Nottinghamshire Rifle Association

Nottingham Evening Post, Tuesday, 10 September 1907

MINIATURE RIFLE SHOOTING.
JARDINE'S CLUB'S GOOD SEASON.

Jardine's Rifle Club has just completed a most successful season in the Newark and District League. Last year they won the challenge cup, and have again won the trophy this year, having a lead of 47 points over the runners-up. Their total score in the matches is 1,952, giving an average of 488 per match, and an average of 61 per man in a possible 70. Thus for two years they have shot with remarkable consistency, and shown their quality. At the present time the club has a membership of upwards of 140, and at times it is extremely difficult to select the various teams required, as the greater proportion of the members are first class shots. In fact, at the recent rifle meeting in Nottingham, members connected with the club took 29 prizes out of the 36 offered for competition.

The county of Nottingham, it will be recalled, was represented in the final stage of the Queen's Cup by a member of the club, Mr. W.A. Barrow, the energetic secretary, who had the honour of being presented by her Majesty with a silver medal, and has also been the recipient of two bronze medals in connection with the first and second stages of the same competition. The club owes a great deal of its success to Mr. Ernest Jardine, who takes a keen interest in its doings, and to the facilities he offers to the members for practice. The range, situate in Northgate, Basford, is one of the finest in Notts., and a temporary range is also provided at the Deering Street works. During the past two years the rifle club movement in Nottingham has made rapid strides. The club is also a member of the Nottingham Miniature Rifle League, which was formed at the beginning of the year, through the instrumentality of Captain D.J. Jardine, but the fixtures have not yet been concluded.

Altogether the members have every reason to congratulate themselves, and it is to be hoped that next year they will do even better, and secure more prizes, and that their success may prove a stimulus to others to learn how to handle a rifle, and thus be prepared in case of necessity to defend their country.

Nottingham Evening Post, Wednesday, 25 September 1907

MATTERS OF LOCAL INTEREST

The committee of the Nottingham Miniature Rifle League have decided not to continue the league through the winter. Miniature shooting will continue, but only friendly matches will be fired. It is thought a smoking concert during the winter would be an incentive to the movement and keep up the interest during what is practically the close season.

Next summer at least two new members of the league are expected, Boots Rifle Club and a club being formed in connection with the Municipal Officers' Association, bringing the composition of the league up to nine clubs.

The balance sheet presented by the secretary, Mr. W. A. Barrow, shows receipts of £2 16s, and a balance of £2 2s 6d after all expenses have been paid.

The Derbyshire Courier, Saturday, 5 October 1907

MIDLAND RAILWAY CLUB. DERBY.
Mr. Geo. Allen's Unique Record

Although there are many excellent shots in the Midland Railway Rifle Club, the record of Mr. G. Allen would be hard to beat. Joining the club in 1905, and never having previously handled a rifle, he by regular practice at 25 yards and 50 yards succeeded in obtaining a place in the team representing the club at Crewe in February, 1906, when the Midland Railway Club won the Duke of Westminster Cup. After carrying off a number of prizes at Derby and Birmingham, at the latter place the trophy being presented by the Duke of Norfolk, Lady Plymouth, in addition to other valuable prizes, presented him with the gold medal for winning the "Grand Aggregate" at the South Wales Miniature Rifle Meeting. Third in the championship at the Liverpool meeting, he received the latter prize, three firsts, and two seconds, from the hands of Lord Derby. The championship, two firsts, and other prizes fell to his rifle at Nottingham; and again at the Birmingham rifle meeting, a little later he won the championship, two firsts, and second and third prizes. For two years he has assisted his team to win the Worthington Cup, this being a Midland Railway competition.

Not satisfied with his success as a miniature shot, he decided to see if miniature training was of any use on the long distance range, and joined the 1st V.B. Notts and Derbyshire Regiment in the autumn of 1906, and won the first prize offered for recruits. Transferring to the Notts Volunteer Rifle Club Robin Hoods he won the recruits' bronze cross, was fifth in the "Mason" long range competition (800 yards), second in county championship jewel (English Twenty Club), and was selected for the Notts V.R.C. team at Bisley. His first year's record as a Volunteer at Bisley (1907) is as follows:–

Recruits' Gold Cross and £5 in the St. George's Badge and £7 in the St. George's, £4 in the King's, £2 in the Grand Aggregate, £2 in the Barlow, and other prizes.

Reverting again to miniature shooting Mr. Allen became champion of Derbyshire in the first stage of the Queen's Cup Competition, one of the 20 to fire in the second stage, and fourth in the final, held recently in London, receiving a specially struck medal for this performance from the hands of Queen Alexandra, at Buckingham Palace.

Nottingham Evening Post, Monday 14 October 1907

Editorial article

CIVILIAN SHARPSHOOTERS.

The men of Nottinghamshire are showing a good activity in carrying out Lord Roberts's idea, that it is one of the first duties of a British citizen learn to "shoot straight". Evidence of this was forthcoming at the meeting of the county League of Civilian Rifle Clubs held Saturday evening. Not the least important item of business transacted was the change of name to "Civilian Rifle Association". It is easy to ask cynically, what's in name? The answer in this case is that the new title expresses in a much better manner than the old the patriotic intent of the movement, and is therefore more likely to attract men who may care little for shooting as an amusement and yet may be ready to take it up as a duty when the appeal is made to them in the right way. The opening of the miniature rifle range at Burton Joyce by Col. Birkin on Saturday is another symptom of the progress of the movement in this county. If things advance at this rate all over the country, Lord Roberts's aim will be achieved before many years have passed.

Nottingham Evening Post, Saturday, 9 November 1907

MINIATURE RIFLE SHOOTING.
PROGRESS OF THE MIDLAND RAILWAY LEAGUE.

The first of the weeks' matches, arranged in connection with the Midland Railway Rifle Club, has now been concluded. The competitors numbered nearly 200. This is the first season the club has arranged a series of league fixtures, and the result so far shows it to be the most popular competition in the league's extensive programme.

The clubs are divided into two divisions, and there is little doubt that the committee will be asked to add a third another season to consist of teams from the following:- C. and waggon workshops; C. D1, D2 (polishers), E. F, G1, G2, H, J, L, S, and Z, these shops alone having a membership of 170 out of a total club membership of 640.

A fourth might be arranged for the loco department which now has 112 members as compared with 20 last season. It is pleasing to note that the loco department's new members are shooting members in the strictest of sense of the term, as proved by the Loco A and Loco B teams winning both their league matches this week.

Prominent among the new clubs are Heanor Town and Stanton Ironworks, the latter being opened to-day by Mr. C. R. Crompton, J.P. The Association has also assisted in forming a club in connection with All Saints' Church, Derby, and thanks to the kindness of the Rev. J. Howell, the vicar, and Mr. Austin, this club promises to be second to none in Derby.

It may be worth noting that with regard to target apparatus, rifle clubs can now, thanks to the inventive genius of Major D. Bain. V.D., hon. sec. of the county association, be obtained at a very small cost.

The railway companies D. G. messengers at Lawley-street, Birmingham are opening a miniature rifle range on Wednesday next, and we understand this is the first miniature rifle club that has been formed by the Midland Railway Company's system outside Derby, although the N.W. Company has had one at Curzon-street, Birmingham for some time.

Another is being formed at Warrington, and they are just on the point of fixing one up at Euston Station, London, for the headquarter's staff, which has already a promised membership of 400. Broad-street, London (N.W.), will also very shortly have a club, and it will be interesting to see whether the M.R. Company's staff at London will follow suit.

Nottingham Evening Post, Monday, 11 November 1907

CONCESSION TO RIFLEMEN.

Is has been decided by the railway companies in conference that on and from December 1st next, members of miniature rifle clubs affiliated to the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs, when travelling for rifle practice at the ordinary practice ranges of their clubs, or to take part in a shooting match at a range other than the ordinary practice range of the club, shall be conveyed, except where special lower fares are in operation, at a single fare and a quarter for the double journey upon surrender to the booking clerk of a voucher signed by the secretary of the club.

Nottingham Evening Post, Monday, 9 December 1907

RIFLE SHOOTING.
ILKESTON v. MIDLAND RAILWAY.

The above clubs met in a friendly match at Derby on Saturday, and some excellent shooting took place. The conditions were 10 shots, one sighter, at 25 yards with service rifles, open sights, decimal scoring. Scores:–

Midland Railway		Ilkeston
J. Mead	100	W.H. Hoey	97
W. Bellamy	97	T. Mackenzie	95
J. Dobson	97	H. Mackenzie	96
Edwards	95	Don Mackenzie	94
Davey	93	D. Cox	91
F.W. Bracegirdle	93	A. Cawthorne	91
F. Crocker	92	W.B. Shorthose	90
T. Argyle	83	Jno. Sinclair	89
Total	750	Total	742

Nottingham Evening Post, Monday, 9 December 1907

The second annual dinner of Jardine's Miniature Rifle Club was held on Saturday in the Dining Hall of the Chelsea Works, Basford.