Letter: Coffee morning? Nah. Let’s go shooting instead

Eighteen months ago after a work’s team building exercise at Warren Gill Shooting Ground in Masham, North Yorks, I decided it was time I took up the sport. I had always been attracted to the sport but all that ridiculous talk of being kicked by recoil and bruised shoulders stopped me from getting involved years ago. However, trust me ladies, anyone shooting properly does not get knocked about.

I do not have a partner who shoots so there was no natural introduction to the sport, however what I did discover was the Shotgun and Chelsea Bun Club, a club that encourages ladies with little or no experience of shooting, into the sport. The days are very reasonably priced and ladies can be assured of a really warm and friendly welcome and lots of encouragement.

The SCBC was started by Victoria Knowles-Lacks simply because she could not find other ladies to shoot with, either. Over the last 18 months hundreds of new lady Guns have become SCBC members.

So what of my progress? Well, I have made some wonderful friends through shooting and had two days with the Firebirds – a ladies’ roaming syndicate from Lancashire/Yorkshire. This proved to be a wonderful, relaxed and supportive introduction to shooting game. I also started beating.

This year I have booked eight days game shooting, five of which are mixed sex days because, while I love my ladies shooting, I feel strongly that we should not segregate ourselves. All the men I have met have been extremely encouraging and often impressed when I say I shoot a 12 bore!

I would like to encourage as many other ladies to take up this amazing sport. Here in the North West we have a new BASC Regional Officer in Duncan Thomas who also is extremely keen to arrange a variety of events for lady Guns. And if there are other ladies thinking of taking up the sport in the NW I am more than happy to have a chat with them.

Lynn Scholes, Lancashire.

Robin says: I’m sure a lot of non-shooting women will get to read your letter Lynn but, to make absolutely sure they do, can I ask all the guys out there to draw it to the attention of their wife, daughters or girlfriend(s).

Published in the November 2013 issue of Sporting Gun