Hello - 5minutes in and I need some help

[LeftHandJan]

Hi all

My name is Jan, I have recently moved to the Moray coast and I am looking for a club. I have been out of action since moving to rural Aberdeenshire but now I am nearer to civilisation I am looking for a club.

If anyone can suggest a club within an hours drive of Buckie please let me know. I have tried GNAS and the website doesn't have any club details - just the names. I have tried one of the Scottish Archery sites but they can only suggest Lossie and this club is RAF personal and immediate families only.

Aside from that - hello to all, especially those of you based in Suffolk and the east midlands from whence I last came.

[clickerati]

Welcome, Jan!

I'm sure someone (most likely TJ) will be along shortly to offer club suggestions to you.

Meanwhile, have a stroll around and enjoy the cake!

[morphymick]

Welcome aboard Jan, try the Scotland section of the Forum, there is a link to the official SAA website run by Murray.

In the links section there are a few clubs in your area, mostly in Aberdeen (3 I think), unless you're a junior, then you could try Moray in Elgin.

Good hunting,

Mick

[joetapley]

You could try http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joetapley/alfind.htm

Includes some for Moray/Aberdeen but the list is only as good as people bothering to register.

mmm guess there must be somewhere to turn HTML code on
vb it is then (spits)

[Murray]

Originally Posted by LeftHandJan

now I am nearer to civilisation

That's debatable!
Welcome Jan.
Have you tried contacting the Lossie club directly? Did you speak with Bob Simpson? I'll PM you his email address as he may be able to tell you what else is in the area, if there's no-go at Lossie.

Pity though - their 70m hangars are FANTASTIC for winter sightmarks

As mentioned above, the SAA website (http://www.scottisharchery.org.uk) links pages has as many target clubs as we can find that have websites. The Grampian Bowmen website has links for other clubs in the area (including Broch in fraserburgh which just MIGHT be on the outskirts of your range, if they're still going). Forres house archers might be within travelling distance too (contact GNAS on 01952 677888 for contact details)... www.gnas.org "find your local club" section has a detailed list of clubs in the north of Scotland.

Hope some of that helps.

[LeftHandJan]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I tried speaking to Lossie but they couldn't help because unless your in the RAF or a family member they can't get you past the security.

I tried GNAS but their new website is crap (sorry, but it is) every club I clicked on came back with Sorry, No information at present (or something like it). I emailed them and they asked for my postcode, nothing since but that was only this morning.

I tried the Scottish site recommended but they only list Lossie - which doesn't take the general public.

The guy from Lossie was helpful in suggesting Forres but I can't get hold of their contact details - their website doesn't work and neither does the email and they don't appear to have other contact details anywhere. A phone number would do!

I can be emailed from here I think (I hope) so if anyone has contact details for Forres House Archery Club that would be brilliant.

Thanks everyone for making me welcome.

[Furface]

Originally Posted by LeftHandJan

I tried GNAS but their new website is crap (sorry, but it is) every club I clicked on came back with Sorry, No information at present (or something like it).

As an aside here, this is not the fault of the GNAS website (so it's not crap!). The club information sections are there for clubs to put their own contact details there. It's left up to them, because they can change frequently, and, after all, it's in the clubs' own interest to get their details up there. But they don't.
Are all your club's details there, fellow AIUK-niks?

[joetapley]

For what it's worth here's a copy of the old GNAS club list
http://www.middlesexarcheryasssociat...club_links.htm

How many of the links are still operable is another question.

Or from the wayback machine
http://web.archive.org/web/200306231.../www.gnas.org/
(Club list is under "links")

[LeftHandJan]

Sorry if I offended anyone by saying the GNAS website is crap but I was referring to the new updated one. Which, in my opinion, is especially when compared to its previous incarnation.

When I used the website a couple of years ago it was great. I can't see how the governing body of the sport can loose the information or fail to update the information about clubs which are affliated with it.

When you join your local club you usually find that GNAS club membership is included in your fees. This means they are affliated to GNAS. If they are then GNAS should have the clubs details. If they have the clubs details why can't they put them on their website? Yes, the club should be responsible for keeping that information up to date but to produce a list of Scottish clubs and then only have two with any information seems a little bit like they can't be bothered.

Why didn't they keep the old information when they changed the site and just add a note to the search page saying that they couldn't guarantee the accuracy?

However, GNAS have been very helpful with the email enquiry I made and let me know of a club in Keith called Isla Archers. I am going to contact them as well as the one in Forres that was kindly sent to me on my other post in Scotland.

[Furface]

No offence taken (I take it you meant me!)
Websites are a lovely idea, until you start looking at them. The old GNAS list, at the time the site was redevloped, was massively out of date, simply because clubs had moved sites around (I know mine did), but did not bother to tell anyone. But the real comes when you try to put up a contact list. Quite rightly, some contacts see the internet as being generally available, while being in a published writen list is not. For anyone to include personal contact details on a website, they must first get written explicit permission - it is not enough to say "They're the Secretary, so they must be willing". So really the GNAS approach is the only feasible one. At least there is a list of the clubs there, even if some (Where is Bronte?) are geographically obscure!