As a field archer I am so pleased that the winter league has started. The first winter league shoot for us down south was held in some private woods at Friarsgate Archery Club in the woods they use near the village of Fletching (very apt as the feathers or flights on an arrow are called fletchings). The woods hadn't really started to change colour due to the mild autumn so far and it was warm enough for us (about 24 archers) to get rather warm under the collar.
The following two weeks we shot at the more local woods near to Five Ashes, by now the colours were really starting to take effect and the woods looked stunning, and we all felt very privileged to be able to shoot in such beauty on private land and to boot we saw a beautiful doe deer just in the next field and its coat was turning from the summer coat to the winter coat and looked stunning. The weather had started to change by now and it was a bit cooler, but the change in colour in the woods was stunning, every archer remarked on the beauty, the silence and the weather.
A shrews nest had been found by one of the targets and our course setter had carefully placed some old target foam over the top of the nest and had taped it off so that archers couldn't miss it. I think these shrews must have a lovely warm nest and be the envy of other shrews, as they now have an insulated roof over their heads!
This week we are off to some of my favourite woods to shoot in, just by Crawley Down. These are a mixture of Chestnut and Oak, but the land they cover is so wonderful, with a large lake for the fishermen, and valleys and streams to complicate things for the field archers, this is one tough course, but in such lovely surroundings to take away the pain of a missed shot!
The archers from Eastbourne are still looking for another venue to take the place of Five Ashes when Jeff sells and retires, so if anyone is happy to let field archers come and play please feel free to contact me without any obligation, even if its just to find out what these madcaps (including myself) do in all weathers for fun.
PS. I haven't managed to find a way of putting up some photos in the blog and would love to do so, so if anyone can help please let me know how.
Best wishes to all.
Dave