Inter-Livery Clay Pigeon Shooting Competition
22nd May 2013Holland & Holland Shooting Ground
Well over fifty of the City Livery Companies took part in this year's event, some fielding more than one team. Our Livery put together a team consisting of Adam Bennett, Charles Miller, Arthur Richards and myself. I tried to set a suitably amateur and casual tone by telling the team, slightly apologetically, that I hadn't fired my gun since February (Rural Quantitative Easing in Spain), only for Arthur to gently respond that he hadn't shot for 20 years.
We had great fun, making smoke and sometimes breaking clays. Charles contributed to the smoke by enjoying a fine cigar mid-morning and cutting a most distinctive figure as, I think, the only participant using a gun with hammers. It was good to be enjoying the fellowship of so many other Livery Companies, even if some showed signs of impressive natural talent, pre-event training, or both.
Senior Warden John Nokes had kindly volunteered to shoot with his other Company, the Poulters, given that we already had a four, but we joined him and his son, Alexander, for lunch and to listen to all the prizes being handed out to the Gunmakers. Their top scorer had 77 out of 80 and I take my smoking hat off to him.