking the Junior trophy with 18, a great score on the day.
Kayleigh Findley-Hobbs joined us for the first time in a while and picked up the Ladies' prize with 16.
Now that the Security restrictions have been eased, we hope to see even more of you for the next Mainstone Masters on Saturday, October 14th.
Poets August 2023
We had some summer weather (at last!) for August Poets. In a change to the ‘advertised programme’, due to British Shooting training on several ranges, we were reduced to one Skeet range and added down-the-line and practice sporting areas for the afternoon.
Guy and Peter ran the Range for the die-hard Skeet fans, while Chip took charge of the D-T-L and Sarah supervised the Sporting range. There were a few brave souls who had a go at them all – Well done!
On the Skeet field, the top scores were Phil Mandeville with a first-round 25, while Gordon Hamilton missed one single to add 24 to his Master Poets challenge.
The Sporting range was just for fun and some instruction shooting a mini competition from the edge of the range, with James Faulkner scoring a very creditable 24.
There was a prize of a bottle of Prosecco (to be shared with Sarah) for the top score on the Down-the-Line range, won by Keith James on 21.
Well done, Phil, Gordon, James and Keith.
We look forward to seeing you for a (hopefully) back-to-normal Poet on Friday, 1st September.
Poets July 2023
Another very warm summer’s day with little breeze, so a perfect day for Skeet shooting.
The top score in the first squad on Range four with Guy and Sarah was Keith James with 24 – missing the first target then hitting all the rest!
On Range three with Peter and Chip, Nick Harrison scored 20 in his second round, then went one better in his final round to hit 21, earning him a Gold Medal.
Sarah and Chip had to leave after the first Squad to go and collect World Championship Super-Sporting medals, leaving Guy and Peter in charge of the shooting and Chris in charge of tidying up!
The top scores on range four was a tie between Chris and Olly with 18 each, while on range three, Darren Hughes shot a superb 25 in his third round to earn his ‘25 straight’ Diamond. We then retired to the Artist’s Rifle Club for celebrations.
Congratulations to Nick and Darren, and we look forward to seeing you all at the next Poets on Friday, 4th August.
June Mainstone Masters 2023
The June Mainstone Masters took place on the hottest day of the year so far, with 31 degrees recorded at the end of the morning. There was no wind, but the temperature made prolonged concentration difficult and clearly affected a few of the scores.
Chip was still ‘running in’ his new eyes, so Guy and Peter took the reins, ably assisted by Chris taking the money and keeping the scores up to date.
Richard Worthington shot in an early squad and scored a very good 22, leading most of the day.
James Faulkner, Keith James and Jon Marshall all crept into the 20’s and Richard’s score looked safe until Ben Wells shot in one of the last squads of the morning and hit 23 to take the High Gun Trophy for the second event running.
Jacob Revett collected the previous two Juniors trophies before he started shooting and now has another to collect for his winning round of 19.
In his trademark wellies, despite the weather, Joseph Marshall started slow but finished with 18 to collect another Colts trophy.
Once again, there were no Ladies competing – Come on, Ladies, join us on the ‘Glorious 12th August’ for your chance to win a Trophy.
Poets June 2023
Guy and Sarah took charge of Range four and had the top scores of the day with a 25 from Gordon Hamilton, 24 from Louis and 23 from Phil Mandeville. Also, on Range four, Chris Daykin won a Bronze medal for his round of 19. Well done to you all.
Peter looked after Range Three, assisted by Chip, who was on ‘light duties’ following his eye op but provided the very welcome refreshments.
The top score on Range three was a first-round 22 from Keith James, with Steve Povey close behind on 21. In group two, Tony Manser matched the top score of 22, giving him a Gold Medal. Also on Range three, Tony Salmon scored a best round of 17 to earn his Silver Medal.
Next Poets is Friday 7th July – get your bookings in early if you have a preferred time.
Well done to all the medal winners, and we look forward to seeing you at the July Poets.
Starting times are 13.00 and 15.00, but the Range will be available for lessons at 12.00 if you need some coaching to help achieve your next medal.
The Artists Rifle Club will be open for refreshments after the shooting.
Poets May 2023
There was a three-way tie on Range four with Guy and Sarah for the top score 24. Phil Mandeville and Jon Watson hit 24 in the first squad, only to be matched by Darren on the second squad, winning a Silver Medal with only his second visit to Poets. Darren’s best score last month was 19, so a significant improvement – well done!
On Range two with Peter and Chip, there was also a 24 from Keith James in his first round to stay in contention with Phil Mandeville for the end-of-year Master Poets prize. Steve Povey was again only one behind on 23.
Also on range two, Tony Manser improved on last month’s ‘beginners’ luck’ 19 to score 20 on his second Poets, winning him a silver medal.
Next Poets is Friday 2nd June. Get your bookings in early, as we always get busier in the summer months.
Starting times are 13.00 and 15.00, but the Range will be available for lessons at 12.00 if you need some coaching to help achieve your next medal.
The Artists Rifle Club will again be open for refreshments after the shooting.
April Mainstone Masters Competition
High Gun Benjamin Wells
Top Poet and Master winner James Faulkner
The April Mainstone Masters took place over the easter weekend with full squads all morning. Once the early mist cleared, there was good visibility and no wind, so targets were consistent throughout. Guy was taking a well-earned break, so Chip and Peter were on the range with Chris smilingly, taking your money!
As it was Easter weekend, Sarah had added an overall prize for the top score from Poets combined with the top score from the Compak – more about that later.
The early leader with 22 was James Faulkner, only missing three ‘A’ targets, which looked like the easiest on the range, but there was a deceptive curl to the right as they came in. As Sarah would say. ‘look at the target,’ There were 21s from last month’s winner Richard Worthington and also Keith James = in contention for the Combined prize.
Partway through the morning, Ben Wells matched the top score of 22 to set up yet another shoot-off, this time between Ben and James. James shot first and missed a couple of targets, but Ben only missed one to take High Gun. James had the consolation of winning the overall prize with 22 at Skeet, added to his 22 at Compak with Gordon Hamilton, Steve Pavey, Keith James, and Andy Daniels not far behind.
There were also Easter Egg prizes to go with the Junior and Colt titles. Jacob Revett won the Juniors with 17, and Joseph Marshall won the Colts Trophy (and Easter Egg) with 16.
No Ladies were entered - come on, Ladies; there is a Trophy for your category at each event, so come and join us next Saturday, 10th June.
High Gun Junior Jacob Revett
High Gun Colt Joseph Marshall
Poets April 2023
Good Friday seemed popular as we had a busy afternoon in the sunshine. Range four was ‘business as usual’ under the watchful eyes of Guy and Sarah, while the other group with Chip and Peter were treated to orange ‘Flash’ Clays up on Range one, although the orange clays against a bright background did not suit everybody and there was some changing of glasses going on between rounds, but all good experience.
Keith James had the best result against the orange clays with a 23, with Steve Pavey just behind with a 21. Chris Turner managed an 18 to hit his average, which was important as everyone who hit their average or above got an easter egg as a prize.
Our current Poets Leader, Phil Mandeville started with a 12 using a Side-by-Side (no, I don’t know why either!), then quickly changed back to his regular skeet gun and scored three 24s, missing just one single on each round – Eggcelent shooting Phil. Also shooting well was Gordon, who scored three 23s and a 24 to keep him in contention for Master Poet.
The medal winners were Nick Harrison, who won a Silver for his first round 20. On Range four, two people joined Poets for the first time and won Bronze Medals on their first attempt. Tony Manser and Darren both hit 19.
Next Poets is Friday 5th May. Get your bookings in early, as we always get busier in the Summer months.
‘Summer’ starting times are 13.00 and 15.00, but the Range will be available for lessons at 12.00 if you need a ‘fine tune’ to help achieve your next medal.
The Artists Rifle Club will again be open for refreshments after the shooting.
Poets March 2023
It was back to Winter weather with a cold wind blowing on the range all afternoon, affecting scores for both squads in the later rounds.
Keith James posted a first-round 23 to take an early lead. The only person to beat him was our current Poets Leader, Phil Mandeville, who shot a second-round 25. The cold then caught up with Phil, and he missed the first three targets in the next round! The top
scores in the second squad were Gordon and James, who hit 22 each. On Range four, there was a Bronze medal for Tony, who was joining us for the first time, and as reported last month, Chris has been creeping up the scoreboard and hit a personal best 21 to clinch his Gold Medal. Well done, Chris!
There was excitement in the second squad on range three as Rob Beere and his daughter Mya were neck and neck at the end of the first round. Rob hit 20 to narrowly claim family honours, while Mya won a Silver medal for her 19.
Next Poets is Good Friday, 7th April, reverting to the ‘Summer’ starting times of 13.00 and 15.00.
The Range will be available for lessons at 12.00 if you need a ‘fine tune’ and remember to book early if you have a preferred start time.
The Artists Rifle Club will again be open for refreshments after the shooting.
February Mainstone Masters Competition
High Gun Richard Worthington
The 2023 Mainstone Masters Compak Competition kicked off in February on a bright but cold day but was well attended with a good flow of entries throughout the morning.
Shooting in an early squad, James Faulkner set the running for the new 2023 layout with a good round of 23, only to be matched by Richard Worthington in the next round. Mark Stoodley has returned after a break and also scored 23 in the final round to leave us with a three-way shoot-off,
Having only missed two out of 25, the pressure of ‘Top level’ competition got to them as they all dropped two targets in the first 5! A few more targets escaped them all, but Richard held his nerve to win with 19.
Jacob Revett scored an early 17 to take the Junior’s Trophy, and 11-year-old Joseph Marshall won the Colt’s with 15. Special mention to Jon Marshall, whose best round of 20 was enough to take the Family Honours on this occasion.
There were no Lady entries - come on Ladies, there is a Trophy for your category at each event, so come and join us next time on Saturday 8th, April – You might even win an Easter Egg!
Poets February 2023
The weather was brighter and warmer for February Poets, particularly in the early squad.
Keith James made a good start in the early squad on Range three, scoring 23.
On Range four, the only medal of the day went to another Keith Mackenzie, who was awarded Bronze for his two rounds of 16.
After a slow start (by his standards) with a couple of 20’s, Gordon hit 24 in his last round to claim the highest score of the day.
Shooting in the later squad, Chris scored a good 18, still creeping up towards his Gold Medal.
Well done to all, and thank you for your regular support through the Winter months.
Next Poets is Friday 3rd March. Don’t forget to book early if you have a preferred time slot. Evenings will be getting lighter for the second squad, and the Artists Rifle Club will again be open for refreshments.
Poets January 2023
Happy New Year to all our Poets!
There was a good entry for January Poets. The weather started dry and sunny for the first squad but got cloudy and a bit darker as the afternoon wore on.
Fresh from his triumph as 2022 Master Poet, Phil Mandeville took advantage of the clear conditions with the first 25 straight of the year in his second round, then scored another 25 in his third round. Exceptional shooting Phil with a very rare Poets 50 straight.
Despite the darkening conditions, there were medal-winning performances in the second squad. Neil Collier followed up last month’s bronze with a silver for his 21, and James Bindler scored a personal best 23 earning him a Gold Medal.
With new chokes and added bits taped to his gun (courtesy of Chip), Bob Holliman showed good progress with a 16 and 17.
Next Poets is Friday, 3rd February. Don’t forget to book early if you have a preferred time slot. Evenings will get lighter for the second squad, and the Artists Rifle Club will again be open for refreshments.
Mainstone Master December 2022
Mainstone Master 2022 Ben Wells
Congratulations to the Winners of the December Mainstone Masters 2022
High Gun Jacob Revett
Ladies High Gun Sarah Franklin
Colt High Gun Joseph Marshall
We had another very cold but dry day for the final of the Mainstone Masters competition at Pirbright on December 10th .
Top score on the day was shared by Jacob Revett and Ben Wells with 21. Jacob had shot early in the morning so was not there at the end to force a shoot off, however, Jacob was awarded High Gun as Ben had won another trophy. Top Lady was Sarah Franklin, joining us for the first time and scoring 17 and Joseph Marshall won the Colts prize with 16.
In the Overall Masters competition, Ben ended the year with 71 points to give him a clear victory over Keith James on 66. Close behind on 64 were James Faulkner and Joseph Marshall. Well done to all the winners and thank you to everyone who supported us throughout 2022.
Pirbright have announced this week that they are now able to open every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday so we will be able to hold our planned six events this year starting on Saturday 11 th February – Don’t forget to put it in your new calendars!
Open from 9.00 - 12.30; everyone is welcome with back gate access to the ground. Trophies for High Gun, Ladies High Gun, Junior High Gun and Colt High Gun its all to play for!
Master and Christmas Poets December 2022
December POETS, prizegiving and entertainment
We had a cold but dry afternoon for our Poets final at NCSC.
There were several medal winners in the individual event including Bronze for Neil Collier scoring 21 and Nick Harrison scoring 15, while Peter Birch went one (or two) better for a personal best 21 in his first round to win a Gold Medal.
Best rounds of the day were 24’s from Gordon Hamilton and Phil Mandeville, meaning that Phil kept his place at the top of the leader board to claim the Master Poets title for 2022, just ahead of last year’s winner Keith James. Well done Phil, very consistent shooting this season.
In the Handicap event, Peter Birch was a clear winner, ahead of Rob Beere and Bob Holliman in joint second place.
A buffet was provided at the Artists Rifle Club where following the presentations, Jon Watson, Peter Birch and Peter Saich played guitars and sang to the ‘captive’ audience.
First Poets of 2023 is on Friday 6 th January – why not book your place now!
Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and a successful new year.
Poets November 2022
There was a good attendance for November POETS, including several people who could improve their standings on the leaderboard going into our Master POETS Final in December. Phil Mandeville was in the lead with 141, with Keith James and James Faulkner just one point behind with 140.
The best scores of the day on Range Four with Guy and Sarah were Keith James scoring 22 and Steve Pavey with 21. On Range Three with Peter and Chip, Phil Mandeville had the best round of the day, scoring 24 to keep him top of the leaderboard, while James came close to beating him, dropping a target on station 6 and missing the repeat to leave him on 23, but that was good enough to keep him in contention for the final.
Following up on her win in the Ladies’ category at the GBS Combat Stress sporting event, Mya Plumley-Beere won a Bronze on her first attempt at POETS with 19. Dad Rob was rightly proud but also relieved that he hit 21! Also scoring 19 on his first POETS outing this season was Trevor Harding.
Don’t forget to book your place for the conclusion of the Master Poets, including the Handicap Christmas Poets competition, followed by nibbles and live music from your fellow Poets at the Artist Rifle club from 4 pm. following our September Pairs competition,
GBS Combat Stress at the Star Gun Club October 2022
When I opened the curtains on Sunday morning, I was unsure how many friends would turn up and support the Combat Stress Charity Competition when the rain was bashing on the windows!
Well, I did not need to worry. I was over the moon; so many GBS friends and supporters braved the terrible weather at the start of the day with great spirit and determination. Umbrellas and full wets were the order of the morning. We had fantastic comradery, and with the generous donations from friends unable to come, donations on the day and the Star Gun Club contribution, we managed a tremendous £710 revised amount of £745.50
I was asked on Sunday how much GBS has raised for charity over the past few years; we have raised a total of £6625, which is incredible and all down to the generosity of our GBS friends and supporters.
Massive congratulations to the defending Top Team Duxhurst, and the A-Team retained the Top GBS Team. High Gun was Billy Greenwood with a fantastic 95 Mya Beere won the Ladys, Oliver Gurney won the Junior trophy, and Callum Barefield won the colt trophy. Full results on the results area of the website.
A massive thank you to the Star Gun Club for making us feel so welcome and setting up a brilliant course which was well-balanced for all abilities. We look forward to seeing them again next year.
October Mainstone Masters Competition
Top Gun James Faulkner
Two previous winners, Keith James and Ben Wells, could only manage a top score of 20 on the day, leaving a three-way tie for first place between James Faulkner, Andy Daniel, and Steve Povey, who all scored 21. We had an improvised shoot-off over two pairs of new targets.
Due to the Army Security changes, the October competition was moved to the third weekend, which contributed to a lower-than-usual entry. This also meant that we lost Guy for the weekend, so Chris, Peter and Chip took charge.
The weather was mostly good with a short shower, but at least the competitors were undercover and did not get wet.
Andy missed one of the closer targets but did hit the extreme-range crossing target. Steve hit the nearer target but missed both far targets, then James stepped up and hit all four to take his first Mainstone Masters trophy.
Ben’s 20 was good enough to take Junior’s trophy, and Callum Barefield won the colts with 14.
Thanks to those who did manage to join us. The Mainstone Masters final is scheduled for Saturday.
Colt High Gun Callum Barefield
December 10th, but look out for announcements from Pirbright and the GBS website in case of any changes.
Poets October 2022
Following our September Pairs competition, October POETS reverted to individual scores.
The best scores of the day on Range Four with Guy and Sarah were James Faulkner and Richard Worthington with 24s, matched by Phil Mandeville on Range Three with Peter and Chip.
Keith James’ best round of the day was 21, so he is still at the top of the POETS Leader board, but Phil and James in second and third place, respectively, have closed the gap so that we could be in for an exciting climax to the POETS Season.
Also shooting with us for the first time on Range Three was Sally Pearson, who had not shot skeet for around 15 years, but soon progressed from single figures to 15, so gained her Bronze medal – Welcome, Sally and well done!
As a change of venue for Après Poets, we retired to the Artists Rifle Club for refreshment and de-brief of the ones that got away!
We have now adopted Winter Start times of 12.00 or 14.00. The light was still good when we finished at 16.00 but remember to book in early for November if you want to guarantee good light conditions!
Poets September 2022
September POETS
There was a good attendance for the annual POETS Pairs event, with names drawn at random to
decide the pairings.
There were some good individual scores including 24s for Gordon Hamilton, Phil Mandeville and
Louis. James Faulkner is also getting consistently higher scores and managed a 23. Winning medals
this time were John Gower with Gold, and gaining her Bronze medal on only her second outing was
Holly Beere.
PAIRS Winners
Because there were an odd number of shooters, Mike Troy was picked out twice, and coincidentally,
his 22 helped two other people into joint second place, Mike and Jon Watson had a combined score
of 45, and so did Mike and Keith James, but in first place with 48 were Gordon Hamilton and Louis
Line of the day from Chip on stand one: ‘I know I said shoot at its feet but it’s a Pigeon, not a Stork’.
Back for more fun and another chance to improve your Master Poet scores on Friday 7 th October.
Poets July 2022
The Summer weather continued for July POETS on Friday 1 st which helped with some good scores on both ranges.
Top score on Range four with Guy and Sarah was Keith with 23. Steve’s balance was hindered by a leg injury sustained diving (I said I didn’t even know he knew Tom Daley but apparently it was not that sort of diving and involved fins and a boat). He still managed a fairly respectable 21.
John H and Jon G are making steady progress and both managed 19. One behind on 18 and just missing out on her next Medal was Lee – maybe next time?
On Range Three with Peter and Chip, Bob Holliman started with 17 but was unable to improve on that. Most improved of the day was Ollie, starting with 13 then hitting 20 on the next round. Top scores of the day were Phil with a first-round 24, matched by James on his last round. Rob started with a 16 then improved on every round with 19, 21 then a final round 23 to give him a well-deserved Gold Medal.
A special mention this month for former Poet Sandra Harman who entered a registered Skeet Competition at NCSC in June and scored 24 then 25 in her first two rounds. She followed this with a 21 and 20, ending the day on 90 to win C Class. Well done Sandra and keep up the good work!
The Ranges are booked for Friday 5 th August – Don’t forget to reserve your place. Still plenty of time to get on the POETS leaderboard.
June Mainstone Masters Competition
Benjamin Wells and Lee Williamson
Gusting winds made the targets at the June Mainstone Masters ‘variable’ and affected the top scores, with any combination including the ‘C’ target from behind being especially tricky – in fact when Ben Wells did not have time for a second shot, you knew it was going to be difficult!
Despite the wind conditions, Ben still triumphed with 22 and maintained his lead in the overall Masters table. The competition was close throughout the morning and only four targets separated all of the winning classes. Jacob Revett scored 19 to take the Junior Trophy and Joseph Marshall scored 18 to win the Colts section.
Joseph Marshall
One person who performed particularly well in the conditions was Lee Williamson, whose first round 18 gave her not only the Ladies Trophy on the day, but increased her lead in the Ladies Masters table.
Well done to everyone who braved the conditions - the next round is on Saturday 13th August and we look forward to seeing you there.
Jacob Revett
Poets June 2022
June POETS was held on Friday 3rd with a return to Summer weather (well, nearly, there is always a ‘bit of a breeze’ at NCSC).
We were missing a few regulars, including Barry Huxley who sadly and unexpectedly passed away last month. Peter is going to represent us at his funeral next Thursday. Please contact Peter if you require further details.
Others were missing as it was Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend. I suppose we can forgive them that as it was in honor of our Queen, who I am informed was still shooting last season at the age of 95! Perhaps she could join us for POETS if we borrow the new NCSC Buggy.
On the shooting front, there were some good scores and medals awarded on both ranges. On Range 4 with Guy and Sarah, Phil Manderville scored two 23’s. Lee cemented her Silver medal with two rounds of 15, while her Hubby Dan took Gold with 21 at his first attempt at POETS. Well done to both of them!
Also winning Bronze medals with their first round scores were Rupert on 14 and Oscar on 19.
Top score on range three with Peter and Chip was Keith James, finishing with a perfect 25. Incidentally, his other rounds were 24, 23, 24 giving him an excellent total of 96/100, despite having a misfire which blocked his barrel part way through!
Safety tip – If a cartridge sounds or feels different, ALWAYS check to see if the barrel is clear before you continue. In this case, the wad was lodged in the barrel and had to be pushed out with a cleaning rod.
James Bindler earned a Bronze medal for his two rounds of 18. Also shooting well and gaining Silver medals were Rob Beer with two rounds of 17 (running in his new gun) and Jon Gower with 19.
A special mention goes to James Faulkner who on his third round, shot the first 22 targets perfectly, then missed the pair on station 7 – even Chip was stunned into silence as we all expected him to get his Diamond for 25. Well shot James, it will happen soon!
See you all on Friday 1st July
April Mainstone Masters Competition
Benjamin Wells High Gun
Joseph Marshall Junior High Gun
Bright sunshine helped to bring out a large entry for the bi-monthly Mainstone Masters Competition in April.
Despite the cold wind keeping some targets a little further out, there were some very good scores recorded, but it was the Juniors who shone on the day. Ben Wells had a slow start by his own high standards, scoring 19 on his first round, and 11 year-old Joseph Marshall scored a first round 17.
Both improved massively later on with Joseph scoring a great 23, beaten only by Ben who recorded 24.Joining us for the first time was Linda Piggott whose 13 was good enough to take the ladies Trophy, and James Bell scored 15 to win the Colts prize. There was great excitement when all the winners were presented not only with Trophies, but also Easter eggs.
Ben Wells still leads the Masters table with 25, but Joseph has moved up to second place ahead of James Faulkner, Steve Pavey and Keith James all on 22.
Lee Williamson still leads the Ladies with 15, but Linda Piggott is now in second place with 13, so all to play for next time.
We look forward to seeing you for the next round on Saturday June 11 th
An awesome Team - well done everyone!
Linda Piggott Lady High Gun
James Bell Colt High Gun
March POETS 2022
Friday 4 th March was another cold day with a biting wind but was still well supported. On Range three, Jonathan Bell improved over the course of the session and finished with two rounds of 20. James Bindler joined us for the first time and earned a Bronze medal for his final round of 20, while
Barry Huxley shooting with a 20 bore while his 12 bore is ‘at the doctors’ scored a good 22.
Meanwhile, on Range 4, Keith James and Steve Pavey both scored 23 and Phil Mandeville battled to a 22 after missing the first two targets!
The second Bronze medal of the day went to John McDonagh for his best round of 14
Thank you to all those who braved the cold and joined us. We look forward to seeing you in April, hopefully with slightly warmer weather and more daylight.
February Mainstone Masters Competition
Benjamin Wells High Gun
The 2022 Mainstone Masters Compak Competition kicked off in February on a cold and blustery day, but the conditions did not deter people and we had a good flow of entries throughout the morning.
In the Senior category, James Faulkner, Steve Pavey and Keith James all scored 22, but the Star of the day was Junior Ben Wells who scored a perfect 25 to take the high gun prize.
Taking an early lead in the Ladies’ competition was Lee Williamson with 15, while one of the highlights of the morning was Colt Joseph Marshall who kept his concentration despite a growing audience of spectators and scored a very impressive 22 with his 20 bore.
Well done to Ben, Lee and Joseph who all went home with one of our new trophies
We look forward to seeing you for the next round on Saturday April 9 th
Lee Williamson Lady High Gun
Joseph Marshall Junior/Colt High Gun
February POETS 2022
The cold wind at the February POETS affected the competitors and the targets, with quite a few of
the regular big hitters starting off with sub 20 rounds. Shooting on Range 3, last year's winner Keith
James and runner up Phil Mandeville both started with 19, while Steve took an early lead with 20.
Another ex-champion, Gordon Hamilton, started with 18, while James Faulkner experimented with
sporting chokes and hit 13. Experimenting over, James went on to hit 20 with Skeet Chokes. Phil
shot 20, and Keith went one better with 21, but the day's high score went to Gordon with 22.
On Range 4, Nigel showed steady improvement with a top score of 19, while Barry Huxley
maintained a steady average with two 19's and two 20's.
Well done to everyone who braved the wind, and we look forward to seeing you in March.
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Poets January 2022
Hats off to everybody who supported poets in January. It was a bitterly cold start to the New Year, but we had more support than ever for January. Peter and Chip were elsewhere, leaving Guy, Roger and myself to man the Rangers. The light was not particularly good on both ranges, and a stiff breeze made for some challenging targets, especially when we started to lose the light.
I finally caught up with Barry Huxley and awarded him his gold medal, which he continued to shoot with around his neck for the following rounds. Keith James scored his first 25 straight of the year to start defending his title. Close on his tail was James Faulkner and Gordon Hamilton, so it looks like it’s going to be a close year.
The next shoot is Friday 4th February, and with Mainstone Masters on Saturday 12th, it will be a busy month. If anyone fancies joining us for Poets, please get in touch, and I’ll book you a place.
Mainstone Master December 2021
Mainstone Master 2021 Ben Wells
Congratulations to the Winners of the December Mainstone Masters 2021
High Gun Keith James
Ladies High Gun Lee Williamson
Junior High Gun Jacob Revett
The December Final of the Mainstone Masters competition was well supported despite the ‘chilly’ conditions, and with the leader board updated live throughout the morning, it was very exciting! After the first squad, Lee Williamson led the December competition, shooting a personal best 18. The second squad saw Clive Revett take the lead with 19, and then in the third round, Jonathon Bell scored a very good 20. Paul Carlin also scored 20, but we had to wait until the penultimate round to beat this. Shooting in the same squad, Mark Stoodley and James Faulkner scored 21; Ben Wells scored 22, and Keith James scored 23. Scores were also close In the Ladies competition, with Ellis Carlin scoring 17 to put her in second place behind Lee’s early 18. The Junior winner was Jacob Revett with 16. In the Mainstone Masters ‘Main Event’ for the best three scores of the year, the Top three improved their scores to make it a very close finish. In third place was James Faulkner with 66, Keith James finished with 67, but Ben Wells held on to first a place with 68.
Well done to all the monthly winners and, of course, to the Top three. This was our closest finish yet, with only two targets separating the Top three shooters after five rounds. We look forward to you all starting your winning runs for the 2022 competition, beginning on Saturday 12 th February. Massive thank you to Steve Maude and the rest of the team for looking after us!
Open from 9.00 - 12.30; everyone is welcome with back gate access to the ground. Trophies for High Gun, Ladies High Gun, Junior High Gun and Colt High Gun its all to play for!
Master and Christmas Poets December 2021
December POETS, prizegiving and entertainment
The Master Poets competition concluded on a dark afternoon only two weeks from the shortest day.
Keith James had an unassailable lead with 100 already on the board, but several Poets improved their scores to move up the leader board. Phil Mandeville scored a first round 24 to seal the runner-up spot with 97 and Gordon Hamilton was third was 95.
Also improving their positions on the Leader board were Nigel Plowright and Sandra Harman – both increasing their totals by four targets with good rounds of 21.
Top scores on the day were Phil with 24 in the first round at 12.00, And Lewis, scoring a superb 24 in the very last round of the day, finishing just before 4pm with impressive muzzle flashes!
We double checked the scores carefully and awarded the Christmas Poets trophy to Lewis on countback.
Top lady was Sandra with 21, and Oliver sneaked the Junior prize with 14.
Well done to everyone, and a big thanks from Sarah and the GBS team for turning out in a variety of weather and light conditions to support Poets throughout the year.
Many thanks to Bob and his team for making the Bisley Gun Club available to us and for providing a great buffet at 2pm and 4pm.
After the prizegiving and thank-yous, Peter Saich and Peter Birch played a selection of songs on their guitars, including a couple with modified lyrics! Thanks to Peter B for his ‘technical and professional’ input, and also to Lee for typing out the lyrics and providing copies so that people could sing along.
We hope to see you all on Friday 7th January for the first Poets of 2022.
Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and a successful new year.
November POETS 2021
We were back to regular POETS for November; with our earlier start times now, the clocks have gone back.
We were down one instructor with Guy laid up with Covid, but we have been in touch, and he is now recovering. Peter was up on Range one for a change, Sarah was on Range three, and Chip was rushing (?) up and down, helping out on both ranges.
Barry Huxley shot well on his second visit to Poets in the first group on Range One and won a Silver Medal with his best round of 20. (The other three rounds were 19, so very consistent). 19 seemed to be a popular score as Steve Pavey scored the same in all four rounds.
Jonathan Bell was the only other medal winner, earning a Gold Medal for his best round of 22, only missing on stand one and seven – so near and yet so far! The star of the day was Robin Stacpoole, scoring a really good 23 to be an equal high gun with Gordon Hamilton.
Well done to everyone who took part, and thanks you as always for your support.
Thanks to Bob for making Bisley Gun Club available for food and refreshments during the afternoon.
Refreshments and prizegiving will follow December POETS in Bisley Gun Club, and you are all cordially invited. Peter Saich and Peter Birch will play a few songs on their guitars – there will be a couple of ‘modified’ choruses – Lee will provide song sheets for you to join in.
Mainstone Masters October 2021
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The October Mainstone Masters started on a very foggy morning, and the first brave entrants had to wait for the distant 'C' target to appear at the top of its flight, while Peter and Guy had to concentrate on spotting the second shot hits on the singles. Some people, however, were not deterred, and Jacob Revett proved that shooting the targets early before they disappeared into the gloom worked well, and he hit the first 24 superbly, missing only his 25th target. Lousy luck, Jacob, but also very well done for a superb demonstration of how The Masters should do it!
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Jacob's score stood out until the final round when Paul Carlin matched it to claim equal high gun. Jacob, of course, wins the Junior Trophy. Third was Richard Worthington with 22.
Keeping it in the Family, Ellis Carlin took the Ladies prize and, shooting superbly in the final round, was Joseph Marshall, taking Colt's award with a personal best 19.
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Special mention (but no prize) for James Faulkner, who hit 19 with a heavily choked side-by-side. (I don't know why either).
Thank you to everyone who braved the Autumnal conditions to support us, and we hope to see you all for the finale on Saturday 11th December.
October Poets 2021
The well supported October POETS with our annual Pairs event, where your best round is selected then matched at random with a partner.
Apart from the prizegiving, the event ran as usual, and there were several medals awarded. Chris won a silver medal for his first-round 18, Sandra won Gold with two rounds of 21, and our new Poet Barry won Bronze for his 23 – definitely, one to watch! Lee continues to improve and shot 20, just missing out on her Gold medal – Keep practising, Lee, maybe next time.
However, the Star of the day was James Faulkner, winning a diamond for his first-ever 25 straight. James shot superbly in all four rounds and hit a total of 93 / 100 – Well done, James.
In the pairs event, the results at the top were very close. In third place with a combined best score of 42 were Jonathon and Barry, in second place with 43 were James Faulkner and Chris, while winners of the Pairs Trophies were Gordon and Sandra on 45. Well done to everyone who took part, thank you as always for your support.
Thanks to Bob for making Bisley Gun Club available for food and refreshments during the afternoon.
Back to ‘normal’ Poets in November – Book early to guarantee a place and remember our earlier start times – it will be almost dark when we finish next month.
August Mainstone Masters Competition
Benjamin Wells High Gun
Oliver Gurney Junior High Gun
The August Mainstone Masters followed the usual format, with 25 targets on the Spotrap range, with guidance from Peter and Guy if needed.
Shooting in the first squad of the day, Ben Wells did not need our assistance and hit a great score of 23. This score was not beaten, although Ben himself scored another 23 later in the morning. James Faulkner came the closest with a very good 22, leaving Ben as a worthy winner of the Senior Trophy.
The competition was also close in the Ladies, with Lee Williamson posting an early 12, followed by a much improved 16. Shooting at the end of the morning, Kayleigh Findlay-Hobbs scored 15 and 16 and was awarded the Trophy as Lee had had to go home on ‘Dog duty’.
In the Junior section, Oliver Gurney won with a respectable 17, while everyone enjoyed seeing 10-year-old Joseph taking the Colts trophy with 16.
Well done to everyone who had a go, and put a note in your calendars to come and join in the next competition on Saturday 9th October.
Kayley Findley-Hobbs Lady High Gun
Joseph Marshall Colt High Gun
September Poets 2021
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Following the August Down the Line session, it was back to regular Skeet for September POETS. This is still proving to be very popular, with all four sessions fully booked, so check your calendars if you would like to join us in October!
Phil Mandeville managed two 24’s, reaching station seven before dropping a target – so near and yet far! On the other range, Keith managed to hit all 25 for bragging rights, while Jon Watson scored three rounds of 22.
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There were also good performances from Ted Woodings, winning Silver with his 19, and Phil Clarke, Ben Wells and Paul Davis all collecting their Bronze Medals. Well done to you all.
There was a definite air of improvement and consistency. Ben shot four rounds of 22, while Lee shot three rounds of 19 – Keep at it, and you will soon be collecting your Gold medals.
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Other Medal winners on the day were Nigel winning Gold and Chris winning a Bronze medal.
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Thanks to Bob for making Bisley Gun Club available for food and refreshments during the afternoon and afterwards for some entertainment. Jon Watson had rebuilt Peter’s 12 string Guitar, so it was tested – nothing like a captive audience!
See you all next month!
POETS DTL 2021
One week ago today, POETS descended on the Bisley Gun club, located on Bisley Camp. This was the first time we had all shot DTL (Down the Line) in a competition. Lots of fun and laughter was had, learning about a new shooting discipline and range etiquette as part of the steep learning curve! Everyone adapted to the new challenge well and many commented on a return in the future.
The team at Bisley Gun Club could not have been more supportive and welcoming especially as we were learning as the day progressed. The hospitality was fantastic and really made the day. It was however mentioned that they sold more cake on Friday and they had in a long time and mainly to our hungry POETS, yum yum
Massive thank you to Bob, Jo, Janine, Jack and Tony for looking after us all, you were all amazing.
Congratulations to Gordon Hamilton who won GBS High Gun, Oliver Gurney who came second and Lee Williamson who won GBS Ladies.
Sportrap Veteran World Champion 2021
For the past 15 years, Chip has been an inspiration to many, including myself. In his quiet way, he has been working hard to be the best he can, and with me in tow, we made a great team. From learning to shoot at an early age with his Dad and then becoming a serious competitor over the past 15 years, we have had a few highs and many more lows!
On Saturday, after giving his World Sporting place to a good friend, he could not compete for personal reasons. I was delighted and very privileged to shoot with him as he shot the Sportrap. This lead to a shoot-off. I then watched the shoot-off for the World Veteran Sportrap title and 2nd overall against some of the best shots in the world.
Chip was very humble in success, and it made all the hard work, tears, laughs and struggles all worth it.
To say he is now a World Champion is just the best.
POETS July 2021
Congratulations to Sandra, Nigel, Jon and Joseph for winning medals this month
Jon and Joseph Marshall receiving their bronze medals
Nigel Plowright wearing his silver medal
Mick Smith enjoying his full breakfast from the team at the Bisley Gun Club, Yum Yum!
July POETS was blessed with perfect weather conditions, no wind, not too much sun and most importantly, no rain!
Three people capitalised on the conditions and shot 25 straights – Phil Mandeville got the perfect score in his first round, Gordon Hamilton in his second round and Keith James in his fourth round.
Following his success at Mainstone Masters, 10-year-old Joseph Marshall turned up to POETS to try Skeet for the very first time.
Joseph was shooting with a 20 bore and sub-sonic cartridges, and both he and Dad Jon hit 17 and earned a Bronze Medal with their first round, despite never having shot Skeet before. Look out, Phil, Gordon and Keith; Joseph is definitely one to watch for the future.
Other Medal winners on the day were Sandra Harman winning bronze and Nigel Plowright silver, very well shot, both of you!
Thanks to Bob for making Bisley Gun Club available for food and refreshments, and thanks to everyone who stayed to socialise after the shooting finished.
Fancy trying a new discipline? As a change to the monthly Skeet session, August POETS will be devoted to shooting down-the-line, courtesy of Bisley Gun Club. This is expected to be popular, so make sure you book in early to secure a place. As with Skeet, all rounds will be overseen by Sarah, Chip, Guy or Peter with guidance and tips where necessary, so don’t worry if you have never tried it before, come along and let us talk you through it.
Sandra Harman receiving her bronze medal.
Mainstone Masters June 2021
High Gun Keith James
Ladies High Gun Kayley Findlay-Hobbs
Following a wet POETS, the weather for June Mainstone Masters Compak competition was hot and sunny throughout the morning, prompting a big entry.
There were some tremendous scores in all categories, although everybody seemed to enjoy watching 10 year old Joseph Marshall improving round by round. Joseph was using a 20 bore with sub-sonic cartridges, and recorded some great hits on the tricky simultaneous pairs on stand one and two. His final round gave him a win in the Colts class with a very impressive 18.
Also shooting well and improving each round was Kayleigh Findley-Hobbs, finishing with a good 16 to win the Ladies prize.
Going in to the final round, there were four people tied for top spot on 23. James Faulkner, Keith James, Alan Meager and Junior Ben Wells, all waiting to the end to see if there was going to be a shoot-off.
Keith and Mark were both shooting in the final round to see if they could go one better. Mark let a couple slip away, but Keith only missed one to win with 24. Ben of course won the Juniors with his 23.
The next Mainstone Masters is booked for Saturday 14th August. Can anyone score a perfect 25? Could it be one of our Juniors? Could it be you? Come along and give it a try.
A very proud Dad - well shot Joseph
Junior High Gun Ben Wells
Colt High Gun Joseph Marshall
POETS June 2021
Congratulations to Stephen, John and Nigel for winning medals this month
Stephen Pavey
Nigel Plowright
There was a good atmosphere for June POETS despite starting in the pouring rain!
The best performance of the day was Keith James. Fresh from his first 25 straight and the award of the coveted diamond last month, Keith started with 25 and scored another in his third round. He only missed 5 targets overall to score 95/100. Have Phil and Gordon got competition for the Master POETS title this year?
Shooting in the same squad as Keith, Stephen Pavey shot consistently and scored two 21’s to earn a Gold medal.
In the second squad on Range three, John Hughes improved round by round to finish with a 17, good enough to earn him a Silver Medal. Lee Williamson also showed steady progress, scoring a personal best 19 in the final round and setting herself up for Gold next time?
Shooting on Range four, Nigel Plowright earned his first POETS Medal with a score of 21, shot in pouring rain judging by the state of the scorecard! – Well done to all our winners.
Special thanks to Robin Stacpoole for providing doughnuts before shooting and beer after – so much for my post-lockdown diet!
Sarah, Chip, Guy and Peter look forward to seeing you on Friday 2nd July but don’t forget to book in early if you want to attend as spaces are limited.
John Hughes
POETS May 2021
New Member of the Diamond League congratulations
Keith James
Venetia Howes
John Tomkins
It was a popular return to NCSC Bisley for May POETS, with both sessions on two ranges full.
We were pleased to welcome some old friends from previous seasons and some new members too. The Star of Range 4 was Keith James, who scored his first 25 straight and won a very rare and valuable (?) Diamond Trophy. Also shooting well and gaining their first Medal with us was Venetia and Rupert, and with Jon and Peter gaining a silver, I was delighted to present so many medals!
Further up the hill on Range three, Lewis Mallett shot superbly throughout the session, missing only the 24th target on his first round. His other three rounds of 23 gave him a total score of 93 – better get the Diamond polished ready for him for next time!
John Tompkins, shooting in the same squad as Lewis, was obviously watching and learning as he also won his first Medal with us.
Well done to everybody, and thank you all for your support of this popular event and don’t forget, if you would like to attend the next couple of POETS, you had better book early!
Only the very few have the complete set. Will you be next?
Mainstone Masters 2021
High Gun Colin Burrows
Ladies High Gun Lee Williamson
April Mainstone Masters Competition
It was a happy return to Mainstone Hill Shooting Ground in Pirbright on Saturday 10th April for the first of this season’s Mainstone Masters Sporting competition. The one-way system in and out of the Compak range helped keep everybody safe and aided Social Distancing.
For those who have not tried it, the Mainstone Masters is run every other month, and consists of a round of 25 Sporting Clays, with guidance provided by the GBS Instructors if required. It is a re-entry event, so you can have as many goes as you like to try and improve your scores.
There was a good turnout keeping Guy, Peter and Chris busy all morning, so thank you to everyone who entered for their support. The top score on the day was Colin Burrows with an early 22. Last year’s Mainstone Masters winner Mark Stoodley and runner-up Keith James scored 20 each, so not enough to prevent Colin from collecting the Trophy.
Also shooting early was Lee Williams, following up her success at POETS by taking the Ladies Trophy with a very good 16.
Jacob Revett added yet another Junior trophy to his collection, and an improving James Bell took the Colt Trophy with a new personal best.
The next Competition will be Saturday, June 12th, when the weather should be a little warmer!
Junior High Gun Jacob Revett
Colt High Gun James Bell
Mainstone Masters 2020
Mainstone Master Mark Stoodley
Ladies Winner Mya Plumley-Beere
The final of the Mainstone Masters was held at Pirbright on 12th December and despite the cold, there was a good turnout of competitors.
Mark Stoodley had a slim lead over Keith James, but Keith could still win if he beat his previous ‘low’ score of 22 - unless Mark also scored more than 22. Thanks to Chris for doing the calculations on the day!
Both shot well and managed to hit the difficult ‘E’ target repeatedly, but the simultaneous pairs caught both shooters out at some point and they both ended with a score of 22. This meant that Mark retained the Mainstone Masters Title, leaving Keith with the consolation of the High Gun honours on the day.
Jacob Revett has improved steadily through the season and won the inaugural Junior Masters title, while James Bell also had a very good round to win in the Colts category.
Mya Plumley-Beere joined us for the first time and won the Ladies prize.
Covid restrictions permitting, we will start next year’s competition on Saturday 13th February. Hope to see you there!
Congratulations to Jacob Revett for becoming our first Mainstone Junior Master 2020
Mainstone Master Runner up and December Winner Keith James
James Bell won the December Colts trophy
Thank you, Peter, for all your Christmas spirit and the Mainstone Masters blogs.
Christmas Poets 2020
Christmas Poet 2020
Fantastic finish to a year to award Stephen Pavey with the Christmas Poets Trophy
Massive thank you to everyone who has supported us during this strange year and without all our GBS Poets we would not have so much fun and laughter!
My team - Chip, Guy, Peter and David thank you and a huge shout out to all the team at the NCSC for having us which was our 6th year.
Congratulation to Steve Pavey and Keith James both winning a gold medal
Master Poet 2020
A massive congratulation to Gordon Hamilton for successfully defending the Masters for the second year.
Congratulations to Ted Woodings winning his bronze medal
Master Poet
Runner Up 2020
Congratulations to Jon Watson for giving Gordon a run for his money this year only a few clays behind.
We will hopefully be back at the NCSC on Friday 8th January 2020, however with the new restriction we may need to postpone until will can be a group again!
Watch this space for further news.
Congratulations to Lee Williamson for gaining her silver medal
The exclusive SWATCOM Active8 bundle and discount code can be found with the push of a button below
October 2020
Please scroll down for Combat Stress Results
Mainstone Masters
Keith James High Gun
Oliver Gurney Junior High Gun
I am delighted to announce we have raised more money this year for Combat Stress than in the previous years. With the help of many friends I am delighted to say our final total is
£1020.00
October Mainstone Masters Compak Competition
The latest round of the Mainstone Masters Compak competition was held at Mainstone Hill Shooting Ground in Pirbright on the second Saturday of October.
As reported last time, Mainstone had opened up the far end of the Compak layout and created a new path so that a one way system could be operated and it all worked well, with Chris outside the range taking entries and marshalling the contestants, and Guy and Peter able to give gentle guidance to the shooters from a safe distance. (The shooters are of course naturally spaced along the range).
Mark Stoodley, current leader of the Masters Championship shot an early 20, but was unable to improve on this during the morning. Another early shooter was Colt James Bell, achieving our predicted ‘double figures’ this time with 11 and winning another Trophy.
Shooting in the last squad of the day, Ollie Gurney shot a very nice 21, only to be beaten by another regular, Keith James who hit the final pair of the morning to score a winning 22. Ollie however was the clear winner in the Juniors, adding to the Gold Medal he won at POETS the weekend before.
James Faulkner came close to beating Keith, but elected to shoot his final round with a Side by Side, practicing for the Surrey County Competition.
After our thrilling tie in the Ladies last time, there were no entries this time – Come on Ladies, there is a prize for the Top Score if you come and join us in December.
The final Compak and Championship decider is on Saturday 12th December, where the Game Bird staff will be ‘encouraged’ by Sarah to wear Christmas hats – Come along and support us a don’t miss this spectacle of festive jollity to get you in the mood for Christmas.
Chris Turner and Chip Smith enjoying a cuppa in our new mugs
Combat Stress Charity Day
GBS TOP TEAM
TOP OPEN TEAM WITH BILLY GREENWOOD HIGH GUN ON THE RIGHT 94/100
First shooter named for the team
Billy Greenwood 356
Colin Burrows 317
Steve Whitehorn 303
Steve Pavey 303
Derek Cattani 301
James Faulkner 301
Jeff Epps 295
James Horrold 288
Nick Garrett 287
Tom Revett 277
Venetia Howes 263
Ellis Carlin 253
Mick Stockford 242
Jonathan Bell 237
Ted Woodings 236
Robin Stacpoole 195
Thank you all so much for coming we raised £925.00
Ben Wells Junior High Gun
James Bell Colt High Gun
Ellis Carlin Ladies High Gun Winner
September 2020
Poets Day Top Team Results
During our September Poets we had medals and trophies galore. Chip, Guy and myself occupied two ranges and introduced new shooters and guided our regular shooters to shoot English skeet. We also had our Annual Pairs competition. We randomly teamed up two Poets to shoot together and their combined highest scored round won the top team trophies.
Massive congratulations to Phil Mandeville and Mick Smith who beat Jon Watson and James Faulkner by only two clays. We had six teams participating and it was great to see such comradery and banter.
We also had a hall of medals won. Congratulations to Jonathan Bell, James Bell and Andy Graham winning a bronze medal. John Reaks won a silver and to go with his pairs trophy Mick Smith won his gold. Great shooting everyone!
Thank you to all my team and the staff at the NCSC for having us every month
Congratulations to our top Poets team
Phil Manderville and Mick Smith
Phil Mandervill and Mick Smith 46
Jon Watson and James Faulkner 44
Oliver Gurney and Lewis Mallett 42
Gordon Hamilton & Mike Beckerman 37
Jonathan Bell and James Bell 34
John Reaks and Andy Graham 32
August 2020
Mainstone Masters
High Gun
Mark Stooley 24
Joint Lady’s High Gun
Denise Thornton and Joy Thornton-Brown
Colt High Gun
James Bell
August Mainstone Masters Compak Competition
Following a successful and very hot socially distanced POETS Day on Friday 7th, the next day was our Bi Monthly Compak Competition at Mainstone Hill Shooting Ground in Pirbright.
Due to a clash with an International qualifying Competition, Sarah and Chip were away competing, so Guy, Peter and Chris took the reins and ran the event. Mainstone had opened up the far end of the Compak layout and created a new path so that a one way system could be operated and it all worked perfectly. We had a good number of entries and Guy and Peter were able to stay distanced from the shooters, who were naturally spaced along the range.
Regular supporter Mark Stoodley almost got the perfect score and won the Senior’s competition with 24/25. Fresh from their POETS Skeet experience, Denise and Joy Thornton-Brown tied for top Ladies Spot with personal best 9’s (not bad with a four-ten!). In the interests of Family harmony, they elected not to have a shoot off, and agreed to share the Trophy. Also scoring 9 was our Junior winner, James Bell. Double figures for you all next time?
Join us again on Saturday 10th October when we will be on hand to give you helpful hints and guidance, albeit from a safe distance!
POETS Day
Poet’s day was warm this month and with two ranges full, it was not just the weather that was hot!!! We had John Hughes and newbies Denise Thornton and Lee Williamson all wearing bronze medals at the end of the day. Jon Watson was again on fire giving both Phil Mandeville and Gordon Hamilton a run for their money! Massive thank you to everyone who turned up and supported us, my team and the NCSC for having us.
We look forward to seeing everyone next month and if you would like to join us please contact me to book.
July 2020
POETS Day
Congratulations to Oliver Gurney and taking home a silver medal scoring over 16/25. More details to follow shortly….
Our next POETS day is Friday 7th August and pre booking is required. Please contact me if you wish to join us.
JUNE 2020
Mainstone Masters June Results
High Gun
1st Alan Meager 24
2nd Colin Burrows, Paul Girolami, Keith James, Stephen Bowers 22
Junior High Gun
1st Jacob Rivett 18
2nd Oliver Gurney 16
Ladies High Gun
1st Joy Thornton-Brown 10
2nd Denise Thornton
Colt High Gun
1st James Bell 10
Venues reopening for lessons
I am so pleased that I have been able to open the diary for lessons. Chip is working at Owls Lodge Tuesdays and Thursdays (competitions on the ground permitting) and Wednesdays and Saturdays at Mainstone Hill, Pirbright.
I will be working at Hownhall, Midhurst on Tuesdays and Owls Lodge on Thursdays. Wednesdays and Saturdays at Mainstone Hill.
The diary will currently allow bookings upto 3 weeks ahead however I hope to extend the time soon. If you wish to book further ahead please contact me as usual - by phone, email or text.
Alan Meager Mainstone Masters High Gun June 2020
May 2020
Website winner
It gives me great pleasure to present 100 clays to Jon Watson for correctly noticing that I am not a great left handed shooter. The picture on the home page is the wrong way round and I will flip it so I can shoot of the correct side in a couple of days.
Thank you to everyone who joined in and especially Andy Graham who was the second person to correctly identify the picture and with proof reading the entire website wins 50 cartridges.
I would also like to share a secret with you.
We would be delighted to receive any news or article which I can add.