Thursday 14 July (revised)

It's fairly late so this will only be a partial report tonight. I'll have the detailed Canadian scores tomorrow. The main reason my tardiness has been the Team BBQ this evening. This went well, with good steaks cooked to order, satisfying even the "blue rare" brigade! The day had been mild and mostly sunny, and tables for the BBQ were set on the veranda to take advantage of the balmy evening. We were luckier perhaps that those gathered at Sandwich for the Open Golf Championship where there was intermittent rain all day. The forecast for the weekend here is not so good.

This morning we had the team photographs taken, the official party having been completed with the arrival yesterday of Roger Mullin. And then in the afternoon was the annual match against the Barbarians RC fired at 900 and 1000 yards. This year also we nominated four of our shooters to shoot against Cambridge University. The latter was a revival of the traditional match which had lapsed for a few years. It had been hoped to fire this at the range in Cambridge, as I stated last week, but this had not been possible due to the bureaucratic complexities of booking the range.

The wind on Stickledown this afternoon could best be described as diabolical and as a very humbling experience for the coaches. Basically, it was a fishtail, varying quickly in both strength and direction. My last shooter, for example, needed between 8 left and 7 right, with frequent 4 to 5 minute changes between shots. It was almost like Trentham and I confess to being unequal to the task. Results:
1. Barbarians 696.37, regaining the trophy
2. Canada 681.20
and
1. CURA 361.26, retaining the Lions
2. Canada 345.11
After the match, there was a much needed interlude of relaxation at the roof top balcony at the London & Middlesex RA.

Canadian Scores (* nominated against CURA): Bissonnette (*) 46.4 44.1, 90.5; Landreville (*) 47.1 38.1, 85.2; Marion (*) 45.0 38.0, 83.0; Paton (*) 46.2 41.2, 87.4; Spinney 39.1 45.0, 84.1; Mullin 45.3 43.2, 88.5; McKellar 41.1 42.1, 83.2; Redstone 45.1 36.0, 81.1.

Individual competition starts today with the non-aggregate matches, the Century (500 and 600 yards) and the Admiral Hutton (900 yards).