Clay Coach

Waistcoat.

Iain MacGregor — Sat, 19 May 2012 09:33:22 +0000

Perusing one of the Jury members this morning, brightly bedecked in her – it was a she – red waistcoat, I observed her conducting a cartridge control exercise, taking the cartridges from the shooters pocket, placing them in the envelope and then stuffing them into her voluminous pocket.
The Grand Duchess Anastasia immediately came to mind. You will recall, I’m sure, the sad tale of the goings on at Ekaterinburg, and, maybe, just maybe, the one who got away. Was this lady who she purported to be? One of the questions they asked her in her life was the nickname of one of the Generals who frequented court. This is the court of the Royal Family you understand, not the Sheriff Coort in Donday!
“High Pockets” quoth she, and indeed it was so. Thus, another brick in her wall.
Nowadays of course with stinky DNA, there’s nae fun as they can check those michrocondial matters out. The days of the great story tellers may be past.

Twoph ones?

Iain MacGregor — Sat, 19 May 2012 09:23:40 +0000

It’s always interesting to see what people tote around with them. Me, I have my waistcoat stuffed with specs, lighters, pens, start lists, squad lists, cigars, a very little money, many earplugs – clean and not so – and my phone. Some people though only have fags, lighters but Twoph ones. Do we need so many? Maybe it’s an indication of power. More phones, higher up the ladder. In this circumstance of course, I should probably be limited to two tin cans and the long piece of string!
I was recalling, yesterday, one of my clients who rose to incredibly high rank in the navy. On joining his first posting, which happened to be a submarine, the senior Petty Officer (were they called Kilicks, I have forgotten), called him in to his office. “Now, Sir, welcome aboard. It’s my duty to work with you and to ensure you fit in with the workings of the boat. Just so that you understand your position, Sir, do you realise how low down in the pecking order you are Sir?
“Well no Petty Officer, but I am a commissioned officer, just finished college, so how low can I be?”
” May I be blunt Sir?”
“Of course Petty Officer, I am here to learn”
“Lower than whale sh+* Sir, lower than whale sh+*!”

Baldasa?

Iain MacGregor — Sat, 19 May 2012 09:09:08 +0000

Passing a marshy area this morning, on the way to the range, I espied numerous Fulica Atra thereon. Pondering this, naturally, ones thoughts turn to private banking and that major financial institution of a similar, but not the same, name. For this of you who are less gifted, the name is not the same as the Latin above, but similar to the English version.
So, now you can have fun looking and learning – and who remembers these books? – and thus improve your general and particular knowledge.
Full of the milk of human kindness – that’s me.
Be good.

New week – new loch.

Iain MacGregor — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:49:09 +0000

Garda one week, Mediterranean the next. One’s bigger than the other I suppose, and it’s hotter here.
We are shooting the European Shotgun Championship on the new Olympic Ranges, near Larnaca – and very nice they are too. Six ranges with Matarelli traps shooting into a green tarpaulin covered bank. Lovely clubhouse serving good food. 5 euros for a training round. I still remember the international we shot in a country which shall remain nameless, many years ago, and they charged us 10, yes 10 euros a round. Needless to say not much practice was shot.
Anyway, it’s all good here.

Double Trap – Double Trouble!

Iain MacGregor — Fri, 11 May 2012 19:30:05 +0000

The putative Board, who manage (and I use the word cynically) matters shooting, have postponed the next few Double Trap shoots.
I quote:
“DTR – Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Double Trap selection shoots and Championships at Beverley (16/17 June) and Nuthampstead (30 June/1 July) have had to be postponed until later this year.”
Now, far be it from me to question this but, as they are the controlling authority, supposedly, what on earth can be beyond their control?
Apparently, this year, what has been beyond their control is to create shoots that shooters wish to participate in – with the mad reintroduction of 200 target OT shoots, and with the farcically titled “GB selection” shoots taking place immediately before or after major International tournaments, placing unneccessary pressure on the very performers they are supposedly supporting!
We then get the situation where “they” back pedal by allowing (how kind) these same performers not to attend, but to count another shoot, and thus have two lots of shooters with the same points from two totally different shoots.
Barmy comes to mind, but I think that’s too generous.
Maybe, possibly, hopefully someday they will think of the shooters and not themselves. I know this is rather a forlorn hope.
Even in Wellington’s day that band of brave men (The Forlorn Hope) had some chance. Not so with the “managers” we have at this time!!!!

Gun Fun.

Iain MacGregor — Fri, 11 May 2012 19:17:21 +0000

If you shoot technically correctly and receive the desired outcome, a perfect hit, it can be oh so satisfying.
I saw so many smiley faces over the last day or two that even the grumpiest of old coachmen had to soften a little.
It’s very pleasant, to say the least, to patrol the periphery of the layout and not have to say a word as the performers do just that, perform perfectly.
Deep joy.

Much Patterning -

Iain MacGregor — Fri, 11 May 2012 19:13:06 +0000

In The Marsh. No, not a village in some quaint part of rural Englandshire, but an accurate description of our activities over the past two days.
Since the perfect pattern plate is placed (perhaps) appropriately, we took the opportunity to pleasantly pop at it and demoniacally discern if the distribution diameter was as required.
Aghast. In most instances it was not. Thus, much Allen (or is it Allan?) keying, measuring, checking, spacing plus and minus, pacing to and fro until, ultimately, some sort of satisfaction was achieved.
Now, to the marshy bit. The pattern plate is perfectly placed for gunfitting. I am, of course, not going to tell you that distance, although if I did most of you would be none the wiser, but not so perfectly placed for patterning. Why then, you may ask, is it called a bloody pattern plate? Well that is another purpose, and to many plonker punters, patterning is all they would use it for – and then not very effectively!
But, to the initiated, the cartridge conoisseur, the barrel bonehead (struggling now), the tube technician (better) there is a world of information to be gained from the shot.
I digress of course. The bottom line is that there is not enough room between the plate and where we would like to stand (and how far is that you may ask – only to be ignored) so we have to pleasantly paddle in the puddles as far back as we can to fire. Whew, that took a while! So, muddling in the marsh, (somewhat messy in the Merrells), we eventually achieved some measure of meaning in the midst of the miasma.
Better quit at that before the grumpy reader revolts!!!

Glenmoriston.

Iain MacGregor — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:18:02 +0000

Formerly Loch Ness Gun Club, Glenmoriston had it’s first of the new era OT shoots on Saturday.
Now my info is second hand but I’m told 19 guns took part on properly set targets, although, apparently, one trap was a wee bit slow. Well, I’m sure with the folk who are now running the place and who show such passion, will get that sorted pdq.
More power to their collective elbows.
David Marello, who just goes on and on and on, won the North Area title by a target. Shona shot the only 25 of the day, and the first therfore under the new regime, and came second.
Old codgers!!!!

Scoot for Skeet.

Iain MacGregor — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:14:12 +0000

Wimmin, wake up! Olympic Skeet is back in the Commonwealth Games, so there’s another opportunity to shoot in a big multi disciplinary event.
No doubt all the Commonwealth countries will be looking at selection procedure and qualifying scores, but bear in mind, all the separate nations which make up GB will be there, plus Cyprus, India and Australia – all of whom have shooters regularly attending world cups, so it’ll not be a cushy win by any means!
We have time to make a programme and train, but we need to get cracking. 805 days (from today until opening ceremony) sounds a long time doesn’t it? Yes, maybe if you are a professional athlete. What if you have to work five sevenths of every week? How many days does that make? I dunno, and some mathematical person will be able to tell me, but it’s not much time. I know that only too well.
A wee (non mathematical) sum is 805 divided by seven times two. How many is that? 230! how many of them are in the deep mid winter? Half? Third? See what I mean? Time passes so very quickly.
So, a plan is vital and every shot must count. Why not get a coach and get cracking?

Lucky for some?

Iain MacGregor — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:03:46 +0000

13 nations took medals in Lonato. Now that’s a very nice mix with no domination. Accepting that, as I said below, some of the countries did not send their strongest teams by any means, so we cannot read to much in to the lies, damned lies and statistics!