I would like more of our members to contribute to the site so have desided to introduce a new section where you can share your hobbies and interests with the rest of your fellow members .

    Our first contributor is JOHN LARGE who kindly sent the artical below to me . If you would like to share your interests send them via e-mail to lancashirereunited@fsmail.net .

Building and shooting Native American Bows and Arrows.

By John Large

When I was a kid I always wanted to have a real bow and arrow.I used to build small bows and they were very ineffective to say the least.I used to hunt quite a bit in the UK and in 1974 I emigrated to Canada. I started to shoot Recurved bows in 3D archery tournaments and had some success. After viewing some home made bows I decided to give bow building a try . I never looked back and have now built nearly 150 bows.

I became president of the Traditional Archers of Nova Scotia and with the help of some good people put Nova Scotia on the map in Trad Archery. We introduced Primitive Archery to the Canadian 3D National Championships and set the standards for future events.

Primitive Archery is simple it’s the shooting of an all wooden bow or one that is made of laminations from natural materials. Only wooden arrows may be used and no man made materials can be used. That year I was asked to shoot out the first arrow with a bow I had built myself. This was quite a honour for me and I shot that bow and finished 2^nd in Canada. My Friend John Mc Carthy was 1^st also from Nova Scotia.

The bow I used that day was a Penobscot bow that I had built from Hop Hornbeam wood. I have become fascinated with Native American bows and arrows and accessories.

This is the bow That took 2^nd place in the Canadian Championships.(left)

The bows were designed by the Penobscot Indians of Coastal Maine in the USA. The tribe are closely related to the Mik Maq who reside here in Nova Scotia.I also have built Mik Maq War bows with various local woods.This is a White Ash Mik Maq Warbow

All of my bows have been given away or donated to clubs and associations to raffle off. I have never bothered to sell them . The reason being that I do not know how the person would treat the bow and therefore I could never guarantee it. Improper storage , stringing and dry firing can all ruin a perfectly built bow. I also never have a deadline to meet which is always nice. Building bows is a hobby and I would hate to turn it into a job. I also build arrows and use various types of wood ,Alumium and carbon to do this. I make all my own quivers with leather and Furs that I pick up at car boot and yard sales.

 Here is a picture of two Red Oak Cherokee flat bows. I also built the quivers and the arrows. Most of my arrows are made from Port Orford Cedar from the Pacific coast of Oregon. USA. The majority of bows I have built have been Cherokee flat bows and North American style flat bows. My favourite wood is Hop Hornbeam which is a very dense local wood. I also use White Ash, Red Oak, White Oak. Hickory, Apple, Maple, Yew,and Yellow Birch to name a few. I have built one English Longbow from Purple heart with a Hickory backing and its one of my favourite bows.

  Here are some of the quivers and arrows I have made with leather and fur I have picked up for just pennies. I really enjoy building bows and arrows and above all I love shooting them in the woods. I still shoot in the 3D tournaments and have done well over the years. I hunt deer with my bows and while its nice to bag an animal, its not important to me. I judge my hunts by what I see and not what I bag. I doubt very much if I will shoot another deer but if the situation arises where it will help conservation then I would probably take the appropriate animal.

 After 20 years of shooting Traditional Bows and arrows I finally shot what is known as a Robin Hood and that means I have spilt an arrow perfectly its hard to do with wooden arrows but with hollow aluminium and carbon arrows it can be done. I shot an arrow to the spot on my target and using the orange nock on the arrow as a point to aim at I hit it dead on and put the next arrow inside the first one It was at 25 yards and I am chuffed to bits.

     Here is a pic of myself with a couple of nice hits on a 3D goat.

Traditional Archery is a wonderful pastime and I will participate for as long as I can. I have held bowbuilding classes and in may 2008 there will be a 2 day class held outdoors where we will have 15 students all eager to build their first Bow.

I know that 3D archery is growing in The United Kingdom and events are being held all over the country . There are websites for clubs and its worth typing Archery into a search engine to see if there is a club near you. Maybe you would like to give it a try

Thanks for allowing me to share my Hobby with you . Maybe others here on Lancashire Re United will share their hobbies also.

John Large (Ironfist)

  News reached me this week of something Penny Black our resident BOY BAND have been working on for some time. Dates have now been confirmed for a series of open air concerts at OSWALDTWISTLE MILLS during the summer . I will obviously been joining the lads and hope more of our members will come along to meet us and stay and have a picnic on the lawn . Here for your diary are the dates and information the lads sent me

Just to keep you up to date:-

We have today arranged 6 "Make Music Live" Concerts at Ossy Mills, Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, to be held during the season in the marquee (60ft x 30ft approx) in the gardens at Oswaldtwistle Mills. These will take the form of a day of Folk for ARC (Arthritis Research Campaign) under the Penny Black & Friends banner.

The six main events will be held on Sundays between 11am and 4pm - 5 hours of music and fun supplemented with ad hoc performances on weekdays (prior to the main events) to advertise them and add to the ARC collection.

------I will also be attending shows and festivals through out Lancashire during the summer spreading the LANCASHIRE RE-UNITED word hope to see you all out and about . 

In 1883 a small community in East Lancashire was rocked by what still is today the worst mining disaster in the area . Dylan OWN the OSSY BARD WROTE amd now sings the story of the WHINNY HILL PIT DISASTER (MOORFIELD COLLLIEREY----ALTHAM ) Song by permission of Owen 

Next week his own tribute to the ACCRINGTON PALS  

    Earlier this last week I fell in love . Before my wife heads for the rolling pin let me explain . I have been introduce to a slim beautiful thing which aroused my senses . What also made me sit up is that this thing of beauty is created right here in LANCASHIRE and by members of this site PETE SKINNER and JOHN BOND . You can hear the beautiful sound of the PICSTRUM in the ENTERTAINMENT ZONE (MEMBERS FEATURE)But below find out more about the PICSTRUM and also  if you want to know how much one would cost and how  to order one click on the link below and send the fellas an e-mail  ----BUT ---Dont forget who told you about it first  .

   Many people have ask us "Just how are PicStrums made and how much work goes into making one?" - The following information will help you to understand, how much, love, time and labour goes into making just one "Picstrum".

Once they know just how much goes into one the next question they ask is "How can you make them so reasonable"? the answer is "The love of music". First John & Pete comb the world for the best timber, only the truest grain and the straightest trees will do, a tree must be found with an honest soul and a desire to put that soul into making good music for the generations to come, A warped twisted or bitter tree will not do, and will be rejected immediately.

Once a tree is selected for use it must be transported to the "PicStrum" design workshops in Biscopham, Lancashire, UK, this is done by hand picked specialist (all of which are also musicians) who will gently remove the tree from its old housing, float it on a bed of water (to save any damage) and guide it to the port of Fleetwood along the Wyre estuary, then on a bed of feathers to the Picstrum studios. Once it has recovered fully from its journey and adjusted itself to its new environment work will begin on the Picstrum.

The trees are assigned a personal escort who will accompany the trees over their journey and ensure no harm befalls them. Along the trip the Escort will become very attached to the tree and will be able to advise the builders of the PicStrum how to get the best from each individual piece of wood.

The above information may contain "Poetic Licence"   For further information about costs or to order   please enquire via e-mail which I will pass on to the lads contact     lancashirereunited@fsmail.net

   Another sun drenched and warm  day in Lancashire today so it was desided on that we would go off to Blackpool to take a look at the stricken vessel  Riverdance which beached in bad weather a couple of weeks ago . I have been  adding some of  photos I took to the GALLERY which are much larger than the one shown   (Above) .I must say I haven't seen so many  folks in Blackpool in Febuary and especially men with cameras  .

 Then just as we got home and I prepared to upload the photos a knock on my front door and there was  BOB DOBSON who had come over from Blackpool to Oswaldtwistle to drop me off some books ---What a pleasure to see you Bob and THANK YOU for your generosity  and I hope we can make it to the PLOUGH next Tuesday when I am going back to Blackpool to watch the righting and refloating  of Riverdance . 

     I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to the contributors to the ENTERTAINMENT ZONE  for the kindness in allowing there music to be played on LANCASHIRE RE-UNITED  namly  JOHN AND PETE from PENNY BLACK ,DYLAN OWEN ,& DOMINIC COLLINS who is also sending me a couple of CDs--and ALSO to BOB DOBSON for the offer of BOOKS for myself 

Thank you for your kindness ---But what eles would you expect from LANCASHIRE FOLKS  ---Ps ---Is there anyone who owns a PIE SHOP or a Brewery  want to join up by any chance .

P.S Received DOMINICS CDs Today  (12 FEB)and have not stopped laughing yet ---You lot should buy one THEY ARE BRILLIANT > 

  http://www.domcollins.co.uk/shop.htm