Green tights and pointy hat not obligatory - that's what they say when you book in for archery in Cambridgeshire! Perhaps just as well because the tight legging look is so last season. However, archery itself is always in fashion, after all nothing beats firing off an arrow to hit the bullseye in the great British countryside does it?
And talking of countryside there's certainly plenty of it here in Cambridgeshire. Your archery experience takes place at an outdoor pursuits centre in the grounds of a farm just outside Huntingdon in the small village of Brampton. If the weather is on your side you'll be outside on the ranges, but indoor events can also be organised, meaning that you can have a go at archery any time of the year.
This is a small and friendly centre that is family owned and run, but one that has a full range of top notch archery gear and skilled instructors to show you how to use it all. First things first, on arrival you'll sign in and then listen to a safety briefing. Then it's time to have you first look at what the bows. Using modern recurve bows, you'll probably find they are lighter than you'd have thought and no doubt you'll feel like you've been transported back in time to a medieval Cambridgeshire, where archery wasn't a sport, but a way of life, minus the tights.
No man or animal hunting here though, it's all about getting your arrows to fly straight an true at the classic roundel-style targets. Of course, the further away they are from the stands, the harder it is to get the trajectory right, so it's definitely going to be a challenge. Do you think you've got the steady hand and eagle-eyes to be a championship Cambridgeshire archer?
Once you've been shown the basics you'll be lining up to fire at the target bales. When the whistle is blown everyone stops firing arrows and you all put down your bows to walk up to your target and have a good look at what you've hit (or not as the case may be). In professional competitions this is the moment the archers are all scored, of course for you it'll be just for fun, so you can get your photos taken next to your fletches (they're the feathered vanes on the arrows!).
We think archery at this Cambridgeshire ground is great fun. The emphasis is most definitely on convivial rather than arch rivalry on the stands, so it's suitable for groups, youngsters and families too. But believe us, once you've released your first arrow you'll be hooked on this engaging and very rewarding outdoor sport.
