Christmas at the Windmill

 Storm Darragh did its best to derail our celebrations, but thanks to James and his fantastic team at the Windmill Inn, we still managed to pull it off—just a week later than planned!

Our original date saw the whole area plunged into darkness, leaving us with no power and, more importantly, no way to cook the turkey. But James quickly worked his magic, shuffling things around so we could go ahead the following week. There was a bit of nail-biting in the lead-up, as power hadn’t been restored even the day before, but thankfully, everything came together just in time. And so, we celebrated in true Christmas style, marking the end of a fantastic year.

The food was top-notch, the turnout was bigger than ever, and the atmosphere was buzzing. Laughter filled the room as we tackled a Christmas-themed table quiz from ChatGPT—those anagrams were a real challenge. Those who came along will understand.

To top it all off, we wrapped up the night with our final awards of the year—a perfect ending to a celebration that was well worth the wait.

Most Improved Archers

(Awarded based on the greatest improvement in handicap over the past 12 months, considering Indoor and Outdoor categories separately.)

• Barebow:

  • Indoor: Linda Sharp
  • Outdoor: Nick Heckscher and Philip Churchill
    • It was a very close competition, ending in a draw for the top spot.

• Recurve:

  • Indoor & Outdoor: Sarah Louise Darwin
  • Five archers were in contention, and the winner edged out by just one point.

• Longbow:

  • Indoor & Outdoor: Courtenay Welsh

Top Record Holders

(Awarded to archers who have broken records that still stand at the end of the year.)

• A total of 18 archers broke records this year.

• Three archers consistently chased records all year.

  Top record holders by category:

  • Recurve (15 records): Sarah Louise Darwin
  • Barebow (20 records): Philip Churchill
  • Longbow & Overall (23 records): Courtenay Welsh

Top Archers

(Based on the lowest handicap achieved in the last 12 months—similar to golf, where a lower handicap is better.)

• There could have been six winners, but only three achieved top status in Indoor & Outdoor.

  Top archers by category:

  • Barebow: Philip Churchill
  • Recurve: Kevin King
  • Longbow: Courtenay Welsh

Top Shooter (Most Rounds Shot in the Year)

(Awarded to the archer who participated in the most rounds throughout the year.)

• Adrian and Linda shot around 100 rounds, but the clear winner completed 130 rounds.
  • Top Shooter: Courtenay Welsh (12)

Key Takeaways

• Courtenay Welsh dominated the awards, winning Top Longbow Archer, Top Shooter and holding the most records overall.
• Philip Churchill performed exceptionally in Barebow, winning both Top Barebow Archer and Top Barebow Record Holder.
• Sarah Louise Darwin stood out in Recurve, being both Most Improved and Top Record Holder.