Face to Face Deals/Distance Travelled ?

[VALE BOY]

One hell of a trip, Graeme, and such a wonderful demonstration of the many fine and generous characters we meet through our boingy little toys.

If only airguns were more mainstream. This little trip of yours would make a fascinating instalment in a series of Airgun programmes, hosted by James May as you recently mentioned.

Loved that buggy that you brought to The Bash, crammed to the gunnels with dummy, loads of guns and other associated goodies!!

Glad you enjoyed the road trip story, Tony... It was epic, even by my standards. Aye, there is indeed such a great bunch of people out there, "under the radar" that many folk seldom/never encounter.
When it comes to the media and anything associated with airguns, it is invariably portrayed in a negative light, usually due to the the small proportion of pond-life who perpretate various kinds of misuse with them . It's the same story to a great extent with the motorcycle fraternity. I've met some brilliant folk at rallys, various travels and social encounters as I'm sure you and many others will have experienced!

Aye it would be great to engage James May in the production of a series of television programmes regarding Airguns because there is a huge vein of material that could be tapped concerning the history and vastly different aspects, engineering, fairgrounds, sporting competitions, bell target etc. I suppose it's a case of initiating some kind of approach to involve him somehow.

I'll certainly make a point of digging out the 'buggy' photies and get them to you!

[32:1]

After contracting 'rapiditus' I drove form Essex to Glasgow for a mk2, then to Exeter for another and then to Liverpool, but the best was delivered over our fence in an old coal bucket and hessian sack !!!! The old retired fella across the farm who watched me walking about for months and spoke to me once when I bumped into him in the lane, he said he had watched me and could I take advice from the 'old game keeper', Yes of course I said, well then 'you need to walk at little AND look a lot son ! We then had a chat about stuff and he told me so much about this farmland, when and were etc and he asked what gun I used and I explained its 'only' an air rifle, to which he said Oh only an air rifle, but the most fun you can have when your in the right place and that he might have an old broken airgun still in the shed. Well I didn't see him for a few months and then as I was in my garden he walked down lane carrying something, the bucket and sack. This is it and if I could make it work to keep if its any good, in the bucket was lots of other metal parts as it was his scrap bucket, and it wasn't until he pulled the sack open and handed me a mk1 rapid stock and a rusty barrel with other bits still in sack I took it and arranged to supply him a few rabbits, and to sort then gun and see what we have, well it was a mk2 with a spare mk1 stock as he had painted the mk2 green ! Well, sorry to ramble but that rifle went to KevG for a rebuild, I sanded stock down, and Ive still got it now, its my go to , do it all .177. As the others seem just to precious to knock about hunting, so my best bargain was over the fence, and it costs me a few rabbits every month, I also get invaluable information and a cuppa on every delivery, happy days indeed.

[Chippendale]

Don't know the mileage but I have travelled from just north of Barnsley down to Tunbridge Wells to pick up an Original 50 then onto Littlehampton to pick up a 97K then onto Bognor for a look in at Protek where I sold a couple of knives. They had a cracking MKI Sporter with a walnut stock in their shop but because of the other two buys I was brassic but never the less it was a very long but rewarding trip.

Chippendale (with clothes on)

[Blackrider]

Heck !
Was the above a post or a Book of the Old Testament !
Amazing post Graham, must be the longest ever on the BBS !

Some great stories Guys, I though it was only me daft enough to chase stuff around all parts of the country !
I'm up in the Dundee area of Scotland right now hoping to call in a gunshop or two but there aren't too many of those in these parts.

[VALE BOY]

Heck !
Was the above a post or a Book of the Old Testament !
Amazing post Graham, must be the longest ever on the BBS !

Some great stories Guys, I though it was only me daft enough to chase stuff around all parts of the country !
I'm up in the Dundee area of Scotland right now hoping to call in a gunshop or two but there aren't too many of those in these parts.

Hi BR, if your itinerary allows, there's a great Gunshop in Armadale, near Bathgate, mainly Airguns, called Livelines.
Armadale is about 20 miles south west of the Forth Bridge and about 25 west of Edinburgh and you'll find Scott and Yvonne great folk as they're enthusiasts themselves. Phone number is 01501 733150 if you need to check for opening times etc. because of the holidays and it may not be too far off your route.
Glad you enjoyed the road trip story and thanks for acknowledging it. For some time now I've been thinking of writing a book about my travels and adventures, experiences etc and I've probably got a couple of chapters out of that story, alone!
Enjoy your stay up here during the Hogmanay celebrations and A' the Best for 2017,
Sláinte, Graeme

[baldinio]

Good story Graeme, truly epic road trip. I've been wanting to do a road trip for myself and junior for a while now, taking in some shooting, fishing and visits to Interesting gunshops. Hopefully this summer we can make it a reality. I can wholeheartedly second your recommendation of the boinger bash. In fact it was you who first brought it to my attention, when we first met a couple of years ago when you stopped off to collect a scope you had bought from me on the forum. I believe that was another of your epic road trips to pick up purchases and attend the bash lol. I attended the next bash after hearing about it, and haven't missed one since. Made some lifelong friends through the bash and wish I hadn't waited so long to attend one.

Atvb

Chris

[Gerjor]

Almost next door compred to some of you guys ,my furthest was a couple of weeks ago to pick up a Beretta shotgun from Shifnal near Telford about 250 miles round trip.

[Blackrider]

Hi BR, if your itinerary allows, there's a great Gunshop in Armadale, near Bathgate, mainly Airguns, called Livelines.
Armadale is about 20 miles south west of the Forth Bridge and about 25 west of Edinburgh and you'll find Scott and Yvonne great folk as they're enthusiasts themselves. Phone number is 01501 733150 if you need to check for opening times etc. because of the holidays and it may not be too far off your route.
Glad you enjoyed the road trip story and thanks for acknowledging it. For some time now I've been thinking of writing a book about my travels and adventures, experiences etc and I've probably got a couple of chapters out of that story, alone!
Enjoy your stay up here during the Hogmanay celebrations and A' the Best for 2017,
Sláinte, Graeme

Thanks for the tip off for the Bathgate shop Graeme. May call on the way home "next year" !
Looking forward to celebrating The Bells tomorrow !
All the best
John

[oldskoolzzz]

I shudder to think how many miles I've clocked up over the last 10 years or so chopping and changing since I seriously got back into the sport

Don't think I've done a monster trip like some on this thread but done a few 200 mile round trips.

I've also met that many sellers/buyers and some in quite strange places Premier league Football stadium car park and Police station car park spring to mind which were fun

I always find it a little eerie when certain areas seem to be hot spots for example I've met so many buyers/sellers on the M6/A500 exit near Stoke on Trent, I even have my own little preferred parking space in that massive lay-by

That location usually ends up as a perfect halfway house from my location and anyone that's Manchester/Liverpool/Cheshire/North Wales area etc always knows that lay-by

[SuffolkRifle]

And the wife thought I was mad travelling over to Chester for one

[Jesim1]

It very much depends n how bad you want it - typically I think around an hour to an hour and a half each way is doable, but I have done 4 hours each way.

James

[Lavant_Lad]

Travelled to
North Wales 412 miles round trip a couple of years ago, from Newcastle Upon Tyne to buy a Walther LG 300 Alutec.
Great rifle, sometimes wish I still had it.

[bighit]

I shudder to think how many miles I've clocked up over the last 10 years or so chopping and changing since I seriously got back into the sport

Don't think I've done a monster trip like some on this thread but done a few 200 mile round trips.

I've also met that many sellers/buyers and some in quite strange places Premier league Football stadium car park and Police station car park spring to mind which were fun

I always find it a little eerie when certain areas seem to be hot spots for example I've met so many buyers/sellers on the M6/A500 exit near Stoke on Trent, I even have my own little preferred parking space in that massive lay-by

That location usually ends up as a perfect halfway house from my location and anyone that's Manchester/Liverpool/Cheshire/North Wales area etc always knows that lay-by

bought my .22lr in a Tesco car park in Inverness. brown box from his car and a large green wooden crate from my mates car

brown box was the .22lr and the green wooden crate was a vintage army metal detector .

[Blackrider]

Very nearly bought an air rifle from Mallochs of Perth the other day whilst browsing in there.
It wouldn't have counted though as I didn't specifically drive to Scotland to pick up the gun as we're up here visiting friends.

[Blackrider]

Thanks for the tip off for the Bathgate shop Graeme. May call on the way home "next year" !
Looking forward to celebrating The Bells tomorrow !
All the best
John

Didn't manage the Bathgate visit Graeme but I'll bare it in mind for a future trip !
Thanks for the info !
John