Band of Brothers is the name of their loose organisation. Camp BOB is the wood where they do their thing. Started by John Dodsworth and Gaz Colley, these gents have rented a wood!
This is about the Band of Brothers regional event. In County Durham, they describe their shoots as family meets where you can bring your kids, get them off the Playstations and Xboxes, and get them doing something different instead. In their words; “We have axe throwing, archery, pistol shooting and catapults. All stuff we did as kids. We have an army surplus parachute hung up as a canopy, underneath which you can sit around the fire and chill with like-minded people. Maybe have a sing-song and relax. We are a private group, who are lucky enough to rent a seven acre woodland and once a year we open it up to the public who are into wild camping and bushcraft, so you can get your kids out doing outdoor activities like we used to do. We also rent the thirty acre field next to it, where if you haven’t got hammocks or small tents, you can pitch your family tent or campervan, 4×4 set up, etc. There’s no electricity hook up, but we do have running water and Portaloos in the field. We have a composting toilet in the woods and also a hot shower in the woods, this is a very basic camping weekend so please don’t expect a club house with a disco.”
What Band of Brothers do have, is a lovely set of log low walls and benches to sit on, with a massive hearth in the centre. It looks like like great fun.
Here’s more from John; “Camp Bob stands for Band of Brothers. A special little place up in the Northeast of England. It’s a place myself and Gaz Colley set up to get dads and kids into the woods and off their Playstations, spending quality time together. We are self-funded. All our time is volunteered and because of this, we have a special place for families to enjoy time together in the woods, and away from the rat race. We have axe throwing, an air rifle range, archery and catapult ranges and a proper hunters course. We have a forge to do metal work, making squirrel cookers and so forth.
This all came about by me doing videos on YouTube, northeastbushcraft/adventures about my personal adventures with my son Jai. Garry got in touch with me, saying he would love to meet up, with his son Archie in tow and join me and Jai on our adventures. From there, me and Gary discussed having something like Camp Bob up in the Northeast of England. We got together with some friends and got access to the wood, then started turning it into something special – like we have today. With the help of volunteers and members, we put in the work. Then four years later after many meets, Daran Grinbergs and the UKSA lads approached us and asked if they could set up a meet using our woodland? From that day on, we have never looked back and the catapult meets have grown from strength to strength.
I would personally like to thank the UKSA lads, as this, our special ‘lil place to get away with our kids has now turned out to be a awesome venue to hold some great catapult competitions as well. Here’s to many more years working alongside the UKSA lads.
Frankie Cope said; “A fab weekend at the UKSA Catapult comp in Durham. Over sixty competitors coming from as far as Kent, even Ireland.
These lads can shoot, the standard is just getting better and better.
Thanks to all at Camp Bob for organising the event especially John Dodsworth and Mark Jumbo Willis who are amazingly friendly people up that part of the world. Roll on the next one!”
