The Longbow

	Greetings fellow archers when you are down the field on a cold damp Sunday, do you ever think hey where are the Longbow Shooters?
Well this is what happens. We all disappear to shoot in the grounds of stately homes and deer parks. We shoot what is called roving with, THE- COMPANY -of-THE- FINSBURIE- MARK. A dedicated troop of archers who pertain to shoot in the old ways of the English longbow from days gone by. The distances shot can vary from 50yds to 250yds for the big boys. The type of bow shot is the (D) section longbow with horn knocks, no sight marks, rubber rings, or mark on bow are to be used, the bow must be shot totally instinctive. The marks or stakes that are shot at, emulate those shot at in the Finsburie Fields in London around the 1540s these marks still have names from those times such as, Martins Monkey-Scalet and Cat and Fiddle. On a typical shoot an archer is expected to shoot over varying distances at probably a dozen different marks deliberately placed to deceive the eye, the object is not to hit the mark but to get as close as possible, the method of scoring is 12 points for half a bow length (red).  7  points a further three quarter bow lengths (green). 3 points a further two bow lengths (white). This is scored with the nearest feather or pile to the mark.
	"Kettering Archers at Stanford Hall"
Song-of-the-Bow What of the bow? The bow was made in England: Of true wood,of yew wood. The wood of English bows: So men who are free Love the old yew tree And the land where the yew tree grows.
These are some of the medieval replica arrow heads that are shot (these are not to be shot at targets)	Flu Flu's (big feathers)
The actual arrows shot vary from light weight flight with very small fletches through to ordinary target-clout arrows up to the standard medieval war arrow with 6inch fletches self knocked 3/8th shafts, 31 1/2 inches long with a bodkin head. Also flu flu arrows (slow arrows) for over trees etc. The bows that shoot these shafts range from 30lbs to 150lbs.
Long may this tradition continue.               A Longbow Archer.