Most shooters will be able to empathise with the feeling of indecision that accompanies a forecast of rain: “Should I risk it and not pack my waterproofs or weather writer? After all, if it does rain, it’ll probably only be a shower…” This indecision, however, was not present on Tuesday morning when, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, members of GBRT were able to look at weather radar pictures, such as the one below:
Once again, it seemed that the day’s shooting would be disrupted by heavy downpours of rain, which belonged to a slow moving storm front that, some claimed, had originated in Texas. The day’s course of fire should have been the Letson, a Queen’s Prize First Stage (2 and 7 at 300 metres, 500 and 600 yards), along with the Alexander of Tunis (a 2 and 10 at 900 metres), which is the equivalent of the Corporation of the City of London shoot at the Imperial.
The first two distances of the Letson (300 metres and 500 yards) were successfully completed before lunch. However, in an impressive demonstration of forward planning, the DCRA decided that, due to the impending bad weather, the final distance of the Letson (600 yards) would be scrapped. This was a wise decision as, during the final detail of the Alexander of Tunis, the heavens opened yet again. Unfortunately, the diarist found himself 8 shots into a 10 shot shoot when the deluge began. An issue with a cross-shot on his target then caused a 7 minute delay, during which time water managed to permeate every nook and cranny of both his shooting equipment and, indeed, of the diarist himself. In spite of the conditions, all details of the Alexander were successfully completed.
Once register cards had dried to the point of legibility and scores had been collated, it emerged that the day had been another resounding success for GBRT. David Rose is in joint first place in the provisional result of the Letson, with 70.13. However, there is a possibility that the final distance of the competition may be re-squadded, later on in the week. Watch this space…In the Alexander of Tunis, David Calvert tied for joint first place with Canadian, James Paton, both scoring 50.9. The final result will be decided by a tie shoot. Other notable scores were David Crispin (50.7) and Jon Underwood (50.6).
Sadly, the rain-precipitated schedule change also meant that the Coaches Match had to be cancelled. The diarist remains confident, however, that the coaches will have plenty of opportunities to demonstrate their abilities, over the coming few days.
Once back at the hotel, the unlucky members of the team, who had got wet, followed the same routine of desperate kit drying, in advance of the following day’s shooting. Indeed, the use of hairdryers has been so prevalent in the hotel that a fuse was blown, leaving several rooms without power, for a short while.
We are told that today was the last of the rain and that the rest of the week’s shooting *should* remain dry. You must forgive the diarist for viewing this promise with a sceptical eye.
Lollipop awards (Day 20):
Good – Chris Hockley and Jeremy Tuck, for purchasing the supplies needed to host GBRT’s Pimm’s reception at the range tomorrow evening.
Bad – Chris Hockley, for accidentally pressing the panic button on his car’s key fob, setting off the alarm, and no-doubt costing some shooters a few points in the process.