The clubs in Division Three of the Sussex Albion league have arranged a mini-tournament-style 4-way match between Ourselves, County Oak, Hastings and Newhaven to be held on Newhaven’s ground at Firle, just beyond Lewes on the Eastbourne Road. The date is 25th September, and the start is timed for 11am, and is likely to go until 6pm or so, so back home around 7pm.

Newhaven will organise the field set up and provide hot water for tea, but the visiting archers are asked to bring tasty teatime treats for the tea table so there’s enough for the visiting clubs plus the home club. We’ll get an idea later how many will be there, and we can co-ordinate transport so we travel in reasonably full cars and share the cost. There’s no entry fee. You need to take some lunch and drinks, there will be a break after the first distance.

For those who haven’t done it before, adults, both ladies and gents, shoot an Albion Round, which is three dozen shots at each of three distances, which are 80, 60 and 50 yards. There is also a junior league where the distance is set by age-group, and unlike the adult league where the competitors are all on the field together, the junior scores are sent in and at the AGM (this year in November), prizes are given for the best performaces county-wide. There’s also a similar longbow league, but that’s also an Albion, shot alongside the recurves, barebows and compounds. Recurve scores count as the are, but barbow score are bumped up by an allowance of 180 points, and compounds knocked down by 100 points.

I’m not sure yet, but it’s usually possible for adult archers who aren’t confident about shooting the full 80-60-50 distances to join in on the shorter junior rounds, and it is nice to have the support of some extra clubmates, not to mention that it’s a good introduction to outdoor tournament conditions (but without judges or timing.

Please will you put this in your diary and think about coming along!