07/09/2023
# # # Club History # # #
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The club as we know it today, has been through a number of changes in both name and location throughout the years. Andy Nelson was a member of the club from 1978-1996(?) and during that time he held the positions of Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. He was also a coach.
Andy has very kindly scoured his memory and compiled this history of the earlier days of the club. So, as of September 2023, following is the information he has been able to recollect:
I believe the Club started in around 1952, as Stoke Bishop Archers or Stoke Lodge Archers. They shot on the Stoke Lodge Playing Fields until around 1975 when I think the Council either put up the rent or gave notice. The Club sought a new ground and ended up moving to Harvey’s Sports Ground, Norton Lane, Whitchurch (Google now labels this as the home of Bristol Barbarians RFC). Harvey’s as in the Bristol Cream Sherry which used to have its Head Office and some manufacturing on the estate on Whitchurch Lane.
The “deal” with Harvey’s was that the Club would provide free instruction and free membership for a reasonable number of Harvey’s employees (but they’d still have to pay GNAS (now Archery GB), GWAS & GAS fees). In practice, I can only ever remember one senior, plus his son, who joined through this route (plus a handful of others who went through the beginners’ course).
We were given notice by Harvey’s in around the mid – late 1980s and that’s when we found Keynsham RFC as our new hosts. The fit was pretty good in that we were looking for Sunday afternoons and a weekday evening. I suspect it was useful to them too, as they could claim multi-sport use – which became more important as the years went by. When I left the Club (small children, no time) there were investigations going into securing the piece of land to the east, with a view to establishing field archery there.
As an indoor venue, we used the Crypt of St Paul’s Church, Coronation Rd, Southville. It was the indoor venue when I joined, but ceased a year or so before I finished. I do remember that a much more commercially minded committee was running the church by then and had increased rents quite significantly. In the old days, the vicar was delighted that somebody was opening up the place and getting some air into it. The replacement indoor venue was a school hall but I can’t remember where!
The Club used to host an Open Tournament each year (end of June I think). If my memory is correct, I think we had around 20 targets of York & Hereford plus a couple for afternoon National round.
The Club had a number of trophies but, by far, the most impressive was (hopefully still is, unless it’s gone missing) “The Fletcher Cup” which was a (solid I think) silver Rose Bowl Cup. I think this was presented to the winner of the annual Clout Competition. This trophy was donated (well, on loan, as the agreement was we had to write each year to inform the company of the name of the winner), by Robert Fletcher & Sons of Bristol who I think made paper and paperweights.
Other trophies I recall were the John Alcock Cup, The Crypt Cup, The Wadman Trophies (M & F).
The most notable member was Mark Blenkarne, who represented GB in the 1980 Olympics (finished 4th), and was British Champion for six years.
Andy Nelson, Sept 2023
https://www.keynshamarchers.co.uk/
Keynsham Archers Club Website - Friendly, target archery, club in Keynsham near Bristol.
