OB Club Shooting
Blundell’s Magpies Annual Luncheon 6th March 2012
Held at The Special Forces Club
The fourteen members of the Blundell’s Magpies assembled at lunch on Tuesday 6th March at The Special Forces Club sent loyal greetings to the School and the Head Master.
The annual lunch has been held for many years now, latterly at the Special Forces Club and we look forward to welcoming other Blundell’s Magpies in future years.
The Following members attended:
- David Willoughby (W 54-58)
- David Condy (P 57-62)
- Tim Motion (SH 50-54)
- David Bentata (FH 51-56) & Linda Smith
- Alec Rainey (FH 52-57)
- John Batten (SH 53-57)
- Mike Chandler (P 60-65) & Di Chandler
- Ben Wrey(W 53-58)
- Peter Ward (FH 59-64)
- Peter Moore (W 53-57)
- George Tilley (FH 59-61
- James Postle (Former Master 08-11)
The lunch was organized by David Bentata (FH 51-56). If you are interested in future OB shooting events please contact the OB Club and they will put you in contact with David Bentata.
Cambridge University Rifle Association 10th March 2012
Held at Peterhouse College, Cambridge
Members of the Ashburton Winning team of 1956
The photo above displays no less than three members of the winning Ashburton-1956 Blundell’s rifles team attending the dinner in their capacity as Alumni of Oxford University Rifle Club (OURC) and Cambridge University Rifle Association (CURA) respectively.
The particular occasion for the presence of three former members of the 1956 team was that all three Old Blundellians had participated in one or other of the first two combined Oxford and Cambridge rifle team tours of East Africa following World War II.
David Bentata (FH 51-56) (together with another Blundellian who was not available to the Dinner), Roger Cook (FH 50-55) went out on the first Oxford and Cambridge team in 1960 and John Palmer (W 51-56) and Bren Wrey (W 53-58) went out on the second tour in 1962. Members of the 1962 combined team attended the CURA dinner as it was exactly 50 years since the tour took place.
This photograph shows John Palmer, the Captain of the 1956
Blundell’s
team flanked by David Bentata (Oxford) and Ben Wrey (Cambridge)
Magpies Spring Luncheon Tues 6th March 2012
The Annual Blundell’s Magpies Spring Luncheon takes place on Tuesday 6th March 2012 at the Special Forces Club, London. Numbers are limited, but if you are a shooter and are interested in attending, please contact Mr David Bentata (on 01462 435341) who will be able to furnish you with additional details of venue, cost, timings, etc.
Blundell's Magpies Rifle Club 2011 Season
Shortly before Christmas in 2010 the Magpies' President, Dr Herbert Price, died at the age of 90 after a long illness, depriving us of a genial and much-loved pillar of the Club. Herbert had been the last of the inter-war Bisley shooters under Rev. Major Abigail, and his subsequent distinguished medical career was only a backdrop to his consuming passions, rugby and shooting, which he pursued with vigour until late in life. A fuller obituary can be seen on the OB website.
In March, David Bentata organized another in the series of London Lunches, this time again in the sobering ambience of the Special Forces Club. Magpies stood in silence in memory of the late Dr Herbert Price, then enjoyed an hour or two reminiscing and updating each other on a host of subjects. Beside David, other Magpies included Ben Wrey, Hugo Brooke, Peter Moore, David Condy, George Tilley, Lt. Col. Tim Courtenay, Peter Ward and Alec Rainey (who had published his book 'The Way of Life' – about which others present were extremely interested, if rather challenged by the complexity of the subject). Guests were David's partner Linda, a governor of Blundell's, and James Postle, housemaster of School House and manager of shooting at the school.
During the course of the meal the Magpies learned that James would be leaving Blundell's at the end of the summer term, because of the eminently well-deserved promotion of his wife, Eve Jardine-Young, to be Principal of Cheltenham Ladies' College from September. Eve had been an outstanding Director of Studies at Blundell's since 2006, and had contributed in good measure to the excellent ratings the school had been given in the Ofsted inspection of 2010: congratulations were offered via James from all present. David then presented James with a Magpies club tie, as a mark of gratitude for the work he had done to rekindle interest in open-range shooting amongst Blundellians.
This interest was demonstrated a few weeks later, when Blundell's cadets shot in the Mere Cup matches in May, and achieved top places in under-18 and under-16 pairs matches, despite this occasion being their first fullbore shoot of the season. Old Boys also noted with interest that this shoot was the first time that a lady (Jenny Boylett) had shot for the school in a representative match. Another pleasing aspect of these matches was that the Anstey Salver was shot for by respective school cadets from Blundell's and Clifton – for the first time in over 30 years.
The Magpies entered 2 teams in the Schools' Veterans matches at Bisley on 14th July. We were fortunate to have dry, warm conditions, and the only drawback was a very changeable, fishtailing wind, which produced many inners ('bulls that got away'). Despite the wind, scores were generally very sound, and mention should be made of the steady performance by Mike Chandler (47.3 ex 50), Robert Bentata (46.2), David Willoughby (45.2), and Ian Anderson (45.3). Others who shot included David Bentata, Richard Price and Peter Ward; other Magpies who attended were Lt. Col. Tim Courtenay, Tony Ward and Chris Barker. We were extremely grateful to David Bentata and Tony Ward for their patient coaching in tricky wind conditions, and to the HAC Rifle Club for lending us a rifle. The A team score of 222.12 placed us 39th out of 51 teams, headed by a fine winning total of 249.33 by Uppingham former pupils.
After the shoot the Magpies and their guests gravitated to the verandah of the North London Rifle Club, where they were delighted to meet James Postle (at Bisley in his capacity as organizer of the Athelings); James was kind enough to present individual Magpies with Ashburton ties – which may be worn by anyone who has competed in the Ashburton match at any time. This very pleasant interlude was followed by dinner at the Fox, a favourite watering-hole of the Magpies.
As 2011 draws on, the Magpies Rifle Club seems to have had as enjoyable and well supported a season as any in the last thirty years. Nevertheless, the news that the school has now lost the most successful coach in Ashburton history is not encouraging. The average age of the active Magpie membership is now approaching 70; clearly the most valiant spirits cannot continue indefinitely. We hope to glean a handful of younger members from the recent resurgence of interest at the school, and will go on representing the Old Blundellians at Bisley for as long as we can.
Blundell's Magpies Bisley Captain - contact details: -
Peter Ward, 19 Stamford House, Great Heathmead, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 1FH
E-mail: peter.ward@lcdisability.org
Tel: 01342-712232
Special Forces Club Tues 8th March 2011
The Blundell's Magpies sent loyal greetings to the Head Master from their luncheon at the Special Forces Club held on Tuesday 8th March with the following in attendance:
David Bentata
Linda Smith
Ben Wrey
Peter Ward
Col. Tim Courtenay
George Tilley
Alec Rainey
Hugo Brooke
David Condy
Peter Moore
& guest James Postle
At the lunch a new Magpies tie was presented to James Postle making him an honorary member of the Magpies in recognition of all he has done in a very short time for Blundell's shooting. This is now the fifth year of the Spring Luncheon for the Magpies and long may it continue.
Many good wishes were received from those who were unable to attend including David Willoughby, Tim Motion, John Batten, Mike Chandler, Dr Peter Jones and his brother mike.
The Public Schools Veterans Match will take place on Thursday 14th July and those wishing to take part need to turn up in good country clothes, including wet weather gear, if appropriate, around 4.30 pm on the Century Range, reporting to Peter Ward or David Bentata (the Bisley Coach). Shooting commences at 5.00 pm and finishes between 6.30 and 6.45 pm followed by a drink on the veranda of the North London Rifle Club, repairing to The Fox, a particularly nice restaurant in the Surrey countryside for dinner.
Military Reception Day Shooting at Blundell's and Chevithorne 25th Sept 2010
The mini-range match took place in the morning, and saw 3 teams competing, 2 from the OB Magpies and 1 from the school. All were coached by the inimitable James Postle, and despite playful attempts by the OBs to tweak the scores, in the end the school team pipped the nominated Magpie IV to win by 366 points to 364. The second Magpie IV limped in behind them with 338 (please don't ask!). Top scorer of the match with 99 points was David Willoughby, who thereby rather poignantly won the trophy which had been presented by his late brother, Lt. Col. Digby Willoughby, in the 1950s. Top scorer from the school team was Robin Silcock, with 98 points, who was presented with an individual trophy by Lt. Col. Tim Courtenay, Chevithorne Captain. Robin also won the Brooke-Smith Tankard, which goes annually to the highest scorer on the opposing team to the Willoughby winner's. The Magpies were more than impressed when Charles Boddington, who had shot in the school side, appeared a short time later, resplendent in the full-dress uniform of cadet RSM, and commanded the school's guard of honour during the beating of the retreat by the corps of drums from a local unit of the Air Training Corps.
Old Boys who attended the shoot included Lt. Col. Tim Courtenay, George Maunder, Mike Biggin, Peter Marten, Dr David Rutter, David Willoughby, David Bentata and Peter Ward. Other 'Magpies' who attended the day included George Tilley and Capt. Christopher Heath, who had been a member of the victorious 1946 Ashburton team.
The visit to the old range was rather a nostalgic affair, and was only possible through the initiative of Col. Tim and the kindness of the current landowner of Chevithorne Barton, Michael Heathcote-Amory. The last time the school had used it was in 1980, after which it had been decommissioned, and in the 30 years since, nature had begun to reassert itself uncompromisingly. The small party of pilgrims gradually managed to identify the various firing points, and eventually found the butts, with target frames in an advanced state of decay, now almost hidden from daylight by a massive new growth of young trees. Some ancient 'falling plates' were unearthed in the mould of the butt area, and one was taken as a memento, perhaps to be used as a trophy in some suitable context. The visitors were very pleased that James Postle, notwithstanding the pressures of his busy responsibilities as housemaster of the School House, was able to find time to accompany them, which they welcomed as a symbolic link between the now-receding past and what is hoped may be a future full of promise for a new generation of Blundellian shooters.
Summer 2010 Events
The first occasion of note this year was the Magpies’ London Lunch, hosted and organized at the Special Forces’ Club in the Spring by David Bentata. This was attended by 9 members (accompanied by 3 ladies), which despite the overpowering historical associations of the place, proved very relaxed and enjoyable. There was a period of silence in respectful memory of Robin Wellesley, shooting master during the 1970s, who had attended the 2009 Lunch, but who had recently died.
The OB shooters (or ‘Magpies’, as we are commonly known) did not appear at the school on OB Day, as for some reason there was no match. However, we were extremely impressed with the Blundell’s cadets’ performance in the SW schools’ open range meeting in May, where the coaching of both James Postle and Col. Tim Courtenay succeeded in producing convincing winners in both the cadet and reserve pairs competitions. We look forward avidly to seeing how those involved are able to develop their marksmanship in future years.
The Magpies entered two teams in the Public Schools’ Veterans match at Bisley on 15th July, and though a little disappointed not to be able to see a return of the school team, the 8 men who shot (average age now not too far from 70!) managed to hold their own despite a strong and very variable cross-wind which affected the performance of the righteous and unrighteous alike. Mike Chandler was the top scorer with 47 ex 50, and Ian Anderson followed closely with 46. David Willoughby also performed very creditably, his score of 45 marking a gradual ascent to form after a mere year or two of returning to the open range after a gap of some 50 years. The A team score of 209.9 was insufficient to challenge the leaders of the field, but was nevertheless enough to secure the return of the Anstey Salver, as Clifton Old Boys had achieved the lesser total of 199.
Apart from those already mentioned, other Magpies who shot included David Bentata, Col. Tim Courtenay, Richard Price, Hugo Brooke, and Peter Ward. Ben Wrey was on hand to give us his valuable services as wind coach, which clearly influenced the higher average scores of the B team... We were also very pleased that James Postle managed to spend some time with us prior to the shoot, despite the intensive task he was engaged in, before the various school teams disappeared for home following the Ashburton, of trying to select a national cadet team to shoot against the Canadians later in July.
The pattern of traditional socializing then ensued, the bonhomie of a round or two of drinks on the verandah of the North London Rifle Club being well cemented by a pleasant dinner at the nearby Fox pub, during which the problems of the NRA, the new government, and most of the universe were effortlessly solved by the increasingly jovial company.
Bisley 2009
After some 30 years of absence, Blundell’s reappeared at Bisley in 2009. James Postle brought two cadet pairs, who, despite relatively few opportunities to practise, managed to make their mark. One pair came 8th, the other 13th, out of 36 schools’ teams, but their combined scores brought them 4th place in the cadet fours competition, up amongst the great names. How James was able to coach them so effectively we can’t begin to work out, but the guy must have incredible reserves of both patience and skill. The Magpies (now a somewhat attenuated and rather elderly group of gents) were really excited by it all, and in the light of a real, live Blundell’s presence, naturally didn’t see their own performance on the range as being particularly significant. However, perform they did, in the Public Schools’ Veterans competition – and in view of their not shooting very often, not at all badly.
Scores
| Team A | Team B | |||
| David Bentata (capt.) | 44.2 | Peter Ward (capt.) | 49.8 | |
| Mike Chandler | 48.2 | Ian Anderson | 48.2 | |
| Richard Price | 45.2 | Col. Tim Courtenay | 46.2 | |
| Hugo Brooke | 47.1 | David Willoughby | 44.2 | |
| Robert Bentata | 45.3 | Total | 187.14 | |
| Total | 229.10 | |||
Although there were insufficient men present to complete the second team, keen observers of the shoot would have noticed that that team’s average score was rather better than the first team’s (no smirking at the back there, please). This may have had something to do with the presence of the redoubtable Ben Wrey as coach, but was probably also due to the gratitude everyone felt towards the Almighty, who thought fit to maintain dry weather conditions until shortly after we’d left the range, then let fly with a prolonged British version of a Monsoon. Placings of the two teams in the overall listing need perhaps not detain us unduly, except to observe that the three leading teams all scored 249 ex 250, with the final order being determined by numbers of ‘V’ bulls (the tiny area right in the middle of the target). Regrettably for us, Clifton Old Boys notched up a creditable 238, so regained the Anstey Salver, for which we and they compete each year.
Post-shoot, the Magpies resorted to the verandah of the North London Rifle Club for a civilised noggin or two, after which most of our number adjourned for dinner to a local inn. It was agreed that a message of loyal greeting should be despatched to the Headmaster by David Bentata, the Club’s principal Bisley Coach, and that the message should reflect the pride and gratitude felt by the Old Boys at the magnificent efforts which resulted in the successful return of the School to ‘the Common’.
Mere Cup 3rd May 2009
The Mere Cup was held today at Rogiet Moor Range near Newport, just beside the Severn Bridge. The match was shot at distances of 300, 500 and 600 yards under Ashburton conditions in bright and breezy conditions with only danger flags as a wind guide – but some mirage at 600!
Blundell’s entered the U16 cadet pair and a open pair competing against 6 schools and the regional Sea Cadets and Army Cadets – making 80 competitors in total.
I am very pleased to record that the Blundell’s pair of Charlie Silcock (P) and Chris Bodington (P) won the U16 Cadet Pair by 26 points, beating West Buckland in second and King Edwards, Bath in third. In the Open Pairs, 15 year olds Charlie Howe (FH) and Andrew Kellett (OH) won by a convincing 50 points, beating Exeter School, Clifton and West Buckland, completing a remarkable double; gold medals and trophies were won by both pairs.
This was in fact the first time that these four Blundellians had ever shot a full-bore target rifle over these distances and they were by far the most inexperienced of any of the cadets in the match, making their achievements all the more impressive. Three of the four had fired a 7.62 once at the zero range at Bisley and they all have had just two .22 sessions learning how to use a sling; they did very well indeed. Charlie Silcock’s first two shoots mark him out as a super talent – 29.2 at 300 and 31.1 at 500.
I hope we can ensure that these 4 are free from cricket/athletics matches etc on OB day for our match; I will do my very best but may need to enter into some negotiations! The idea of a possible walk on Chevithorne sounds good and would be very interesting.
I now feel we are in a good position and able to enter the schools’ meeting at Bisley in the summer; all four of these boys are U16, so we can enter 2 cadet pairs and combine them as a four too. I will proceed with planning for the meeting.