Let's hear it for the good guys!
A round of virtual applause, please, for Ian Jones and all the good people at Rivington Riflemen.
A couple of weeks ago, I was alerted to an 'airgun investigation' being carried out by a radio station by the name of Key 103 Manchester. I contacted Key 103 and spoke at some length to the main reporter connected with the airgun feature. She seemed to be receptive to the facts and figures I gave her, including a few corrections to the information Key 103 had been given by sources that really should have known better.
Anyway, I offered her the chance to visit our club at Bisley, or for me to come to the Key 103 studios in Manchester, but she, quite rightly, pointed out that this was a Manchester-based feature, and what goes on at a club in Surrey wasn't exactly ideal for her audience. Keen to get our sport a voice in this, I offered to find a Manchester-based club for the reporter to visit, and she agreed that it would be a great idea.
After a bit of consultation, I had a three-club shortlist and made some calls. Ian Jones of Rivington Riflemen was on holiday at the time, but top man that he is, he got back to me and after a chat about the Key 103 visit, he agreed to discuss it with his club. He also agreed to let me pass on his number to the reporter, and after agreement from the good folks at Rivi', the Key 103 visit was arranged.
Everything went extremely well, and the reporter even did a bit of shooting, hitting some targets and experiencing the pleasure of marksmanship for herself. She was thoroughly grounded in the culture of safety and responsibility that sustains clubs like Rivington Riflemen, and she saw for herself a group of perfectly responsible people enjoying their airguns. From the initial conversation I'd had with her, she didn't know airgun clubs even existed, let alone that there were several of them in and around Manchester.
I've since spoken to that reporter and she was genuinely impressed with what she saw, and experienced, and for once I have real confidence in what will come from this. The reporter has asked if I can be consulted in the future, should any airgun-related issues present themselves, so at the very least we've established a working link between our sport and a major media outlet.
So, thanks again to Ian Jones and Rivington Riflemen, for representing our sport in the most positive way. Well done you Rivi' folk - you played a blinder for us. 
If you don't know enough to judge - don't judge
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Originally Posted by Terry D
