The ESF shoot just held in Cheltenham, was a riproaring success, with folks flying in from all over the World – Europe, China, USA, all the way to those who live local and walked, to take part.
Literally hundreds of shooters, lots of spectators, with classes for Juniors and Ladies, plus in 10m, 20m and in tiers according to your prize winning history or lack of it, to level the playing field a bit. There was a practice range and masses of spinners from WASP, who even made a tool for a new size for the ESF. (Don’t even ASK what a tool to do this, would cost you) ProShot Catapults supplied entrants’ memento medals and also the trophies, made of glass which looked fabulous.
As well as WASP setting up a table, (https://www.waspslingshots.co.uk/) so did ProShot Catapults (https://proshotcatapults.com/) and I had a table to sell magazines. You can buy yours, here: https://slingshot-world.ecwid.com/
The last minute venue change, for the first ESF shoot, (after the needful amalgamation of the old British Catapult Association and the UK Catapult Association, so as to be fit for World competitions as a federation) was NOT last minute. It was decided to make the announcement late, by the committee, as a response to an early malicious attempt to sabotage the shoot. This was deemed the best way, as Slingshot World magazine can do a massive multi-group Facebook share and has hit as high as 7,000 people on organic reach. Also, Mr. Mark Clark volunteered to attend the original venue on the morning, to help redirect those competitors who just showed up.
This meant he didn’t get to take full part in the event. For a gifted shooter who flew to Italy on his own coin to take part in the World Cup, this is beyond selfless and says a lot about the man.
It took weeks of careful planning and work, by the ESF committee and Mr. Keith Dighton in particular, as the man on the ground in lovely posh Cheltenham. Home to Cheltenham Ladies’ College, a terribly British phenomenon for ‘county’ lasses from the posh Cotswolds and beyond. A boarding school of immense excellence, it springboards women into awesome careers. Go look it up. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheltenham_Ladies%27_College
The venue we were hosted by allowed the organisers in the night before for two hours of set up, with nets, frames and banners being arrayed. It would have been a LOT harder to do that from 7am as was plan ‘A’. The space was perfect, although as a school’s own facility that they were lucky enough to find a gap in their public hire availability, (due to a late archery event cancellation – phew!) the parking was staff only. Thankfully, the streets about had a lot of yellow-line free parking. What a cracking venue though! And huge thanks to the people who really did the graft behind the scenes. Setting up and taking down afterwards, feeding folks on sandwiches they had provided, (Ian ‘Skipman’ Jones and his good lady wife were behind that…) which was awesome and all the bloody ADDING UP!
Nina Wick and Asa Wilson alike both had the good fortune to meet some virus-ridden dolt who really shouldn’t have struggled out of bed to come to the shoot, as they laid them OUT with a nasty little rhinovirus that put both people, completely independently, in a place of yuck for days afterwards… Despite this, and the trophies being correctly awarded, there was just one troll who complained like hell that the full results matrix hadn’t been created and posted in nothing flat. Asa wasn’t fit… he did the full ‘Statto’ as soon as he could.
There have been some fabulous bits of video made at the shoot, I highly recommend The Moochers Guide, full pro editing and top end media skills!
I went and collected the Americans from Heathrow before the shoot. Nathan Masters arrived a day or two early, so got taken to Her Majesty’s farm shop in Windsor, a lunch at https://the-foragers.com/ with a pint of Slingshot ale in the company of David Brazil, which was cool. The man behind leading-edge industrial design in slingshots and the man who makes the classics with design traditions going back generations. The next day was fun, MeJulie and I took him to the Watford version of a Las Vegas buffet.
Mone Waller I scooped up late and dumped in a Heathrow overnighter as his flight was the Thursday evening arrival and Friday, drove them through the chocolate box Cotswolds and bought them afternoon tea at the Slaughters Country Inn. I think the body clock time for the guys mean that the ale was more interesting, but the scones were scoffed! Both are awesome dudes and coped as being passengers with me. awfully well!
It was a brilliant shoot and the evening thing that Keith organised at the wine bar was excellent. A whole floor just for us.
A massive congratulations for a bloody tough job, well done. Thanks for the dogged determination, ESF committee folks, you pulled it off!
My own bit of video, just some feel of how it was, for I was up to my neck in taking magazine stills and selling mags, will be up in due course.
It’ll make a great feature in issue three!
new sign off:
ThwackWhizzWHAPP!
