Pellpax is extremely proud to be sponsoring the world-class Olympic Skeet shooter, Amy Brown. Amy has already competed in international competitions in Holland, Serbia, Málaga, Malta, Finland, and the UK, and is now in training for the Open Cyprus Grand Prix in February 2018. I caught up with Amy to find out what’s going on in her hectic life!
Having completed a foundation Law degree at Northumbria University, in Newcastle, Amy is now embarking on a course in Mechanical Engineering. Juggling higher education with a sporting career isn’t easy (yes, that’s a massive understatement!), but Amy’s tutors have always been sympathetic to her athletic commitments, and this support from Northumbria University has been extended to a shooting scholarship. Next time, we’ll find out more about this.
Amy’s training consists of regular sessions at the university gym, in order to build and maintain upper body strength and stamina. She follows a strict high-protein, moderate carbohydrate diet, balancing muscle-building with sustained energy levels. For shooting practice, Amy divides her time between Beverly Clay Target Centre in East Yorkshire, Bywell Shooting Ground in Northumberland, and Auchterhouse Shooting Ground in Dundee, Scotland, where she receives instruction from her coach, Iain McGregor.
One of the ways in which Pellpax assists Amy is to supply cartridges for training. At the moment, she’s using Hull Pro One Cartridges, a high-performance product that has been selected as the Olympic training load.
“They’re fantastic pellets. They just feel really good.”
The 2018 Open Cyprus Grand Prix will be held from February 4 to February 12, in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia. As the largest airgun competition in the world, and the first international competition of the year, it’s a popular, well-attended tournament. Amy will be competing in the senior ladies Olympic Skeet event.
“Cyprus is one of the largest open competitions in the world. Everyone from Olympians to world cup medallists go at the start of the year to see where they are at, at the beginning of the season.”
In addition to furthering her own career as a world-class competitor, Amy works with her younger sister, Erin, as co-ordinator of a ladies’ and girls’ shooting club. Proceeds from monthly meetings are donated to charities such as Bloodwise, an organisation striving to defeat all 137 types of blood cancer, and the Great North Air Ambulance.
Whatever is going on in the present, or in the near future, Amy never takes her eye off the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The qualification process will begin at the end of 2018, and Amy is determined to be part of Team GB.
Do well in Cyprus, Amy! From everyone here at Pellpax.
Target shooting is the most accessible, inclusive, and integrated of all mainstream sports. With a little innovation and lateral thinking, the sport can be adapted to accommodate a wide range of disabilities and special requirements.
One of the leading lights in the campaign for disabled-friendly shooting clubs is the Disabled Shooting Project (DSP), and at its head is co-ordinator, Elizabeth (Liz) Woodall.
Beginnings
I asked Liz about the conception of the DSP – how and why it came into being. Her story begins in 2005. When Liz was unexpectedly made redundant, she took on a temporary administrative role with the National Small-bore Rifle Association (NSRA), helping to sort out gift-aid on membership.
“Working through the records, I realised that there were a lot of sad letters from people about not being able to continue their membership because of old age or disability. It seemed such a shame that they were giving up the sport they loved and the social life that goes with it. Some of the letters went into quite a lot of detail, and their stories affected me. I thought, ‘I’m certain there are ways to help some of these people to continue shooting.’
“I approached two people from the NSRA: Charlie Blow, who was on the Board of Management, and Dave Froggett, the Coaching and Development Manager. They clicked with the whole concept. The three of us put the thing together, and Charlie was prepared to push the Board to take this seriously.”
Liz, Charlie, and Dave organised a consultation meeting in Wolverhampton.
Launching The Project
“We invited all the people we knew, who had anything to do with disabled shooting. The purpose was to see if there was enough genuine interest in our concept – to find out how far people would actually support it with their own resources – i.e. their time, effort, and money. There was an overwhelming vote to go for it, and so the next step was to put together an outline plan for getting it all off the ground.”
The project was launched. Liz and her husband, Brian, came up with an idea for a logo, and they spent an evening together doing all the artwork; there was, of course, no money available for professional services. (I think it’s a super logo!) Brian was running the NSRA website and editing the NSRA magazine, The Rifleman, so there was no difficulty in spreading the word via those media. The initial introductory leaflet was also a home brew, and Charlie Blow’s company generously paid for it to be printed.
“Right from the start, the DSP had a voluntary Steering Group that met every four to eight weeks to collaborate on, and oversee, the various areas of work that we were involved in. It consisted of representatives of the main target shooting disciplines, National Governing Bodies, and coaches. These people were fantastically important in making the DSP a success, by promoting and encouraging its work within their own fields. In addition, the Steering Group was truly remarkable for being the first and only fully pan-discipline co-operative body operating in the sport.”
Alongside her admin job, Liz worked at helping people with disabilities to continue with, or to take up, shooting. Eventually, the paid work came to an end, but Liz continued to work with the DSP. When Sport England heard about the project, they expressed an interest in funding it, provided that it was taken over by British Shooting. Liz and Charlie agreed, and Liz applied (successfully) for the job of co-ordinator.
How the DSP Works
I asked Liz, “How does the DSP work?”
“Well, a shooting club will contact us for advice. This might be general advice, like how to adapt the clubhouse for wheelchair users, or advice about helping a particular individual to take part, which might involve special equipment. We pass on information via email and telephone, and sometimes we’ll pay a visit, to see what’s already in place and to talk to members about their requirements. A lot of it is about motivation.
“We’re also contacted by a lot of individuals: disabled people, their relatives, friends, or carers – and even specialist medical professionals working with them. They want to know if target shooting could be an option for them; the answer is invariably “yes”. Then they ask how and where they can get involved. The three key requirements are: a welcoming club, suitable equipment, and a sympathetic coach – so, from the start, we set about making sure that those would all be available to as many people as possible.”
The Buddy System
“A club established in the DSP system will partner a club that’s new to it, giving advice and support.For example: a new clubhouse is being built, with disabled access in mind. A club that’s already gone through this process can offer advice based on their own experience. It’s not difficult; it just needs a bit of knowledge. The same system applies to coaches who are learning how to work with disabled shooters and need a more experienced mentor; and also to individual shooters, who can buddy-up with someone who has a similar disability, so they can help each other along. This scheme is particularly valuable where a club or shooter is geographically isolated – they can be helped via phone, email, skype, etc.”
Liz gave a lovely example of the buddy system.
“The longest-distance help we provided was to the Falkland Islands, where a disabled chap wanted to join the Port Stanley club. After contacting us, not only was the club coach buddied-up with coaches in Britain, but several clubs over here invited the Port Stanley people to take part in postal competitions, which was a huge boost to that club’s activities.”
Challenges of Funding
In July 2014, Sport England’s funding came to an end, and although the NSRA would have liked to take it on, this was not financially feasible. It was agreed that Liz could hang onto the logo and the website, and the DSP went back to being operated on a voluntary basis.
One of the most important services provided by the DSP is the development of equipment for individual shooters. Those working with the project devote a lot of time to sourcing off-the-shelf equipment that would be particularly suitable for those with some disabilities, and also finding ways of adapting it to suit even more people.
Even so, some shooters, particularly those with more severe disabilities, really need one-off pieces of equipment, tailor-made for them. In some cases, these aids have enabled shooters with disabilities to reach very high standards, and to compete in national and international competitions. One of the leading experts in this field is John Kelman (featured in our previous blog), who joined the DSP at the initial consultation meeting in Wolverhampton.
Liz also mentioned the charity, Remap (http://www.remap.org.uk/). Remap recruits retired scientists and engineers, who will construct one-off pieces of kit that can improve the quality of life for disabled people. This work is all done on a voluntary basis.
The Future of the DSP
So what does the future look like for the Disabled Shooting Project?
“My hope is that many of my colleagues on the Steering Group will be prepared to re-form it as soon as it’s possible to do so. This may be dependent on some grant or sponsorship, as they are geographically widely spread, and their travelling expenses really ought to be covered, as they were in the past. As you can see, there is going to be a lot for me to do to get the whole thing running properly again on a voluntary basis.”
If you would like to know more about the work of the DSP, visit the website: http://disabledshooting.org.uk. Plans are in hand to up-grade and up-date this site over the coming months. To contact the DSP, email [email protected] or phone 07527 579 686.
This month our correspondent Hazel Randall takes a close look at the world of disabled shooting….
Target shooting is one of the most inclusive and adaptable sports. In the last 20 years, there’s been a tremendous change in attitude towards disabled sport in general, heavily influenced by dedicated individuals who join together to form strong support systems. To understand where it all began, let’s go back to the 1940s, to the father of the Paralympic Games…
The Paralympic Games
Sir Ludwig Guttmann (1899-1980) was a brilliant German neurologist and passionate advocate of physical exercise as a means of therapy for injured military personnel. Dr Guttmann, a Jewish refugee, set up the National Spine Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, in Buckinghamshire. This specialist unit, opened in February 1944, became the birthplace of revolutionary new therapeutic systems, which focussed on the building of physical strength and self-respect.
On July 29th 1948, as the Olympic Games were officially kicked off in London, the very first Stoke Mandeville Games were being held at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Organised by Dr Guttman, this competition was a sporting arena for wheelchair athletes from all over the UK – a harbinger of great things to come. When Dutch ex-servicemen joined the competition in 1952, the event became known as the International Stoke Mandeville Games.
In 1960, Dr Guttman held the 9th Annual International Stoke Mandeville Games in Rome, alongside the Olympic Games, and from then on, the newly named Paralympic Games have taken place every four years. Since the 1988 Games in Seoul, Korea, the Paralympics have been held in the same host city as the Olympic Games, and the two competitions have been united.
The word Paralympic is a blend of Olympic with the prefix para- (Greek: ‘beside’), denoting alteration or modification.
The Disabled Shooters Group
DSG President Adrian Last in action
Richard Scott was a keen skeet shooter. According to Mr Scott’s wishes, donations collected at his funeral in 1995 were used to fund a have-a-go disabled shooting event at Sandringham Shooting Ground, in Norfolk. At the time, Sandringham Shooting Ground was managed by Graham Brown, whose wife, Yvonne, arranged for participants to be accommodated overnight at a nearby nursing home, where she worked.
The success of this event led to others of its kind, and it was not long afterwards that the Disabled Shooters Group (DSG) was founded by Adrian Last and Brian Wilkie, two friends who first met at the event sponsored by the late Richard Scott. Brian Wilkie suffered from a severe form of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and died in 2005.
In 1984, at just 24 years old, Adrian Last had a serious motorcycle accident, which resulted in a paralysed right arm and the amputation of his right foot. The following year, having regained the use of his arm, Adrian got back on a bike and resumed the sport he loved: endurance racing.
“With my prosthetic foot, I had no toe movement, and couldn’t operate a foot brake, so my bike was adapted for me. The rear brake was controlled by a lever on the left handlebar, and I continued to compete in national competitions, alongside able-bodied motorcyclists.”
But in 1990, another terrible motorcycle accident left Adrian even more damaged. After lying unconsciousness for eight days, he awoke to discover that two of the vertebrae in his neck had been broken, and that he had lost the use his legs; he would never again be able to ride a motorcycle. But two years later, at the motorcycle club’s annual clay shoot, 32-year-old Adrian was launched into his next passion: clay shooting.
“I’d shot before. Being a farmer’s son, I was handling guns from 11 or 12 years old, shooting pigeons and rabbits on the farm. But it had been a while!”
Last year, Adrian won the World English Sporting and the World Sport Trap titles, bringing his total world golds to five. He has also won one European and many British gold medals, and was the first winner of the CPSA award for Disabled Shooter of the Year. Fifty-seven-year-old Adrian is the DSG’s life president and a determined campaigner for disabled shooting. Over the last 20 years, he has helped to bring the CPSA’s attention to this area of the sport, and his efforts have contributed to increased accessibility of shooting sports in the UK.
He said, “I don’t mind what you ask about my disabilities. If talking about this inspires somebody to get into shooting sports, then I’m happy.”
DSG Secretary Sam Nunn takes aim with some clay shooting
Sam Nunn is the DSG’s current secretary, responsible for organising shooting events. Three of Sam’s limbs are affected by a very rare syndrome called femur-fibular-ulna complex, and he has been using a prosthetic leg since he was just 15 months old. Sam, who won the CPSA’s Shooter of the Year award in 2014, has been shooting from the age of 12.
“I used to go out shooting rabbits and pigeons with my uncle. But when I was 17, I fancied having a go at clay target shooting, so I started looking around for a club. There were very few clubs that were accessible to disabled shooters, and certainly none near me.”
I asked Sam if things have changed in that respect.
“Yes. I’ve noticed, over the last few years, that attitudes towards disabled shooters have improved a lot. Of course, some disciplines are more accessible than others. For example, an Olympic Trap is shot from a concrete pad, which is easier for wheelchair users than grass.”
Sam told me that he has to choose his gun carefully.
“Because my arms are short, I opt for a gun with a shortened stock, which is typically designed for ladies; I’ve always been able to find something to suit me. For some, though, no gun off the shelf will be suitable, but it’s possible to obtain models with specially made stocks or electric triggers.”
Target Shooting is Accessible, Inclusive, and Integrated
Mick Kirby, of the Sussex CPSA committee, who had his lower left arm amputated, following a stroke, has been instrumental in arranging have-a-go days for people with disabilities.
“We ran one of these events last September, which was really well attended. There was a boy with autism, who particularly enjoyed the experience, thanks mainly to one of our members, who forged a good connection with the boy. This lad’s father was really chuffed.”
Mick told me, “Sometimes I’ll bump into someone at a competition, who’s still shooting after being introduced to the sport at one of our events. I don’t know if this particular boy has continued to shoot. I hope so.”
Mick is a determined character and has worked out a way of loading his gun one-handed, with the aid of a hip holder. At national competitions, he has won gold and silver medals in British skeet and American skeet, and he is also a referee. Mick is committed to promoting shooting for people with disabilities, but actually has a very positive view of the sport’s inclusive nature.
“The majority of clubs include everyone, without discrimination. Over the last few years, I’ve seen a positive change in attitude.”
I asked Mick how he will continue to promote disabled shooting. His reply was simple.
“I promote the sport best by shooting as an able-bodied shooter.”
Matt Skelhon
Matt Skelhon is a 32-year-old Paralympic gold medallist, whose first experience of target shooting was at the annual Inter Spinal Unit Games at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium.
Matt spent four months at the Princess Royal Spinal Cord Injuries Centre, Sheffield, after breaking his back in a road traffic accident when he was just 21 years old. The injury caused paraplegia, which is paralysis of the lower body. With lots of support from family and friends, Matt’s outlook was optimistic, and he made every effort to hurry up his recovery so that he could get on with life.
“I was always positive; I never despaired. I was pretty lucky.”
As part of his rehabilitation, Matt had a go at wheelchair basketball and archery, but it was during the WheelPower Inter Spinal Unit Games at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium, in April 2006, that he discovered a passion for target shooting. And he was very good at it!
He told me, “I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and I like a challenge.”
Two years later, the British National Anthem was playing at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, as Matt received a gold medal for the 10m air rifle event in the SH1 classification. SH1 is for competitors who do not require a shooting stand.
“I felt absolute elation. Leading up to the competition, I’d been focussing on training, just thinking about the job in hand. It had been all about the shooting. And then, suddenly, here I was, with a gold medal round my neck. It was surreal!”
At the 2012 Paralympics in London, Matt won silver and bronze in the 10m and 50m air rifle events respectively, and he also competed in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was named Sportsman of the Year by the Peterborough Telegraph. The Pellpax team wishes him well for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
John Kelman
John Kelman is an amazing man. He takes the concept of thinking outside the box to a place where you can’t even remember what the box looks like.
When he began his coaching career, John was confronted with a hurdle that he has had to overcome many times during his life: dyslexia. Intelligent, compassionate, and innovative, John struggled with the reading and writing aspect of studying for coaching qualifications, but this difficulty was certainly not going to get the better of him. He persevered, and now holds the position of Regional Coach – the highest coaching level recognised by the National Small-bore Rifle Association.
John was determined to provide coaching to people with disabilities. “In the year 2000,” he said, “most shooting clubs didn’t want to know about anyone with a disability – so I started my own club.”
John has designed and constructed shooting aids for many very different needs, and each of his innovations must be ratified by the NSRA to ensure that users are not given an unfair advantage in competitions.
DSG Shooter Eirian uses his feet to aim and shoot.
Eirian, who had cerebral palsy, had very little control over most of his body, including his head. This meant that he couldn’t focus his sight on the target, aim the gun, and pull the trigger, all at the same time. John told me, “He was trapped in his own body.”
However, Eirian had good control of his ankles and feet – in fact, he propelled his wheelchair with his toes. So John devised a way for Eirian to manoeuvre the barrel of the gun by means of a treadle, which he also used to operate the trigger. John fixed a laser onto the barrel, so that Eirian only had to watch the target; when the laser hit the centre, he’d shoot.
Another student, also with cerebral palsy, was 21-year-old Paul, whose hands were turned outward at an extreme angle. “Paul can’t turn his hands,” the carer told John. “He’s never seen his palms.” John borrowed a lace from the carer’s shoe and looped it around Paul’s wrist; with assistance, Paul then had control over pulling the trigger.
John went on to construct a tidier and safer mechanism for Paul to use – “I called this the Equaliser, as it made disabled shooters equal with able-bodied shooters.” But it was probably that first taste of achievement that brought Paul back again for another go.
And then there was Vic.
A close up of shooter Vic Morris, in action
“I was approached one day by an elderly gentleman who said he’d read an article about me in the local paper. ‘Can you get my son shooting?’ he said. I said, ‘I’ll give it a go.’ I was expecting a little lad, but then in comes a grown man, operating his wheelchair with his chin. I went to shake his hand, and he said, ‘Nothing works, mate.’ Within a week I had this man shooting; within 12 months he was entering national competitions.”
Vic Morris was 28, married, and a father of two little girls when his neck was broken in a rugby scrum, leaving him paralysed from the neck down.
John built a complex machine, whereby the gun was fixed into a support, and the end of the barrel was weighted. A butt plate supported a bracket that in turn supported the stock, and because Vic had excellent control of his head muscles, he could press the stock down with his chin, levering the other end up. Vic’s wife loaded the gun for him, and the trigger was connected to a switch, which Vic operated with his tongue.
Vic Morris became a very good shooter, and he and John were close friends. Vic died in July this year.
As I thanked John for taking the time to talk to me, he said, “I have a challenge for anybody with a disability. Come and see me, and I’ll do my very best to get you shooting – whatever your disability. Just contact me at [email protected].”
British Blind Sport
Trial shooter, Paul, takes aim with the specialist equipment
A quarter of a century ago, nobody in the UK with visual impairment was shooting, but in 1994, Ken Nash, a life member of both the National Small-bore Rifle Association (NRSA) and British Blind Sport (BBS), introduced shooting for the blind into the UK. There are now more than 30 centres across the country that welcome visually impaired shooters. Working alongside these clubs, BBS organises competitions, supports the education of school teachers, and provides classifications to blind and partially sighted athletes.
In the Summer 2017 issue of the NSRA’s in-house magazine, On Target, Ken introduces Ecoaims Vis500, a new audio aiming device that has been chosen by the NSRA for visually impaired shooting in the UK. An infrared LED is placed near the target, and the Vis500 converts the infrared signals to audio waves. Via his sense of hearing, the shooter’s skills of calculation, concentration, and steadiness can be tested to the same extent as those of a sighted shooter.
Michael Whapples
One of the experts involved in the selection of the Vis500 was Michael Whapples. Michael has been almost totally blind since birth. He attended a special school for visually impaired children, where he first experienced the joys of target shooting. He showed enormous aptitude for the sport, and it became his passion.
Studying physics at Nottingham University posed problems – and not only for Michael. One of his tutors, Janette Dunn, published a paper entitled Teaching a Physics Laboratory Module to Blind Students, in which she analysed the problems posed by lack of vision. Michael was one of two subjects in her case study, and, in reading this interesting article, it becomes apparent that a huge adversity like blindness does not always outweigh copious amounts of talent, common sense, and intelligence.
Michael’s ‘day job’ is developing software for producing brail documents. Other software projects include a Smart phone app that provides an audio compass for visually impaired sailing, and an app to allow configuration of the VIASS aiming system. But Michael, like so many of the experts I’ve spoken to, embraces the flexibility of this sport.
“In target shooting, visual impairment doesn’t necessarily have to go down the audio route. Shooting can be adapted in so many ways – for example, those with some useful vision can do disciplines such as benchrest shooting, where a scope is permitted. Also, when thinking about this, whilst I know of no shooter using it, blind archers use the ‘back of the hand’ tactile sighting system, which provides a reference point for elevation. Maybe this method can be adapted for shooters.”
Steven Richardson
Last year, I had the pleasure of talking to Steven Richardson, who lost both legs and five fingers in an IED explosion in Afghanistan in 2010. Steven was part of an eight-man team who cycled 3051 miles across the USA, raising £100,000 for Help for Heroes. He participates in several sports, including shooting. You can read The Big Interview: Steven Richardson here.
In Memoriam, Vic Morris
Many thanks to Dave Froggett, the NSRA (National Small-bore Rifle Association) Coaching and Development Manager, for putting me in touch with many of the people who contributed to this article.
The Malta Grand Prix 2017 took place from June 10 to June 18 at the Malta Shooting Sport Federation (MSSF) ranges at Bidnija, a tiny village in the northern part of Malta. The MSSF was established in 1908, and in 2008 it produced a book, A Century of Organised Shooting Sport in Malta. In his introduction, president Saviour Portelli says that the work of the MSSF “makes shooting sport the primary sport in Malta, and thus our country expects shooting to provide the first Olympic medal”.
In temperatures reaching 30°C, Amy and her fellow competitors shot daily from 9a.m. to 7p.m. For a whole week, the athletes spent most of their time in each other’s company, and, despite an abundance of competitive spirit within the group, there was plenty of camaraderie and bonhomie. Amy told me, “Training and competing alongside these excellent shots gives me inspiration to push forward.”
Amy with seasoned shooting coach, Iain McGregor
Malta wasn’t Amy’s first experience of shooting in intense heat. In the summer of 2016, Pellpax funded her trip to Málaga, where she trained hard and competed in the Junior Grand Prix, winning Gold in the Junior Ladies event.
Amy is trained by coach Iain McGregor, who is based at Auchterhouse, in Dundee. Iain has been coaching for more than 30 years, and has achieved all three levels of International Sports Federation Coaching Certificates. He is one of the most highly qualified and experienced shotgun coaches in the UK, and holds international qualifications at the highest level.
Amy’s first step on her shooting career ladder was success at the Target Tokyo trials, after being scouted by an APSI (Association of Professional Shooting Instructors) coach during the summer of 2015. Since then, she has competed in the British Championships, the Captain’s Cup, the Grand Prix in Holland (winning team gold and high gun and shooter of the competition), and international competitions in Serbia and at Bisley Shooting Ground, in Surrey. In the past nine months, Amy has won a Gold in Málaga and a Bronze in Malta – her first senior competition.
May receiving her trophy
Results like these don’t come easily. Amazingly, Amy is studying for a degree in Law at Northumbria University, in Newcastle. Despite a heavy study workload and a gruelling training regime, Amy is a regular visitor at the campus gym, where she works out to build and maintain her stamina and upper body strength. (“It’s vital to maintain a high level of training at all times.”)
In her pursuit of excellence, Amy has had to tackle many mental challenges. Travelling to new places and living among strangers can be daunting, but Amy doesn’t give in to nerves. She continually pushes herself to her limits, overstepping the bounds of her comfort zone.
“It’s made me mentally stronger and more capable of holding my nerve in competitions.”
Amy’s next competition will be in Finland, mid-July. We all wish our Pellpax Girl every success!
Peter demonstrates his BASC credentials with some hunting
This month, I spoke to Peter Glenser, Chairman of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), and regular contributor to The Shooting Gazette and other shooting publications. Often referred to as the UK’s leading firearms barrister, Peter plays a major role in firearm legislation, education, and recreation.
He has been described as one of the most respected and trusted defence barristers in cases involving firearms. Fifty-three-year-old Peter Glenser studied Law at the University of Southampton and qualified as a barrister in 1993. With personal experience of firearms and the countryside, he was soon acknowledged as an authority in this area of law.
I asked Peter if he’d had a job before entering the legal profession.
“Several and varied; I worked in sales and property and a few other things whilst I thought about what to do with my life. I spent a very enjoyable season working in Val d’Isère, in the French Alps, doing all sorts of stuff like cleaning, cooking, and maintenance, in exchange for a free ski pass. When I came back, I got a job working for a solicitor and decided my future was in law.”
Starting At The BASC
Peter was elected onto the BASC council in 2009, and has been chairman since May 2016.
Peter out in the countryside
“I became involved through the firearms department, which is staffed by experts in firearms and firearm law. Its purpose is to advise government, to advise and assist police forces, and, of course, to offer first-rate firearms advice to BASC members. Last year was a record for the department in that it dealt with more than 10,000 enquiries from members for assistance. That demand shows no sign of abating, but is evidence that members value the service. BASC is the only organisation in the UK that provides a team of full-time staff to deal with firearms enquiries.”
BASC began life in 1908 as the Wildfowlers’ Association of Great Britain and Ireland (WAGBI), to help and defend wildfowling – both as a profession and a sport. In 1981, WAGBI took on the role of being a single representative body for shooting sports, and the name was changed to the British Association for Shooting and Conservation.
Peter explained what the BASC does:
“Our job is to ensure balanced comment in the media, continued opportunities to go shooting, all-party backing for shooting, a strong and unified voice for shooting, and it ensures that high standards are maintained.”
Hunting
Peter is a quarry shooter (“No, I don’t think I’ve ever entered a target-shooting completion…”). A keen deerstalker and grouse shooter, he’s also rather useful in the kitchen. His culinary inspiration comes from his sister, Helen (“a serious foodie”), and his good friend, the UK’s most prominent game chef, Mike Robinson. Mike was recently named as BASC’s first food ambassador.
“I’m very keen on cooking with venison – ounce for ounce it has less fat than a skinned chicken breast, so we tend to have venison spaghetti bolognese, venison meatballs, venison en croûte, venison steaks … It’s full of B vitamins, zinc, iron, selenium, omega 3 … Basically, it’s a really healthy food!”
Peter’s shooting companion is Finn, an eight-year-old liver-coloured, flat-coated retriever, described by his master as “the worst-behaved dog in history”, yet “a tireless and enthusiastic worker – when he puts his mind to it”.
Although Finn has been known to display flashes of brilliance in his work, he is easily distracted by the ladies of his species.
“He prefers chercher les femmes to finding the pheasants! And he’s not above having a dominance competition with other males; as a result, he’s not always welcomed enthusiastically at driven shoots. He’s also a bit of a thief.”
Finn’s favourite lady is a lurcher called Twiglet, who belongs to Georgia, Peter’s teenage daughter. There’s no doubt, however, about who is top dog in this relationship. “The sad truth is that she outsmarts him most of the time!”
So how and when did Peter get into shooting?
“I was introduced to shooting at school. I loved it. I belonged to the Sea Scouts and then the CCF, and a passion for shooting in all its forms probably started there. This is why I am so keen to develop schemes that get youngsters shooting from an early age. Last summer, BASC provided a coaching line at the Essex International Scout and Girl Guide Jamboree. We coached almost 6,000 youngsters to shoot clays, and it was just so rewarding to see them queuing at the gates. It was the most popular event at the Jamboree, and proof that shooting can engage young minds if you can get it in front of them.”
Favourite Guns
As a child, was Peter allowed his own gun?
“I badgered my parents for an air rifle, but they were initially reluctant to let me have one. Anyway, I suppose it must have been apparent my interest wasn’t going to wane. They eventually let me have my first air rifle when I was about 12 – a Webley Hawk Mk II.”
Does Peter have a favourite gun?
“My favourite shotgun is the Scottish Round Action – so a Dickson or a McKay Brown. I’d love either! I’m lucky enough to own my favourite rifle – a Rigby .275. ”
Finally, I asked Peter about his proudest shooting moment. There was no hesitation.
“It was when my daughter, Georgia, shot her first grouse. She was twelve, and we were walking up at Dorback in Inverness-shire. It was the first time she’d been allowed cartridges rather than just carrying an empty .410, and the bird is now stuffed and has pride of place at home.”
John Welsh, aka Scout The Doggie, pictured here in civilian mode, with his young son.
This month, our correspondent Hazel Randall spoke to airsofting legend, Scout The Doggie about his many adventures in the sport.
It was a great pleasure to talk to Scout the Doggie, whose YouTube videos have inspired so many people to take up the game of airsoft. With almost 700,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel and over 200 million views of his airsoft videos, Scout’s popularity continues to draw thousands of visitors from the UK and abroad to Section 8, a 1,400-acre woodland skirmishing site in Scotland, where he does most of his filming.
Airsoft skirmishes
Originally designed for target practice, airsoft guns first made an appearance in Japan, circa 1980, and were introduced in the UK a decade later. Since then, airsoft equipment has been used for police and military training drill and, increasingly, for recreation. Registered airsoft sites are plentiful in the UK, with a growing number of enthusiasts gathering at weekends for skirmishes.
The appeal of airsoft skirmishing has a lot to do with the illusion of realism. Airsoft guns are replica weapons that launch spherical, non-metallic pellets, and the games are played out in unmodified woodland or disused industrial areas.
There is often no evidence that a pellet has hit a player; therefore the game relies on a system of honour, whereby a player who is ‘killed’ must declare the fact. Although some occasional cheating occurs, the airsoft code of honour is tight, and when dishonesty is discovered, it is never tolerated.
That’s not to say that the pellets are totally harmless:
“These guns will knock people’s teeth out. I’ve seen them embedded into players’ faces and ears, and jammed up noses, which is why many choose to wear full face masks”, Scout tells us.
Scout the Doggie
He’s one of the best known personalities in the rough-and-tough world of airsoft. Scout the Doggie, is a Scotsman who dominates the international YouTube airsoft scene with his exciting videos of simulated military battle.
A little daunted by the masked, gun-toting, gruff-voiced action men (and women) on the videos, I must say I was a trifle apprehensive about talking to the mysterious figure behind the camera. But
Airsofting can sometimes involve re-enactment. Like this WWII Uniform. (Credit: John Welsh)
when I spoke to the real life person who adopts Scout as his ‘stage’ name, John Welsh’s gentle Scottish voice and friendly chuckle put me immediately at my ease.
John is a skilled film maker. Before his involvement in the world of airsoft, he made training videos for large companies. He had no training in the medium – unless you count the one-day course at the Apple store in Glasgow:
“That took about an hour!” John told me.
Scout at Section8, the Scottish airsofting location. (Credit: John Welsh)
John has always been an avid collector of music videos and has used his filming skills to capture rock legends such as AC/DC and the Sex Pistols on film. His extensive video library has contributed to media archives all over the world, and on several DVDs, John is credited for the footage he supplied.
So how and when did John get into airsoft skirmishing?
About ten years ago, he bought a Heckler & Koch MP5 airsoft rifle for a close friend’s birthday.
“I was really impressed with the quality of it. As kids, we’d had a lot of fun with airguns, and I suddenly got the urge to do a bit of shooting again. The first gun I bought for myself was a Tokyo Marui G3/SG1. There were many more after that!”. Another one of John’s favourite airsoft guns is the AGM MP40 rifle.
The first time John tried out airsoft, he went alone. “My expectations were exceeded. It was far better than I imagined – much more organised and just good clean fun.” He added, mischievously, “It’s great meeting new friends – and then shooting them!”
And the videos?
John was always keen to introduce friends to the world of airsoft, but found that some people were reluctant to give it a go. So, about a year after his own initiation into the game, he took a video of the action in order to share with his friends the fun that was to be had at a skirmish. He put a few of these videos onto YouTube and was surprised at their popularity.
In an airsoft game, when you’re ‘killed’, you have to drop out of play until a new game begins. During these periods of inaction, John would video his team mates, edit the footage, and post the videos on You Tube. He was beginning to get a name for himself, and it wasn’t John. Scout’s stage name was in fact taken from his beloved dog, a very dear white German Shepherd.
The popularity of Scout the Doggie’s videos grew so quickly and unexpectedly that John was soon in a position where strangers all over the world were familiar with his videos and the regular players who featured in Section 8 skirmishes. Other sites were keen to have Scout film their airsoft games, and airsoft manufacturers benefitted hugely from Scout’s product endorsements.
What are Scout the Doggie’s plans for the future?
“I’d love to visit the USA,” he told me. “Most of my views come from America, closely followed by the UK and Germany. So I’d maybe film at a few American airsoft events. But to be honest, I’d be happy just to spend most of my time meeting the people who watch my videos.”
The people of Britain have voted to leave the European Union and go it alone.
The pound has slumped, increasing the cost of imported goods. So what does life look like, post Brexit referendum, for businesses like Pellpax?
Many of the products Pellpax sell are imported. Does this mean, then, that Pellpax prices will go up? Apparently not: in fact, they’re going down. I had a chat with Managing Director, Darren Kirk.
What’s going on, Darren? Have you lost the plot?
Well, I agree, it does seem odd. But there really is good reason behind the madness! It’s all to do with passing on to our customers the benefits of Pellpax’s growth.
With two new warehouse units on the point of completion, we now have the extra space to hold stock, meaning that we can buy in larger quantities. The savings we make on bulk purchases will be reflected in the price tags. The fact that we are in a position to expand is down to the thousands of customers who have been loyal to us over the last few years.
But most of these reduced prices are barely above the cost price. Is it really feasible?
I know it sounds crazy. Yes, our margins are now smaller. Yes, we’re now putting lower prices on most of our goods; buying power is certainly one benefit of rapid growth. We aim to deliver products like airguns to your door more cheaply – or at least, at no greater expense – than if you were to buy locally.
The thing is, Hazel, we don’t want our customers to suffer from this political change when it comes to buying from us. Christmas is just around the corner. We want to be able to provide top quality goods at great prices. After all, it’s our customers who have made this possible: without them, there would be no Pellpax.
How will your delivery service be affected?
It won’t be affected, but I am able to lower our delivery charges. As you know, fuel prices have risen quite dramatically, due not only to the weak pound and higher import duty, but also to the simultaneous rise in the cost of oil. However, because of the increasing number of deliveries we do every week, we can actually reduce our delivery charge. Higher fuel costs are absorbed in the sheer volume of deliveries.
Another fantastic advantage of our unique delivery service is that we can always – or nearly always – squeeze in an extra delivery at the last minute. Our six vehicles cover the whole of the UK each week (with monthly visits to Scotland), so one of our drivers will be, at some point, only ten minutes away from any location. This is what Pellpax is all about: it’s about looking after our customers.
Pellpax delivery driver Chris tours the country each weekend.
Do you think that these low prices are sustainable?
They certainly won’t change in the next few months, unless I think I can reduce them further to stimulate further growth. What will happen after January, I really don’t know; a lot depends on the direction sterling takes. But I’m optimistic.
How will Pellpax’s expansion help to keep prices as low as they are?
With the two new warehouses, we’ll have the capacity to hold a wider variety of stock, and in greater quantity, so that everything on the website is always available. This also means that we can order more, but less frequently, from suppliers, reducing delivery costs into our warehouses.
New IT systems, written specifically for us, have improved the automated ordering process, and they also give us better control over inventories. If the excellent service we provide is enough to retain the loyalty and satisfaction of our customers, the result will be long-term low prices.
Kelly Louise Hardwick is Femme Fatale Airsoft – one of the biggest names in the UK Airsofting community. She’s hugely popular on social media, blogs regularly, writes for the UK’s leading Airsoft publication and goes out to Airsofting events across the length and breadth of the country. We spoke to her about her experiences….
How are you?
I’m really good thank you.
How did FFA start?
I started Airsoft as a hobby in August 2014, and then I had a car accident, and lost my job in November of that year and created the blog to fill my spare time. It’s snowballed and snowballed since then (laughs). After the accident, I thought, I’m going to have a look at all the kit I wanted to buy when I was able to play again. And after searching the internet for around 9 hours, over two days, I was like ‘why isn’t there anything for women?’. And two, ‘there’s not really anything out there that encourages women’.
There was a massive gap in any information available to help women. And, there was a quote that was in a book that I read when I was 16 years old, that said ‘be the change you want to see in the world’, so I thought, ‘Why not?’.
The problem was, I was new to it anyway. So it’s been a massive, massive learning curve. And it’s been me trying to find me feet in airsoft, which I have, quite quickly.
What’s happened over the past two years for you then?
A lot! The blog has enabled me to travel, meet new people and be a part of some amazing experiences. One of the most notable would be that in July 2015, I got approached by Airsoft Action magazine, and I became the first female contributor to a UK Airsoft Publication. I’ve been lucky to travel internationally with them to the IWA in Nuremburg (annual trade show). It’s been crazy, absolutely crazy…I have travelled up to 800 miles at weekends to play airsoft. I love it, I absolutely love it and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s been a crazy, crazy two years.
Just give us a ballpark on the Airsoft. How many sites have you been to?
Kelly on top of a chopper, with some smoke grenades of the kind used in some airsoft adventures….
I would say I’ve probably been to about 20 to 30 sites, in the last two years. So my home site is Strikeforce CQB in Gloucester. That’s the site I play the most often. The furthest north I’ve been to is Edinburgh, in Dalkeith, that was a long trip! And then the furthest south I’ve been is the UCAP Sandpit in Kent. I play more southern sites than I do any other. I think the south has a better selection of CQB sites. I would say a lot of the northern sites are woodland, and I don’t play woodland too often.
Airsoft’s quite an unusual sport. How would you describe airsoft for the uninitiated?
How I had it described to be was that it’s like a real-life Call Of Duty, but you’re the player, if you see what I mean. It’s a fun hobby. Everyone’s really friendly. You shoot each other with plastic pellets, and they don’t hurt that much.
Tell us a bit more about the Airsoft community. It seems quite secret and underground. What is it like? Who goes?
I would say that one of the best things about Airsoft is the community. I think if you know about it, you know about it. If you’ve never heard of airsoft, you won’t have any idea. This one game can bring so many people together. You can get builders, doctors, people from all walks of life and we all run around woods, dressed as soldiers playing with toy guns! I think the advertising for the sites/shops are more prevalent than they used to be. Some people in general don’t really understand what we do but more people know about it now. I read in a newspaper article once that the UKARA website had around 15,000 people registered on it in 2012. And the industry as a whole has grown 5 fold since then so i
t’s constantly expanding, so more people know about it which is only a good thing.
On a normal game day, you’ll turn up at the site, get everything from your car and get your kit to the safe zone to get ready. Safe zones are anything from purpose built, to gazebos. Anything works. It’s a very odd sport (laughs). After that, once everyone has turned up, we all get kitted up, and sling plastic for a bit.
What is there out there, in terms of unusual or interesting Airsofting locations?
FFA checks out the CZ805 from ASG.
There are some that I’ve heard of that sound really interesting, I really want to play them but I haven’t had a chance yet such as Red 1 The Boat. I think the most interesting sites I’ve been to so far are the Mall in Reading, it’s a shopping mall, and it’s so strange! You’ve got all the shops, all the windows, all the escalators. The escalators don’t work because obviously, with BBs everywhere that would be dangerous. But, it’s bizarre because, you obviously recognise shopping centres in the daylight, when they’re really busy, but it’s really eerie to see it dark, with no one in it.
I’d say another interesting site I’ve been to is the Gaol in Rutland. It’s an old Category C men’s prison. So it’s not like high security, but all the cells are still there, all the gates, everything like that. It’s dead cool.
What is the gender balance like in the sport?
I would say, the gender balance is predominantly male, and it always has been. Do I think it always will be? Maybe. I think it takes a special sort of person to play airsoft. You have to enjoy getting shot at, and a little bit of pain! (laughs).
I think from when I first started two years ago, the industry has moved forward quite a lot. Back then, there wasn’t a lot of well known female players, and I spent ages looking for them! You’ve obviously got big name players like Desert Fox, Scout The Doggie, on the male side. There were only a couple of really female players making waves such as Unicorn Leah, Airsoft Hasmeen and Adella Relentless. And there weren’t many companies making tactical clothes for women, now, there’s a lot more coming into the market with brands such as 5-11 Tactical (http://www.511tactical.com) making a lot more women’s tactical clothing, which is great.
What’s it like being a woman Airsofter?
You have to learn how to put a load out together, and if you’ve not got thing specifically made for you, it can be quite difficult. It is nice to have that female presence online and on the field to help with any questions.
Kelly has shown that girls can smash stereotypes in her alter ego as FFA
There’s one thing about women, as well, they seem to play harder than some of the guys do. It’s insane. Some of the women – and I make a point of meeting as many female Airsofters as I can, just so we can get more of a female solidarity thing going. Spice Girls / girl power sort of thing– and.. some of them are crazy. Absolutely crazy, and it’s amazing to see.
What does your loadout for your typical event consist of?
For my primaries, I have two favourites, my two go-tos. G&G sent me a custom CM16 SR-L. Basically, it’s a mash up between the first Black Rose, and the CM16 SRL with a Key Mod rail system. That’s my favourite gun to use. It’s got a custom Cerakoted real steel red dot sight, and it’s got a mini launcher – 40 BBs of pure terror, out of one tiny little launcher. And I’ve got my Scorpio Evo by ASG as well. That has no pink on it, so that’s my serious gun for games I can’t really take the pink one to. It’s a good all rounder.
As for my sidearms I’ve got two. I’ve got the WE, M&P the M Force one. It’s got a silver vented slide with a gold barrel. It’s got a pink grip. It’s very blingy! And then, for serious games I’ve got my CZ P-09, by ASG. That’s got no pink on it!
I was wondering how feminine you are with your presentation!
See people have an issue with the pink! Pink’s not my favourite colour, believe it or not. Purple is, but there’s not a lot of kit out there in purple, so pink’s a good substitute. Because it’s a fun hobby, I like to have fun loadouts. What’s the harm with a little pink here and a little pink there? (Laughs).
In terms of your ‘brand’, Femme Fatale Airsoft, it’s been very successful what do you plan to do next with it?
I’ve never really thought about it. Because it started out as a fun hobby. And I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t fun. I just take each day as it comes. One thing I like about it is I get to travel with it, I get to meet new people and obviously I’d say, representing the hobby in a positive light. I’ve no specific plans for where to take it next so we’ll see where it takes me.
Harriet Aimee Rose and Chiara of the Femme Fatales at a recent shoot
This month, our writer Hazel Randall spoke to Femme Fatales, a clay shooting community with a difference…..
Delving into the world-wide-web for information about ‘Femmes Fatales’, I came face to face with gentlemen’s magazines, rock bands, and some sort of cult; at one point I found myself on an ‘Asian girls dating site’. And then: bingo! I was looking at a group of smiling, fresh-faced women (fully clothed) – all toting guns.
Femmes Fatales is an online community for women clay shooters. The group was founded two years ago by Lydia Abdelaoui and Rachel Carrie. Unashamedly feminine, the Femmes Fatales state on their website’s homepage that they “have a love for high heels and lipstick, but also like the smell of gun oil and aren’t afraid to get their boots muddy.”
Employed by an ammunition producer, Lydia felt that she should have a go at shooting in order to understand a bit more about the world she was working in. She took to the sport like a duck to water, and continued to shoot regularly. On the circuit, Lydia met Rachel, and together they conceived the idea of an online community for women shooters, providing an opportunity for all women to take up the sport in a safe, relaxed environment.
A group photo at a Femme Fatales clay shooting day in Lincolnshire
Members of Femmes Fatales take it in turns to organise shooting events around the UK. On Saturday November 5th, 35-year-old Chiara King will be hosting her first FF event at Orston Shooting Ground, Nottinghamshire. Chiara told me a bit about a typical FF shooting event.
“If you’re a beginner, or if you’ve never even held a gun before, there’s equipment available for you to use: you don’t have to own your own gun or bring ammunition. There are also well-qualified instructors, to coach beginners.” Chiara added, “But these events aren’t just for novices; we get a lot of world-class shots competing too.”
Competitors at the Femmes Fatales Cup in April this year included the current British Open Ladies champion, Hannah Gibson, and England team representative, Alexandra Skeggs, who won the competition.
The headline sponsor was clothing label, Holland Cooper, who provided the top prize: a beautiful Gold Label fur cape worth £1,000. The idea of the Femmes Fatales Cup – held annually at The Royal Berkshire Shooting School – is to bring together experienced lady clay shots, novices, and complete beginners at one event to celebrate women in shooting sports.
I asked Chiara about her own shooting background and her introduction to Femmes Fatales.
Heather Todd, a Femme Fatales member, taking aim with a shotgun
“I’ve been shooting for five years; my first time was when I went along to a ‘have-a-go’ clay night with my sister. I was living in Sheffield at that time, but after moving to Pocklington in East Yorkshire, I didn’t shoot for a while. Then I attended a couple of Femmes Fatales events, had a brilliant time, and got right back into shooting. I got to know lots of people and made new friends.”
The next FF event will be on Saturday, 29th October at Bywell Shooting Ground in Felton, Northumberland, hosted by Laura Appleby. No experience is required to take part in the day, and all instruction, clays, safety wear, ear defenders and equipment will be provided. Experienced shots are welcome to bring their own shotgun and shotgun cartridges if they wish.
The Femmes Fatales Cup returns to The Royal Berkshire Shooting School on Saturday 29th April 2017.
I asked Lydia about plans for the future.
“We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing. What we’ve achieved in two years has far exceeded our expectations – we’re just taking each day as it comes, making the most of every opportunity we’re given, and having fun!”
This week, we take the opportunity to chat to our brave army veteran and Help For Heroes fundraiser, Steven Richardson…..
Afghanistan 2010, Operation Herrick 12: the role of mentoring and advising the Afghan army fell to the 1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, Royal Scots Borderers. Among them was a young 22-year-old Steven Richardson (pictured opposite), whose life changed forever when an IED (improvised explosive device) exploded under his feet. He awoke, four days later, in The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, to discover that both of his legs had been amputated above the knee, and that he’d lost five fingers.
It had always been Steven’s ambition to serve in the British army. Impatient for recruitment, he’d asked his parents to give their consent when he was just 16 years old. They refused. But in 2006, when Steven turned 18, he was free to follow his dream, and he joined up immediately. His army career came to an end just four years later.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, is home to The Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) – the primary receiving hospital for service personnel injured on operations. After a week of drifting in and out of consciousness, Steven began to take some small steps towards recovery. The first hurdle was sitting up.
“I’d been lying down for 10 days”, Steven explained. “When I first tried to sit up in bed, I nearly fainted; I just toppled over.”
During his four weeks at the Queen Elizabeth, Steven received a lot of physiotherapy, and he was soon ready to try out his first wheelchair. As a soldier, Steven had been a competent driver of all land vehicles; however, due to the loss of so many fingers, now even his handling of a wheelchair was somewhat erratic.
“I was like a ping-pong ball bouncing off the walls,” he told me, laughing.
Steven pictured here on his hand bike
A month at the RCDM was followed by physiotherapy and occupational therapy at Headley Court, a military-run rehabilitation centre for wounded service personnel, opened in June 2010 by HRH Prince William of Wales. Steven would spend four or five weeks at Headley Court, followed by two or three weeks at home. This pattern continued throughout his three years of rehabilitation.
In 2012, Steven met Jon-Paul Nevin, head of Strength and Conditioning at the Phoenix House Recovery Centre gym, at Tedworth House, in Wiltshire – a centre operated by Help for Heroes. Steven and JP (as he is known by his friends) were surprised to discover that they had a connection.
“We’d never met before,” Steven told me, “but it turned out we’d grown up in the same village – East Calder – and we went to the same schools. JP’s younger brother was in the year above me.”
JP had big plans: He intended to enter an eight-man team of injured soldiers into the 3,000-mile cycle relay race across the United States of America in June 2012. This would be the very first disabled team to enter the race. Steven wanted to be a part of it.
Training for this event took place at Tedworth House. Steven would spend a weekend or a week at a time at Tedworth, working out in the Phoenix Centre gym. Lots of men began training, hoping to be selected for the team. As Steven would be using a hand bike, it was important for him to build up his upper-body strength as well as his stamina. By the end of his training period, he was doing a bike ride every day. Steven was now in excellent shape – thoroughly deserving of his place in the team.
Steven pictured with Help For Heroes Race Across America team
Steven was one of four athletes in Team Battle Back to use a hand bike; the other three – Simon Harmer, Steve Arnold, and Joe Townsend – had all lost legs in explosions in Afghanistan. Between them, the eight men cycled 3051 miles over hilly terrain, crossing 12 states from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland. They raised almost £100,000 for Help for Heroes.
I asked Steven about his prosthetic legs – something along the lines of: “Do you have a pair?” With a chuckle, Steven said, “I have more legs now than I’ve ever had. In fact, I have a wardrobe full of them, lined up in pairs – it’s rather like a graveyard in there.” Knowing that Steven had been an expert marksman during his army career, I asked whether he still did any shooting. “A bit of pest control. I’m going out tonight, actually. I’ll take my five dogs with me for a run.”
“Five dogs?”
“Yes – springer spaniel, Labrador, Staffordshire terrier, German shepherd, and a collie-cross.”
I asked Steven if the loss of so many fingers caused difficulties in handling his rifle. “Well, I have four fingers on my left hand,” he told me, “and as I’m left-handed anyway, it’s not too awkward. I bought a .22 Rat Sniper air rifle from Pellpax, and I get on really well with that.”
Now Steven is moving on to the next phase of his life: he’s about to begin a course in sea kayaking at Glenmore Lodge, Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre. His plan is to set up in business as a sea kayaking guide, conducting day trips and overnight excursions around the Scottish coast.
“The thing is,” he said, “most of the best paddling is over on the west coast of Scotland, and I live on the east coast. But rather than move house, I’ll be mobile: I’ll meet clients wherever they wish to explore.” Steven Richardson is a strong and determined man. We wish him every success in his new career.
website, and the DSP went back to being operated on a voluntary basis.
DSG President Adrian Last in action
DSG Shooter Eirian uses his feet to aim and shoot.
A close up of shooter Vic Morris, in action
Trial shooter, Paul, takes aim with the specialist equipment
In Memoriam, Vic Morris
