Once Upon a Time. . .

When I began shooting around 1975 The Westmere Club was shooting at the Westmere Hall, where Grange Transport is now. There would be about 20 plus members, mainly men and mainly farmers. We used the hall of course and the targets were located in an annex at the end which meant to change targets you had to go outside. This was not an uncommon practice in those days and I believe the Taumarunui club shot down the hall, across an outdoor passageway and into another building where the targets were. Exciting stuff. To enter the hall proper at Westmere, the door was level with the shooters and there was no waiting for them to stop, you just came on through, cases and all and made your way to the rear where everyone was sitting around chatting and doing the odd bit of scoping if required. An amazing environment to learn to shoot in.

While you were shooting, the events of the week were being discussed, stories told and even conversations with the shooters shooting at the time. If you wanted to get serious, then you learnt to engage total concentration and would be oblivious to all around.

About a year or so later, the hall burnt down. I have been told that the Fire brigade got rather excited when the flames reached a few thousand rounds of ammo stored in the cupboard. We had to find a place to call our own so the old club rooms at Castlecliff were commissioned. Many happy memories of that place. We spent a few weeks getting it ready to inhabit as it hadn't been used for quite a while. I remember Bailey Elliot trying to clear the pipe from the sink. After some time with no success he just went outside with a hacksaw and cut it off. All the water went flowing down the bank ever after as the range was on top of quite a rise not far from the wharf.

The range was bent. i.e. dogleg. You lay on the mound and the targets were to the right. Again, the access to the targets was from outside and with a good southerly, cobwebs would waft across the target as you were shooting providing they were anchored on well.

On wet nights, the roof leaked and water would drip onto your rifle or you. There was a potbelly stove in the supper room and we would get that thing red hot. I joketh not. The roof there was also rather suspect hence it would finish up like a sauna. Water would run down the chimney. The back iron or whatever was behind the targets was old and apparently rather flimsy as well because one night an irate fisherman who had been quietly fishing on the wharf found he had more than fish to contend with. He was not a happy chappy... Unsavoury people were around and about. One night Alf Hedges went to go home, got in his car, went to put the car in gear and, hello, no gear stick. Cut off . Very funny for us but not so funny for Alf.

The Council then decided we had to go as they wanted the land, so we shared with R.S.A. and decided that we would build a new range at Westmere which we did. Amongst the club members we, luckily, had a very great range of people who could get most things done even the plans and consent etc. so it was not too much of a hassle. Richard Booth took care of the plans as he was in the Engineering Dept. of council, Eric Stanfield was the dozer driver and the rest of us just did as we were told. We tacked it onto the Scout Hall and rented the room off the scouts who were still active at the time. When they folded up we bought it off them and you have now what you have today.

In early times there were 200 plus shooters in the district, hence the name Wanganui and District smallbore rifle association. It covered 9 clubs. Taumarunui, Utiku, Westmere, Citizens, R.S.A., Marist, Municipal, Whangaehu and Upokongaro. Very competitive shooting and to get in a rep team you pulled out all stops. We had 3 selectors and it would be fair to say, they left as many out as there were in.

Home and Aways were wonderful. Always lots of shooters, always a great supper, always lots of banter and chat and when you went to Upok. there was always a roaring fire to keep you warm, not to mention the piano halfway down the hall where you shot ! ! A real good nights outing and no one was in any hurry to get home.

For me, shooting has provided me with years of happy memories that are very precious and I look back on them often. Success came my way as well to a certain degree and I was so fortunate to have had a husband that provided the encouragement that I needed and the family competition that gave it an edge. I managed to shoot for Westmere, Wanganui, Wellington BSA, North Island and Ladies New Zealand. I have worked at numerous Oceaniania games, The 1990 Commonwealth Games and the 200 World Cup.

A very happy time.