So. The Weekend. I'll cut it up else it'll get too long...
Saturday.
'Twas fairly excellent, to be honest. Friday was a bit of a bugger, trying to get off in time to get packed for the weekend - eventually left at about 7:30. Not bad, all things considered. (Suffice to say, certain things were dipped, rather thoroughly, in certain other things. And it was spread around a bit: Still is, for that matter...)
But Saturday was very good. Hopped on the bike, in the half-light and drizzle of the early morning, to pootle down to Tintagel (Cornwall). About a 175 mile trip, so fairly local ;o). Got there in good time, and the weather started to clear as I made my way across Dartmoor. By the time I made it there, it was overcast, but dry and looking stable. The sun was trying to burn off the cloud, so the light was good for photography too: Good news for the Handfasting.
I met up with folks down there, thankfully bumping into some of them on the main road on the way back from the local shop. So parked up next to their tents, and changed out from the damp leathers. After about an hour just chatting & relaxing, we started up towards St Nectan's Glen, and the waterfall. A nice walk, a couple of miles so pleasant without being strenuous. And such a lovely place, too. (As the links in my later post hopefully show...)
The handfasting itself was beautiful, and carried such atmosphere it sent tingles up my spine. Amazing - to be stood in circle at the bottom of such a spectacle as the waterfall there, with stream flowing past our backs. Afterwards, we just chilled out, absorbed the atmosphere of the place, and let people get on with their own things. Some chose to have a dip in the plunge pool, some chatted, some just chilled.
After a while there, we retired up the steps again, and found our way out of the Glen, to a field where the sun was just coming out. So there we parked ourselves, and enjoyed a picnic, just the 20-odd of us, about 5 of whom I know. Very pleasant - a couple of folk brought instruments and had a bit of a session going in the background, eating drinking and generally being merry. At one point we got 'investigated' by a herd of bullocks. Not for long though - they're chickens really, and the groom did a fantastic job of calmly seeing them off. Then the kids made sure they stayed away whenever they got too inquisitive.
Unfortunately, I had to head off at about 7, to get back in reasonable time. As I had to be up early for a shoot in Bisley on the Sunday...
Sunday.
Sunday was also quite a good day, and thankfully not quite as long. It's only 100 miles to Bisley, so it was a case of packing up the car (with all the gear for the Imperial in a couple of weeks, to store in my locker there so I can take the cobra for the actual event (not as much storage in it as the car...)
I arrived in good time, tried the lockers, only to discover that the armoury was locked up. Arse - so I had to bring it all back again. I'll now have to make a special trip up just to take the crap for 10 days camping. *sulks*
But the shoot was good - very relaxed. It was only a local county-type shoot, so no pots riding on it. And the standard wasn't too hot, turning it into a practice day really. Useful as I need all the practice I can get at 1000 yards - it's a bloody long way, and the wind is tricky to read out that far. Did OK though - used up plenty of old ammo, and cleared a space in the cabinet for more, or a better grade, for competition use. Useful also to get a handle on the wind at that range. In previous season's I've been able to 'get' anything out to 900 yards (3, 5, & 6 are short range, 9 is OK, 10 in a bitch). It seems that this year, whilst I'll probably not be winning things at 1000, I seem to have a better intuitive feel for it, which is essential, and is the base building block for further improvement.
So now I can go into the Imperial with far greater confidence, and hopefully get pretty close to the bull with most shots (if not always in it). A good, and thoroughly useful, day.
'Twas fairly excellent, to be honest. Friday was a bit of a bugger, trying to get off in time to get packed for the weekend - eventually left at about 7:30. Not bad, all things considered. (Suffice to say, certain things were dipped, rather thoroughly, in certain other things. And it was spread around a bit: Still is, for that matter...)
But Saturday was very good. Hopped on the bike, in the half-light and drizzle of the early morning, to pootle down to Tintagel (Cornwall). About a 175 mile trip, so fairly local ;o). Got there in good time, and the weather started to clear as I made my way across Dartmoor. By the time I made it there, it was overcast, but dry and looking stable. The sun was trying to burn off the cloud, so the light was good for photography too: Good news for the Handfasting.
I met up with folks down there, thankfully bumping into some of them on the main road on the way back from the local shop. So parked up next to their tents, and changed out from the damp leathers. After about an hour just chatting & relaxing, we started up towards St Nectan's Glen, and the waterfall. A nice walk, a couple of miles so pleasant without being strenuous. And such a lovely place, too. (As the links in my later post hopefully show...)
The handfasting itself was beautiful, and carried such atmosphere it sent tingles up my spine. Amazing - to be stood in circle at the bottom of such a spectacle as the waterfall there, with stream flowing past our backs. Afterwards, we just chilled out, absorbed the atmosphere of the place, and let people get on with their own things. Some chose to have a dip in the plunge pool, some chatted, some just chilled.
After a while there, we retired up the steps again, and found our way out of the Glen, to a field where the sun was just coming out. So there we parked ourselves, and enjoyed a picnic, just the 20-odd of us, about 5 of whom I know. Very pleasant - a couple of folk brought instruments and had a bit of a session going in the background, eating drinking and generally being merry. At one point we got 'investigated' by a herd of bullocks. Not for long though - they're chickens really, and the groom did a fantastic job of calmly seeing them off. Then the kids made sure they stayed away whenever they got too inquisitive.
Unfortunately, I had to head off at about 7, to get back in reasonable time. As I had to be up early for a shoot in Bisley on the Sunday...
Sunday.
Sunday was also quite a good day, and thankfully not quite as long. It's only 100 miles to Bisley, so it was a case of packing up the car (with all the gear for the Imperial in a couple of weeks, to store in my locker there so I can take the cobra for the actual event (not as much storage in it as the car...)
I arrived in good time, tried the lockers, only to discover that the armoury was locked up. Arse - so I had to bring it all back again. I'll now have to make a special trip up just to take the crap for 10 days camping. *sulks*
But the shoot was good - very relaxed. It was only a local county-type shoot, so no pots riding on it. And the standard wasn't too hot, turning it into a practice day really. Useful as I need all the practice I can get at 1000 yards - it's a bloody long way, and the wind is tricky to read out that far. Did OK though - used up plenty of old ammo, and cleared a space in the cabinet for more, or a better grade, for competition use. Useful also to get a handle on the wind at that range. In previous season's I've been able to 'get' anything out to 900 yards (3, 5, & 6 are short range, 9 is OK, 10 in a bitch). It seems that this year, whilst I'll probably not be winning things at 1000, I seem to have a better intuitive feel for it, which is essential, and is the base building block for further improvement.
So now I can go into the Imperial with far greater confidence, and hopefully get pretty close to the bull with most shots (if not always in it). A good, and thoroughly useful, day.