A little bit of history

[Unframed Dave]

Forgive the title.

Bell target photod https://imgur.com/gallery/LRybIVW

Any info gratefully received.

Dave

[Josie & John]

Hi Dave,

I am familiar with many of the named individuals in these pictures; they were Guernsey based shooters and between the wars were among the most successful air rifle match shooters within the U.K. and Channel Islands in that Guernsey shooters including these gents won a greater proportion of medals than anyone else. Ironically, they were not fans of bell target shooting as they thought scoring was too imprecise and preferred paper target matches such as the 1930 SMRC Championships.

Kingsland won the 1930 SMRC championships, which were part sponsored by BSA, who generously donated 2 fine cups for top team and top individual.

I'm working on a book on early air rifle target shooting and will share an extract detailing this competition from my draft with you, as you may find it of interest.


Kingsland were up against the L.M.S. Temperance Institute in the first round and beat them robustly by 576 to 481 points. Kingsland’s Mr E Despointes was the only shooter to score a perfect 100 in the first round and set the pace for the series. To show this was no fluke, Despointes did the same again in the third round, when his team beat St Martin’s, also from Guernsey 575 to 551. Kingsland were up against Southampton Gas Co in the Semi Finals and beat them 575 to 560, which placed them in the Final against the North United team from Guernsey. There was little point in staging the Final on the mainland and both teams shot it out shoulder to shoulder in their own locality. Kingsland won with a team score of 578 against 566 by North United, earning each team member a silver medal with a gold centre, whilst the runners up were awarded a silver SMRC medal each.

There's more but I want to save some for the final draft!

I'd have loved to come across pictures such as these as they would be ideal for inclusion in my work - well done for finding them Dave.

Kind regards,

John

[bighit]

hope the two rifles are unloaded or that one guy will have a sore face .


THE SOCIETY OF MINIATURE RIFLE CLUBS

some info here Dave on the above https://www.nsra.co.uk/index.php/hom.../brief-history

more here

https://www.rifleman.org.uk/Society_...fle_Clubs.html

one piece of memorabilia on eblag .Item 142655072648

another but a poor pic 402295460501

[Unframed Dave]

Thanks both (and mick), I thought I might get some information, but not that detail.

John, if you want high res scans, I can sort. Put me down for a copy of the book.

Cheers

[Chippendale]

Thanks both (and mick), I thought I might get some information, but not that detail.

John, if you want high res scans, I can sort. Put me down for a copy of the book.

Cheers

And me. depending on the final price of course, us yorkies are a bity tight with the brass you know

Cghippendale (with clothes on)

[Kuyajonathan]

The Bougard name, Guernsey & guns have a connection.
Unless massive coincidence the J Bougard in photo will be related to 'Clifford Bougard ' who came to Nailsea, North Somerset around 1900 from Guernsey . He bought horticultural knowledge, built glass hot houses, heated by water in cast iron pipes, laid along brick waist height , topped & roofed with glass. Produce grown was way ahead of locally produced crops. Sold in his own green grocers & daily at Bristol wholesale market. His son Eric helped later taking over as well as being a retained fireman. One of his sons, William my friend, had brand new Webley mk 3, his older brother got a BSA Airsporter, I had brand new BSA Super Meteor , still in its original box with receipt, target holder, targets & oil.
Clifford had 9mm Garden gun for 'pest control' as well as 14 bore (according to Will worn, but 12 bore shells could be persuaded to fit) plus 20 bore. There was a .22 target range at the back of village institute, I think he was involved with along with few others, Mr Aish who ran local builders merchants certainly was. When I moved there in 1959 Nailsea was a village of about 500 head, consisted of about 6 shops, inc a news agent, a cycle shop where we got our pellets. Few occasions they refused to let us have them as they didn't 'sell them on a Sunday' open 08-09.00 for Sunday papers or ' you had a packet earlier this week that's enough'!
The Bougard's & the Baker's (local Farmers & slaughter house owners) inter married.
I met a Bougard in the 1980's in the Northeast , turned out to be a distant relative, recognised his very distinctive features, he knew the Guernsey connection. Never found out if he was a shooter

[Unframed Dave]

Fantastic stuff. I know where there's a few more. I'll see if I can get some scans.

Dave

[ptdunk]

Very interesting stuff...
Put me down for a book too John, and a Britannia one, and a BSA one.
I think you need to lock yourself away until they’re all done!

Cheers,
Matt

[Binners]

Trust me, this book is/will be exceptional and knock Knibbs into a cocked hat...

[Josie & John]

Trust me, this book is/will be exceptional and knock Knibbs into a cocked hat...

Thank you for your kind words Peter.

My BSA draft has a different take on the BSA story than John Knibbs' fine works and concentrates on individual models, their accessories plus contemporary use rather than the development of the models. Hopefully our respective works will complement each other rather than be seen as rivals.

The Britannia draft is about done but I still need to do a lot of work on images, whilst the history of organised airgun shooting from 1900 to 2000 is about 80% complete.

I just need to find a publisher for the BSA book now!

Kind regards,

John

[rapidresponse1]

very interesting stuff

[WebleyWombler]

I just need to find a publisher for the BSA book now!

Kind regards,

John

And if you want any subscribers, I'll fork out up front for a couple of copies.

[Kuyajonathan]

The Bougard name, Guernsey & guns have a connection

Update to above;
Will (William) Bougard I believe became a ' Master Farrier' , out side London (?) according to my late Mother who regularly bumped into Will's Mother for a chat & update, did well, inc teaching apprentices. country / farming connection (?) believe kept up interest in shooting. Moved back buying an old property few years ago in Nailsea that had belonged to predecessor of another friend who was researching his own family history. Near land of the Baker family, Will's relatives.
Apologies for diverting from original thread subject of BSA history. Bougard family may able to throw more light on research if not already in contact.
PS would also be interested in this book when published, in addition to BSA 'guns' , I have an interest in motor cycles side of BSA, owned few, plus relative was one of few lapped Brooklands @100mph average on a BSA in 1930's

[Josie & John]

And if you want any subscribers, I'll fork out up front for a couple of copies.

That is very kind. At the moment, I'd like to find a publisher to take care of the production element. I'd probably make a lot more money by self publishing but that would require considerable investment up front not to mention a lot of page setting and other technical work. Most people that know me will know I'm a technophobe and far more at home with assimilating historical data rather than the technical aspect!

At least the BSA draft and illustrations are finally complete after some 10 years of work.

Kind regards,

John M

[Phil Russell]

You can add me to the books list, please.

The posts here brought back memories as I went to Kingsland Rd primary or junior school in Kingstanding, Birmingham from the age of 5 to 11 all those years ago. I can't believe there is any connection with names but the memory was good.

Cheers, Phil