Conditions were nowhere near as bad as feared as we got underway, though Uncle Remus said that it had been a different story earlier in the day when the whole of Rawdon Meadows was basically a flood plain. The light rain was actually quite refreshing.
LMP and I were on the same target. Nfinite was supposed to be shooting with us, but opted for field party duties instead - sterling job by the field party, BTW, not easy to find arrows in the dark. The guy from Burnley evidently decided to give it a miss.
Doing a Spotlight shoot was weird - bright targets against a Stygian blackness at an unknown distance. Tracey and I shot encouragingly tight sighters though, just beneath the gold.
To my own amazement, I was joint first in the Gents Recurve after the first dozen, equal with Alistair Crosland of White Rose. Alright, I wasn't shooting against the likes of Bluebow, but there were some decent archers there.
I opened up a good lead over the next two dozen, though Alistair and LMP were never far behind. Brain f*rts galore on the fourth dozen, but I stayed ahead. Then a 58 end - yay! Then on the third arrow of the last half dozen I started to let down and...gold height, between targets 4 and 5, into the inky blackness.
"By jingo," I said, "what a mouldy chiz."
So Alistair won with 516 and LMP whupped me with 514 to my 511. I blame the purple string I was using - evidently it changed loyalties.
Jolly good show by all at Bronte!
Not a bad show in the raffle either:
