How to find us

W.L.M.C.P.S.Soc
(West Lancs Masonic Clay Pigeon Shooting Society)

Welcome to the home page for the West Lancashire Masonic Clay Pigeon Shooting Society (WLMCPSSoc). Use the links below to select an appropriate selection from the page.

National Shoot Details

The History and Mission Statement of
West Lancashire Masonic Clay Pigeon Shooting Society

Dates for your Diary

Event Reports

Newsletters

Contact Details

Committee Members (elected at AGM June 2008)

Coaching Clinics

Membership Application Form

The History and Mission Statement of
West Lancashire Masonic Clay Pigeon Shooting Society

Since its foundation on 25 June 1986, under the leadership of our popular first Chairman, Past Assistant Provincial Grand Master Frank Cowburn, the West Lancashire Masonic Clay Pigeon Shooting Society, has provided enjoyment and friendship for many clay pigeon shooters not only within our Province but from neighbouring Provinces by way of an Inter-Provincial Shooting Competition which has always been held on the first Sunday in October each year.

The society is honoured by the support it receives from its our newly appointed president, Provincial Grand Master Peter J Hosker, and its  vice-president Deputy Provincial Grand Master Brian Gillbanks. The society is also actively supported by its two life vice-presidents Thomas Blackburn and Brian Jackson.

In 2002 and 2004 the society rose to the challenge of organising National Inter-Provincial Shooting Competitions for Freemasons at Hoghton Tower, near Preston. In 2006 the competition was held at Leighton Hall, Carnforth, an occasion which was once more, with the support of many other Provinces, a great success.

 In 2009, under the guidance of our chairman Assistant Provincial Grand Master Edward Caulfield, we will once again host a National Masonic Clay Pigeon Shooting Competition at Longton Gun Club, near Preston. Longton Gun Club is the oldest established clay pigeon shooting club in the Province of West Lancashire and should serve as a perfect venue for the event.

The society’s primary objectives are to actively encourage newcomers and established shooters by providing a medium for the sport within a safe and friendly environment and to advance relationships within this and other Provinces whilst never losing sight of the Masonic and non-Masonic charities that it actively seeks to support.

The society is proud that with the generous help of the Lodges and Chapters of the Province those charities have received to date in excess of £75,000.

Glynn Wrennall, vice-chairman

For further information contact :

Glynn B Wrennall
Tel: 01539 443903
email: glynnwrennall@btopenworld.com

Mike Casey
Tel: 01253 403731
email: wlmcpss@gmail.com

Ian Heyes
Tel: 01772 611071

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National Masonic Inter Provincial Clay Pigeon Shooting Competition
hosted by the Province of West Lancashire
at The Dolphin Shooting Ground, Longton, Nr Preston.

Brochure
Entry Form
Rules

Membership of the Society

Anyone wishing to join the society and be kept up to date with its events can download the application form below and forward it to the treasurer, John Hammond

The instructions for the form are:

To download the file - right click on the link below and chose "save target as.." This will allow you to select a location on your PC to save the file.

Or open the form by clicking on it and print it direct from the website

Application Form

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Dates for your Diary 2009/10

Forthcoming Events

Social Shoot 3rd Wednesday of every month at
Kelbrook Shooting Ground at 10.30am

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Committee Members 2008/2009

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Event Reports

Recent Event Reports

Provincial Shoot 2009

National Gamekeepers’ Organisation annual shoot

Top Shoot at Toplands (2009)

Sportsman's dinner success

Trophy is presented at last

Who shot the turkey?

Click Here to see the Archived News Page

Newsletter

The Society produces a regular newsletter which is to update members on reports from events that have taken place and advertise forthcoming shoots or socials.

The latest newsletter can be viewed, downloaded or printed using the PDF link below

Newsletter Issue 20 (Spring 2009)

Newsletter Issue 19 (Autumn 2008)

Newsletter Issue 18 (Spring 2008)

Newsletter Issue 17 (Autumn 2007)

Newsletter Issue 16 (Spring 2007)

Newsletter Issue 14 (Spring 2006)

Newsletter Issue 13 (Autumn 2005)

Newsletter Issue 12 (Spring 2005 )

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Provincial Shoot 2009

This year’s Provincial Shoot was held on Sunday 10 May at the Flying Fish (or The Dolphin to the non-believers), Marsh Lane, Longton in preparation for the National Shooting Competition to be held in June this year.  We were once again fortunate with the weather with bright blue sky and just a light wind.  I know I keep harping on about The Flying Fish Shooting Ground but it really has come along way in recent years.

The competition was held as a 30 Sporting re-entry layout but with first scores to count. Sadly there was a low turnout this year for whatever reason but as always those that did appear were without doubt the quality.  It was wonderful to see Tom Blackburn around again supporting the event  after his ‘funny do up the Amazon’ as he put it and to welcome back George Houghton, a once proud East Lancashire Province shooter who has recently started to shoot again after a long illness and better still he has recently joined a West Lancashire Lodge at Westhougton.

Now to the competition, excellent birds, seven stands, perfect conditions, so what went wrong? Personally I think everyone was enjoying themselves too much and not concentrating.

On to the presentations which were made by the Society Vice-chairman Glynn Wrennall at The Rams Head Hotel, Longton where everyone enjoyed an excellent carvery meal.

The Brian Taylor Group Trophy was presented to David K Rhodes of the Lancaster Group for the support that they had given the society over the past year.

The Veteran’s Trophy was won by Mike Casey snr. Well Mike Casey jnr. Just wasn’t old enough was he? I suppose I’d better mention his score of 20 (out of 30).

The Thomas Williams Novice Trophy was won by Graham Brereton who only started shooting this year with 13 out of 30.  Graham, although an East Lancashire Mason, is a member of our society who brought along another two members of his Province as well.
The Guest Trophy was won by Austin Coxhead, a guest of Ian Heyes and a regular supporter of our events with a score of 21.

This year’s Harold Naylor High Gun trophy was won by Jason Rhodes with a remarkable recovery after the Lindale Shoot with a score also of 21.

And the main presentation of the day – the dreaded White Stick was earned by David Rhodes with a magnificent score of five – yes five!

The raffle was organised by our treasurer John Hammond and raised the sum of £76 which included a £10 donation from Lawrence Alston, a partner in Coaching Clinics, the society’s coaching wing who assisted two novices on the days.

Many thanks to all who attended.

Mark Pinkard and Jim Wynne

David Rhodes received the Group Trophy from Glynn Wrennall.

Hi Gun Jason Rhodes with Glynn Wrennall

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National Gamekeepers’ Organisation annual shoot

Sunday, 19 April brought around the annual National Gamekeepers’ Organisation Regional Clay Pigeon Shooting Competition held at Lindale Gun Club, near Grange over Sands where The West Lancashire Masonic Clay Pigeon Shooting Society was fortunate enough to be invited to enter two five-man teams of shooters.

The competition was a 30 bird sporting (a hard pair of almost spring teal, a pair of crossing birds r-l, and a ABT bird going away with a crossing l-r bateau) and then on to the exciting bit.  The first of the 100 bird flushes, which they called a duck flush and we called the theme from Star Wars, was to say the least a little bit tricky and then the grand finale was the pheasant flush – WOW!!

That was one to get your knees shaking. It’s always an amazing feeling when you have the cartridge, the right way round in your hand, and you can’t make them fit into your gun for shaking. The pheasant flush is a fantastic experience which seems to last 20 minutes, but it in reality it’s all over in three.

Well somebody had to win and it definitely wasn’t us. The Duke of Westminster Cup was won by the Egglestone Moor Syndicate (which I am told is somewhere near Barnard Castle) with a score of 115.  The Carr’s Animal Feeds High Gun Trophy with scores out of 30 on the sporting was won by Sam Newsham with 27.  Our own High Gun was yet again Evan Walsh, who you will remember as the man with his barrels on fire, with 23.  I refuse to mention anything about Jason Rhodes’ 17 his face said it all. The Hi-Fly Shield for the highest score on the pheasant flush was the Crabtree Syndicate with a score of 99 out of a possible 100.  The duck flush was won by the Wyresdale Syndicate (featuring our very own Richard Dennison on Thompson sub machine gun as back gun) with 83.

This year, for the first time, due to the sad loss of John Bell, a trophy was donated in his memory and was won by Turton A. There were two shooters under the age of 16 competing this year and the organisation hoped that there would be more in the future.

The presentation and raffle was once again held at Endmoor Club, near Kendal where everyone enjoyed an enormous hotpot, pickled onion and beetroot lunch, oh and a few beers too.  It was a wonderful day for the 100 men and women who took part and one our members will have fond memories of for a long time to come.

Glynn Wrennall - Vice Chairman

Team One in action.

Team Two members take aim.

High Gun Evan Walsh.

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Top shoot at Toplands

After all the rain and what seems a very long winter over 20 shooters from the WLMCPSS went along to Toplands at Woodplumpton, near Preston for a 50 bird sporting and a 25 bird skeet shoot on 5 April.

As all I’d come for was a bacon butty, which they had stopped making, I should have known then…….

I personally started with the skeet not having shot it for some time and I found it quite refreshing and a good laugh with the rest of the squad but that was probably because I shot it well.

It was then onto the first stand of the sporting where cries of “what was that?” and “where is it?” did it for me and consigned me to my fate.

The second stand was ABT where we all stood looking at the birds, with 28” barrels and skeet chokes, as they turned right or left landing in Blackpool or Chipping or even further away then that.

The third stand was a reasonable settling duck and a disappearing crow but I am afraid after that it all went down hill.

Despite the good weather the sporting was a hard shoot which reflected in the scores although the High Gun of the day with 40 out of 50 was Jason Rhodes.  Second was hot shot Evan Walsh the man with his barrels on fire with 30 followed closely with a host of 29s and 28s.

Lunch afterwards at The Wheatsheaf was good and the raffle made £50 for the society with the winner of the whisky being Dick Walmsley.

Glynn Wrennall congratulates Jason Rhodes.

Winner Dick Walmsley.

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SPORTSMAN’S DINNER SUCCESS

The bi-annual Sportsman’s Dinner was held at Wellington Park, Leyland and got off to a great start when after a roast beef dinner guests were invited to play a game of ‘heads and tails’ with guest Mick Creer winning the prize of £50.

Liverpudlian comedian Al Nolan brought tears to the eyes with laughter.  Time then for the sporting memorabilia  ‘Chorley Auction’ with interesting items such as a signed golf hole pennant from the father and son classic golf tournament at Augusta, Georgia with names such as Lee Trevino, Vijay Singh and Arnold Palmer; a framed collage of sporting signatures and moments from Liverpool Football Club; and a Bolton Wanderers signed football.  The auction raised £232 and Ian Heyes who won the football immediately re-donated it to raise another £31.

The guest speaker of the evening Steve Smith, barrister and criminal lawyer, talked extensively about the highlights of his career to the amusement of the audience.  He also donated two signed copies of his latest book which raised a further £40.

To conclude the evening there was a whisky raffle with bottles donated by the society and group officials and 13 lucky winners went home with bottles.

Finally the society vice-chairman, Glynn Wrennall, thanked everyone for their support, with the proceeds going in to the coffers to be shared between Masonic charities and north west children’s charities at next year’s national shoot he then bade them all good night and a safe journey home.

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Trophy is presented at last

According to Bro Rudyard Kipling East is East and West is West but on this occasion he got this one wrong when Ian Heyes, Mike Casey and I made our way up the M6 to Tebay and across Stainmore Gap to the small fishing village of Middlesbrough.

The truth is that Yorkshire North and East Riding won the Watson Eden Trophy at the Inter Provincial Shooting Competition in October and our Shoot Captain who shall remain nameless, but his wife is called Mrs Heyes, forgot the trophy so as a compromise he offered to present it to the winning team at a Lodge meeting of their choice.  So after a kind invitation from their Shoot Captain, Mark Roberts, we went along to Acklam Lodge No 6248 which meets at Middlesbrough Masonic Centre where we witnessed things just a little bit different to what we are used to.  Their hospitality was superb and with the festive board being their Christmas meeting it was exceptional with as much wine and whisky that anyone could desire. The Christmas pudding was heralded into the festive board, in the dark, by the members all singing ‘we all like figgy pudding’.  We were then entertained by a talented young lady soprano to add to the Christmas atmosphere.

In the Junior Warden’s Toast to the visitors he asked the WM’s permission to echo all the visitors’ names around the four walls of the Lodge. Permission being granted he then read out all the names, ranks, Lodges and Lodge numbers, which raised cheers from the hosts of each one. There were 32 visitors present that evening from 19 different Lodges and it was wonderful to see Dr Watson from the Yorkshire West Riding shooters accompanied by brethren from his own area.

Presentation time finally arrived and Ian Heyes was asked if he would be kind enough to present mementoes to all who had taken part in the competition from the winning Province, a rose bowl to the High Gun and the Watson Eden trophy to their Shoot Captain, Mark Roberts – a job Ian relished.

There were many replies from the visitors and the evening concluded with Auld Lang Syne and the Tyler’s Toast.  One interesting observation at the festive board, although there were many, was that the WM announced that next month’s meeting was to be a Third Degree and a form was passed around the members for volunteers to do whatever job they liked in the ceremony. A wonderful evening of Masonic hospitality at its best.  Congratulations and thank you Middlesbrough.

And finally our heartfelt thanks to the guards on sentry duty at 1st Battalion of the Royal Mercian Regiment, Catterick Camp for their directions back to Scotch Corner, which we had missed, and also for lifting the barrier to allow us to turn around easily. Yes, it was the same guy who forgot the Trophy who was doing the driving.

Glynn Wrennall
Vice-chairman

Ian Heyes presents the trophy to Mark Roberts.

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Who shot the turkey?

Well, nobody shot the turkey but Alan McDougall from Newby Bridge Lodge won one.  This year’s Annual Turkey Shoot was held at The Dolphin Shooting Ground, (The Flying Fish), Longton, near Preston when 28 shooters plus wives, girlfriends, boyfriends and babies came along to freeze to death and compete in the 50 sporting bird competition. We must have lucky as it wasn’t raining as well.

I must say that the shooting was superb with most stands being very hittable with just a couple to sort the men from the boys.

After shooting it was into the Dolphin Inn and around the fire for a bar snack and the presentation.  Basically, at the Turkey Shoot everyone brings a prize so that everyone leaves with one which, of course, is presented in reverse order so that the lowest score gets the pick of the prizes with the shoot winner getting what is left over.

Evan Walsh who has been on top form for the past few months was the high gun with a score of 40 out of 50 and  joint second place went to Lloyd Davies who only managed a score of 35 a position he had to share with me – a depressing thought.  Nevertheless a good time was had by all.

Merry Christmas

Glynn Wrennall
Vice-chairman

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