Archery can be classed as a sport or a hobby and it has its own class at the Olympic Games. Archers either hunt wild game animals or shoot at targets or both. If you aim at targets in a competition, it is the collective score of all your arrows that is used to work out your rank in that competition. The nearer the centre of the target that the arrow hits, the higher the tally.
Target archery can also be sub-divided into two categories: field archery and target archery. In target archery, the archer stands in a fixed spot. If there are a number of archers, they can stand in a row and all shoot together on command from the person in charge of enforcing the rules and safety. Any type of bow can normally be used in target archery, although only compound bows may be used in the Olympic Games.
In field archery, the targets are of diverse sizes and are placed at different distances. The archer moves around the course, so there is no one fixed shooting spot. The targets may be the well-known round targets with concentric rings or they may be life-size models of wild animals like bears, moose and foxes.
The bows used in field archery are more often than not traditional type bows: longbows, flat bows and recurves, although archers may use any bow that they want. When stalking live animals, compound bows are normally used because they are smaller, so more manoeuvrable, yet they are still extremely powerful.
Archery targets are conventionally made from straw bundled and tied together to make ropes. These ropes of straw are then wrapped around themselves like a Catherine Wheel and stitched together. The cloth or paper target is pinned to the front of it.
The other word for these targets is ‘butts’ and many old towns and villages in Britain still have a sporting area known as ‘The Butts’. Nowadays they play football or cricket on it, but Henry VIII decreed that all males must practice his archery skills every Sunday at the butts using a longbow, so that there would be a plentiful source of archers for his army.
In competition archery, every archer aims at his or her own target, but every archer is expected to have uniquely coloured flights, so that if there is a problem an archer and the arrow can be known. This is useful for retrieving arrows that have missed the target completely.
There are usually six arrows shot by each competitor in a series and if they are to be shot from different distances, it is normal to shoot from the furthest distance first. Men usually shoot from 90, 70, 50 and 30 metres, while ladies usually shoot from 70, 60, 50 and 30 metres.
Archery as a sport appears to be growing in popularity, especially as there is a tendency in some countries, like the uk, to make it more difficult to get a gun license. They say that fashion goes around and comes back again, well British men are back at the butts practicing their archery skills again in greater numbers than there have been since perhaps the sixteenth century.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on various subjects, but is presently concerned with archery bows for sale. If you would like to know more or for special offers, please go to our website at Kids Archery Set.
All through World War I, the historic Belgium market town of Ypres was situated at a strategically critical spot close to the British front lines and is also without doubt one of the most well known parts of the Western Front as a consequence of the terrible struggle that happened here.
The city itself had been in the centre of the Ypres Salient, a piece of the front line protruding in the direction of German lines. Historically, Ypres could possibly be traced back to the 12th century. Despite centuries of fighting and occupation, Ypres developed but the outbreak of World War I, the town under German occupation.
The 1st Battle of Ypres tin October and November 1914 saw Britain and her Allies capture the town from the German Army and irrespective of vicious fighting around Ypres until finally the war concluded in 1918, the Germans did not recapture Ypres.
All the same, for the duration of the 4 years of The First World War, Ypres suffered a fearful cost as 4 major battles were fought close to here. During the Second Battle of Ypres in April and May 1915, the German Army recaptured the high ground towards the east of Ypres. The area contained the village of Passchendaele.
In 1917, certainly one of the fiercest battles of the war occurred. The Third Battle of Ypres or Passchendaele saw Britain and her Allies retake the high ground unfortunately for a terrible cost. Between July and November 1917, there was in excess of 500 thousand dead and injured on both sides and Ypres was nearly destroyed by German heavy guns.
The important Cloth Hall and most other buildings were destroyed and years of heritage were gone. In 1933, rebuilding began on the Cloth Hall and it was at long last completed in 1967 having been carefully reconstructed to bring back its heritage. Presently, the Cloth Hall in Ypres houses the In Flanders Fields Museum.
Throughout World War I, the Menin Gate was no more than an exit cut in the eastern ramparts of Ypres. Various troopers would’ve made their way through this exit along the way towards the front . In 1927, the Menin Gate Memorial was unveiled. It commemorates the names of around 54,000 soldiers that are still missing about the battlegrounds across the Ypres Salient and every night, the Last Post ceremony takes place here at 8pm by the grateful citizens of Ypres.
Throughout World War I, the Ypres Salient saw some of the worst action between 1914 & 1918.
First of all let us define what the meaning of leadership is because that is what being a marketing executive is all about when it comes down to it. Leadership is nothing but the quality which makes a person stand out different from other ordinary employees.
Leaders play a critical role during change implementation that many do not realize, immediately from the period of the announcement of change. They really are leading the way, and many feel they are the most important parts of a successful business.
It is associated with such a person who has aggressiveness in speech and action, love for the employees, and who can handle pressure under different circumstances. It needs a person who is always ready to fight for the rights of the employee.
To be a leader you must first possess a quality that is one of the most sought after and that is being honest. If the leader happens to lose his credibility then he might as well lose his integrity. That is why a leader should always keep this trait a priority.
“Honesty is the best policy” may not be popular these days but in the long run, doing the right thing is actually more sustainable. Optimistic and always sees a crisis as a blessing in disguise or an opportunity.
The leader should able to stand criticism, and develop immunity to it so that it cannot diminish your morale. For as your success rate increases, so do your critics.
Choosing the best people in his team to back-up the skills he is lacking is also a necessity. It is a given that the CMO does not excel on all the skills needed, so therefore he must assemble a team to efficiently work with him.
The leader has to be effective by displaying consistency in their work. Be consistent on work and as much as possible keep things plain and simple but constant. If you follow these tips, you might just become the great leader that you have always wanted to be.
The author also frequently blogs about things like marketing executive jobs and marketing research jobs.
Although it was officially established in July 1940, the SOE (Special Operations Executive) had been created in 1938 with the combination of 3 current, top secret sections just after Germany annexed Austria. Churchill’s Secret Army was directed to “Set Europe Ablaze”.
SOE operatives were directed to various Nazi occupied countries to simultaneously cause destruction behind German lines and in addition start to locate local resistance groups they would likely work with once the occasion for invasion came. Theatres of Operation involved France, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Yugoslavia, Greece, Hungary, Albania, Czechoslovakia, Norway, Denmark, Romania, Abyssinia and the Far East.
As agents operated deep in occupied countries and they were recruited from a range of social group and background. The principle prerequisite was that the would-be operative had in depth awareness of the state they would operate in and able to pass as a local of that country. That is why, agents with dual nationality were highly coveted.
The renowned airplane utilised by the Special Operations Executives in France was the Westland Lysander. It was a small plane which meant it was considerably more tough to see and was sturdy enough to touch down on makeshift landing strips. It was used to ferry agents to and from the uk together with lifting men and women who had to be interviewed in london. Airmen who had been shot down were also typically flown back to the uk by Lysander.
Amid the SOE numbers were also female operatives and in the region of 30% of the female operatives sent into France from Section F, did not survive. The sorts of operations in each country were diverse. For instance, in Poland, there was little need to encourage the locals as there was already common hatred of the Nazis. This was in comparison to areas such as Vichy France which collaborated with the occupying forces and the probability of SOE operatives being betrayed was enormously increased.
For the period of World War II, the SOE had utilised about 13,000 people who directly helped or provided somewhere in the region of 1 million operatives.
The Special Operations Executive performed a important part in World War II mainly in Europe but in other parts of the world as well.
Archery has been practiced for a long time. Bows have been found from at least 2,500 years before Christ, so 4,500 years ago. It is also likely that archery goes back several thousand years before that, but because most bows were made solely of wood, they have not lasted.
In the early days, bows were utilized for hunting and keeping invaders away. Nowadays, there are still some societies that depend on hunting with bows and arrows to put meat on the table and there are also people who decide to do it that way for sport.
The equipment involved in archery is basically a bow and an arrow, but it goes deeper than that. If you really want to get into archery, you might want to think about making your own bow, your own arrows and your own practice targets.
There are excellent kits for making your own bows, but there are too many types of bows for us to go into all of them in this article. However, be assured that if you do want to construct your own bow, you will find a description of the materials and the techniques on the Internet.
You can also create your own arrows and that is an easier subject to deal with. If you begin with the shaft, it can be made of wood, aluminium alloy or carbon fibre, all of which can be bought from many places. Then, at the sharp end, you can choose your tip or point.
The arrow head should match the job that the arrow is intended for. If it is meant to kill, then a broadhead, if it is intended to make a hole in a sheet of paper, then a simple brass tip.
The flights can be bought separately too. You can feathers or plastic and with a little experience, you can use feathers that you have acquired yourself. Goose feathers were traditionally the ones preferred.
Lastly there is the nock, which is the part of the arrow that holds the string. The nock can be as simple as a ‘v’ or a ‘u’ cut in the arrow, or it can be a plastic or metal item that is fitted over the end of the arrow.
The bow string is too hard to make oneself, unless you really want to go into that technology. The bow string is better bought.
Archery targets, the round ones, you connect with target archery are a different kettle of fish, because you certainly can assemble them yourself. You first have to get hold of a pile of straw and then take handfuls of it. Truss these handfuls of straw into ‘ropes’ and make a circle like a Catherine Wheel out of them.
Sew these together until they form the size target you want. Place this on a stand or affix it to a tree and then pin the traditional archery target to the front of it.
You can paint the conventional concentric circles on cloth, canvas or paper. It does not have to cost a lot to take part in archery. Remember that 5,000 or 500 years ago, people had very little, yet they still enjoyed their sport or hobby of archery.
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on various subjects, but is currently concerned with archery bows for sale. If you would like to know more or for special offers, please go to our website at Kids Archery Set.
Much of what we know or have supposed about Barry and the Vale of Glamorgan, in which it is situated has been gleaned from the buildings found there, many of which have been badly neglected for too long. There are also legendary stories, such as that of Joseph of Arimathea, who traded tin in Glastonbury, just across the channel and who was one of the first missionaries to this part of the country.
It is a widely-held traditional belief that the father of Caractacus took him to Rome where they both converted to Christianity. They later returned to the Vale of Glamorgan with the missionary Bran The Blessed. It is also well-known that Christianity had gained much popular belief in the Vale by the early fourth century and that several bishops on the Council of Rome were from the area.
Saint Baruch’s Church on Barry island is one of the oldest places of historic religious interest in the region, but unfortunately, it too has been allowed to become dilapidated. Barry island was one of the most important places of monastic interest in south Wales and around. The ancient Viking strongholds of Steep and Flat Holms also housed monks and Saint Illtyd’s Seminary in nearby Llantwit Major, which taught 2,200 disciples, was closely linked to it too.
Porthkerry Point jutted out into the sea almost certainly further out than it is today and a castle was constructed there on the site of an ancient Roman fortress and naval dockyard. Many deer and wolf bones have been found between Barry and Sully, indicating the presence of these animals in great numbers. Arrowheads, flints, bone needles and coins have also been found.
‘The island‘, as it is known locally, was first named Baruch’s island after St. Baruch, who was found washed up on one its beaches dead in 700 AD. He had been drowned on his return from Flat Holm, where it was common practice for religious students to spend Lent.
He and Gwelches had been disciples of St. Cadoc at the time. On their return to the island, they realized that they had left their enchiridion (religious manual) behind and St. Cadoc made them go back and get it. They never returned alive. St. Baruchs most famous disciple, St. Illtyd was educated there.
The island at Barry has had several names including “island of the Saints” and “Insular of Peiros”. St. Peiro was St. Illtyd’s successor as leader of the seminary and St. Samson’s mentor. St. Doeninas was the leader of another abbey on the island at nearby Friars’ Point.
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The Battle of Rorkes Drift is certainly one of the best popular battles during the past within the British army. It had been at this little mission station along the border of Zululand and Natal where 4,000 Zulus attacked the garrison of around 140 British soldiers. The soldiers fought for their lives through the night and by the early morning, the Zulus had retreated. The highest award for gallantry in the British Army is the Victoria Cross and the defence of Rorkes Drift saw 12 VCs awarded, greater than in every other individual action in the past.
The fight was depicted in the Stanley Baker movie “Zulu” and one of many leading characters who acted with distinction at Rorkes Drift, in the end did not receive a Victoria Cross. Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and that is ranked 2nd behind the Victoria Cross. Furthermore, Bourne was also offered a commission although he turn it down. As he was the eighth son in his family, there was no money on hand and this was a period when money bought commissions for officers within the British Army.
Nevertheless, Bourne was a career soldier and a very good one too. Immediately following south Africa, he served in both India and Burma prior to at long last earning his commission 11 years following the Battle of Rorkes Drift. He eventually retired from the British Army in 1907. Only seven years afterwards, The First World War started and Bourne re-enlisted in the army. By the conclusion of the Great War in 1918, Bourne had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and was made an OBE. Bourne left the military again, on this occasion for good.
Because of the actor who played the part of Bourne in the film Zulu, the majority of people presumed Frank Bourne to have been middle aged during the time of the Battle of Rorkes Drift however in truth he was merely 24 years old.
Soon after the end of World War I, he lived in old age in Beckenham, south london and he was the last survivor of Rorkes Drift to pass away at the age of 91 on 8th May 1945, the very day World War II in Europe came to an end.
Even though he was not given the Victoria Cross, CSM Frank Bourne was one of the most famous men who served at Rorkes Drift.
The struggle that occurred involving our planet’s 2 super powers, the Soviet Union and the USA was considered the longest non-conflict engagement conflict in the history of the world. It had become called the Cold War. The 2 sides both had respective allies; with the NATO lead USA controlling Western Europe and the Warsaw Pact driven by the Soviet Union controlling the Eastern side of Europe.
The undoing of the Soviet Union in 1991 finished this conflict that commenced following The Second World War ended in 1945. All through this period there was no real military contact from either side hence the use of the word ‘cold’. But throughout the Vietnam and Korean Wars, although the Cold War existed, some shots were exchanged; albeit indirectly.
The moment Japan and Nazi armies were conquered in World War Two, which meant the two dominating powers, the USA and the Soviet Union were left in opposition. They both had different types of economies along with the types of government. The Soviet Union operated a Communist government while the US ran a capitalist system and as a consequence of conflict of interest, this descended into direct opposition.
Let alone unite; both ideologies never saw face to face. The Cold War worsened even more as the Communist ideals being spread were responses to the Capitalists’ policies. After the fall of the Third Reich, the Soviet Union held a free reign within Europe with its Allies dealing with the many areas that bordered the USSR to the West.
The Iron Curtain was built after Europe was divided. Soviet ideals and invasion as well as actual enlargement further prompted anxiety and insecurity in the West. With the implementation of the Truman Doctrine, the West assured military aid and financial support to the nations that resisted Communism. In the early 60′s Europe was dramatically divided into two blocks. This meant it was a potential battlefield for looming World War III and nuclear warfare. In due course the Cold War had spread out all over the planet with little countries being drawn in, creating an even greater split on the planet.
The face-off between East and West for the second part of the 20th century was commonly called the Cold War.
Morocco is a popular tourist destination in northwestern Africa and provides wonderful gay travel. This is a land of rich history, deeply entrenched culture, legend and myth. Well-known as a setting for books, play and movies, this desert nation offers visitors the opportunity to explore ancient ruins, traipse across the desert on a camel, stay in a hotel made of sand and bargain with insistent rug and spice traders in old-world open air marketplaces. In many cities and towns traditional homes have been converted into guest lodgings, called riads, which often provide for a more welcoming environment for folks on a gay vacation and allow visitors to experience Moroccan life and culture up close. Morocco is a conservative Muslim country and has no scene to speak of; however other reasons to include this exotic land in your gay travel ideas are abundant, including beautiful beaches, exceptional architecture, expansive desert landscapes and the chance to meander through souks (markets) that twist and turn through narrow village streets.
Any travel experience in Morocco must include exploring the distinct quarters of the Fes medina, taking in the art deco architecture of Casablanca, breathing in the ocean air while watching a spectacular sunrise or sunset in Tangier, and visiting the Dar Si Said Museum in Marrakech. With breathtaking Muslim mosques, snake charmers, street performers, ancient Roman ruins and so much more, a vacation to Morocco gives travelers the opportunity to immerse themselves in the colors, sounds, sights and smells of this unique country.
American and European socialites, writers and composers involved in the jet set scene once flocked to Morocco as a preferred gay vacation destination; however, while Morocco was once known as a liberal playground welcoming gay men and lesbians from around the world for vacations, a push by recent Muslim leadership to move the country back towards the strict moral code of Islam has caused this welcoming atmosphere to change. Although the law is not commonly enforced, homosexuality was deemed a criminal offence in 1962 and remains so today. Same-sex conduct is punishable by fines and between six months to three years in prison.
The government released a statement in early 2009 stating that homosexuality would not be tolerated and that increased efforts to repress same-sex conduct would be established. This may mean increased enforcement of this 1962 law. This is not uncommon in primarily Muslim countries and does not mean that Morocco should be avoided when planning travel.
It does; however, indicate that awareness and discretion are advised wile on a Morocco vacation. To avoid possible issues, travelers may want to consider participating in a travel group vacation or planning their trip with the assistance of a gay tours company well-versed in planning vacations in Morocco.
Howie Holben gay holidays to Morocco tips. He is the owner of Spirit Journeys, a gay travel outfit. Spirit Journeys advances spiritual gay tours all over the planet.
Fugitives Drift was established by David Rattray together with his wife Nicky and built an award winning lodge for travellers to enjoy this remarkable tale. Tragically, in January 2007, David was killed by an intruder but Fugitives Drift is a fantastic legacy to something he developed with his wife Nicky and it still remains today. Rob Caskie has taken over as the primary historian. Like David, Rob speaks fluent Zulu, understands the history inside out and is perhaps the best orator I’ve ever heard.
The two battles that I was fascinated by were the battle at Isandlwana when the Zulu army destroyed about 1,300 British soldiers on 22nd January 1879. Later that day, a smaller force of Zulus who missed out on the action at Isandlwana, wanted their opportunity so against instructions, they attacked Rorke’s Drift. The defensive action is now down in the history of the British Army as one of its most remarkable battles which saw eleven Victoria Crosses awarded. About 140 British troopers battled with roughly 4,000 Zulus in a fight that went on all night.
My stay at Fugitives Drift started with an afternoon trip to the Rorke’s Drift site. it’s a few miles from the Lodge and we started going round the museum which had been hospital building at the time of the battle. As with most battleground museums, there were numerous artefacts from the battle (rifles, bullets, buckles, spears etc) yet the most eye-catching item I saw was a model of the battleground. It presented the later phases of the fight when the hospital had been cleared out and the soldiers were defending the store behind their stacks of mealie bags. The model showed a few red coated troopers surrounded on every side by Zulus several deep and this was the first occasion I’d honestly had the opportunity to visualise the battle properly. All the films and images I’ve witnessed in the past were generally close ups with a few people however this model provided an overall impression which was quite honestly, shocking.
To assist travellers and tourists imagine the layout, there are lines of stones marking where the defensive lines were placed. Rob started the tale detailing what Rorke’s Drift was and the reasons why it had been assaulted. He made you realise there was clearly so much more to the battle than only a struggle between black and white, British redcoat versus Zulu warrior. Overall, the excursion was about three hours and everyone only sat listening to this excellent story teller recounting the incidents of 22nd January 1879.
Back at the lodge, I freshened up in my stunning room. It truly was a pity I couldn’t spend more time there because it was so comfy but it was time for refreshments just before supper so I made my way to the dining area. This room is much like a museum with pictures, flags, notes, weapons and a great deal more covering the walls. The dinner itself was very good. Everyone staying at the Lodge sat around the same table. It was a very pleasant evening but an early start the next day meant it wouldn’t be a late night.
My early alarm call was a nice hot pot of tea being delivered to my room (its nice to find some British traditions still live on). We had a nice hot breakfast just before heading off for the morning tour of Isandlwana. This battlefield is across the Buffalo river and the guide was a Zulu named Joseph. This is a completely different battleground to Rorke’s Drift. The battle occurred on a vast plain in the shadow of a mountain so the orientation took much longer as we first visited the museum before being transferred to the hill from where the Zulu commanders had stood 129 years earlier. Our group moved on to the battlefield itself and parked up. The talk was going to be a couple of hours and so we got deck chairs that we took up the mountain to a vantage point that presented us a great view of the battleground. However, the altitude was about a mile above sea level and so it wasn’t the easiest climb I’d ever tried.
Joseph, like Rob gave us all a compelling lecture and genuinely helped us visualise the scene. Next he said that while he was a Zulu, he wasn’t there to present ‘their side of the story’, he wanted to provide us with the facts on what took place, at times in particularly graphic detail. At the appropriate times, he would echo the Zulu cries which were made back in 1879 and as his voice echoed about us, it added much more realism to the location. The tale was thrilling. We listened as Joseph recited what was going on and my eyes wandered around the scenery which was full of piles of white stones. These heaps of stones mark the resting places of the British troops who are buried where the fell. Each pile of stones represented 6-8 men apart from 2 sizeable piles which were for as many as 40 men. The hard African soil meant it was out of the question to dig anything but shallow graves for the soldiers and stack stones upon them.
Immediately after the talk was over, we had time to walk round many of the graves and memorials at Isandlwana before heading back for lunch. It was a fabulous destination and I almost certainly could have done with spending another day as there is a Zulu village to drop by and see as well as the walk down to the Buffalo river where Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill died saving the Queen’s Colour of their regiment and years later became the very first men to be posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
There was a time that when a white man in car was seen in this area, it typically meant they were lost. Nowadays, it has an industry based on the work David and Nicky Rattray began meaning there’s a massive fascination with those battles involving the army of the biggest Empire the planet has ever seen and the very best warriors Africa has ever produced.
The Anglo Zulu War of 1879 lasted just 6 months but had a major impact on the Zulu Kingdom and the Disraeli government.
