A bright and lively start greeted the archers as they arrived at Kettering Cricket Club for a day of traditional wand shooting. Even the local wildlife seemed keen to get involved, with a particularly energetic squirrel welcoming competitors at the entrance to the shooting ground!

It was a crisp, bright and sunny morning – seemingly the perfect day for a wand shoot.

For those unfamiliar with the discipline, a wand shoot involves archers aiming at a six-foot-tall post measuring just six inches wide, with a five-foot scoring circle at its base. Kettering had added an extra twist to the competition, placing a two-foot hula hoop at the base for additional points and a little extra fun.

The challenge was made even more impressive by the distances involved: 140 yards for the men’s distance, 100 yards for the women’s distance and 60 yards for the children’s distance.

Standing on the right-hand side of the shooting line, our wand could just be seen in the distance, sitting in the shade and waiting to test our accuracy.

Of course, this being Kettering, there was another familiar challenge to contend with – the wind. A cutting breeze swept across the ground throughout the day, seemingly changing direction with every end.

For traditional archers, strong and unpredictable wind always adds an extra level of difficulty. With lighter arrows that can be easily diverted in the air, this was certainly going to be a real test of judgement, distance and consistency.

Aaron was quick to find his mark, hitting the scoring circle early in the competition before striking the wand itself just a few ends later. He continued to pick up regular points throughout the day and was clearly settling into the challenge.

My own journey to finding the target took a little longer – not because I was struggling to find the distance, but because I had rather too much of it!

I had chosen to use the arrows normally reserved for clout shooting, expecting the strong wind to shorten their flight. Instead, they regularly sailed past the target. My challenge, therefore, became one of reducing the distance rather than trying to find a few extra yards!

The glorious sunshine was briefly interrupted by around five minutes of torrential rain. It was enough to leave the archers soaked to the skin before the downpour disappeared almost as quickly as it had arrived, leaving everyone to gradually dry out in the returning sunshine.

There was another unexpected twist when the competition was extended from six dozen arrows to seven dozen due to an error when printing the score sheets. Fortunately, nobody seemed in any particular hurry to finish. With the afternoon sunny, bows in hand and good company all around, the extra arrows were more than welcome.

Once shooting had finally come to an end, everyone retired to the cricket clubhouse for the awards ceremony.

For a change, Aaron and I found ourselves competing in the same category. Aaron took a well-deserved gold medal, while I was pleased to finish with the bronze.

It was a great end to a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon of traditional archery, shared with fantastic company and plenty of challenges along the way.

However, the day was about more than just medals and competition. The event was also raising money for a truly worthwhile local cause.

The chosen charity was Nordica Studios, whose owner, Beth, provides replacement nipple tattoos for women who have undergone full mastectomies. She offers this valuable service free of charge, asking only for the cost of the inks used or, where possible, a donation to a cancer charity.

The money raised during the day will help Beth continue providing this important and empowering service to breast cancer survivors in the future.

A fantastic day of archery, great company, a few medals – and, most importantly, support for a truly great cause.