This morning was the first of three sessions on the archery beginners course. We had a hot and sunny morning for it, at the recreation ground in Four Marks. After registration there was a brief introduction, to about 25 of us, explaining safety and equipment. Then we got shooting. We had already tried our bows (correct pull weight and length) on Tuesday evening, so we could get straight into it. Each of the four targets had groups of 6, with two instructors. First we shot without sights then after a break and a further presentation, with sights. It took me two rounds without the sight before I was hitting golds. Then the same with the sights, two rounds of adjustments to find my aim then hitting golds and one complete miss. Miss the target and the arrow embeds itself in the turf. They use metal detectors to find them sometimes. The three hours went by quickly. The tuition was good, with today being about stance and technique rather than accuracy. Of course most of us were more concerned with how near the gold we got. The youngest on the course must have been about 8, the oldest in their sixties. And the treasurer, sat on his portable seat, in his eighties. The part which fascinates me is that moment of letting go, which seems beyond thinking and even time, just an inward ‘now’. More next Saturday.