11th August 2019
Our second day in the Quebec Provincial Meeting started a dreaded half an hour earlier than yesterday, with several members struggling out of bed at 06:00 for breakfast whilst still recovering from the jet lag. As we strolled on to the range an hour later the odd hum and whistle to the distinct tune of ‘we love you David, we do’ could still be heard floating across the point after last night’s enthusiastic sing along. It must be mentioned that today was extremely important, because it was the birthday of our Vice Captain, Andrew Lothian. The team shelter was covered in balloons and birthday banners, ably directed by Lucinda Taylor. After the end of the Grand Aggregate, all competitiors gathered around to sing Happy Birthday and present Andrew with multiple cakes!
To conclude the Grand Aggregate, a final shoot at 500 yards and 600 yards occurred. Special mention to Tom Smith for scoring a 50.9 at 500 yards, converting a bull sighter. The morning’s 500 and 600 shoots contributed to the qualifier for the Governor General’s final, with the results from the previous day’s 500 and 600 contributing as well. 15 members of the England Rifle Team made it through to the Governor General Final out of 24 finalists, a fantastic effort from everyone.
The Quebecois delayed the TR final until after lunch – this was to allow us to clear our rooms at the barracks. This craftily meant that the wind had chance to seriously pick up from the morning, so it was available for anyone going into the final, with the cut being 194 and the highest score being a 199. The Vice-Captain, Andrew, had even donned his pink, sparkly (and it must be said, rather tasteful) birthday tiara for extra good luck.
After being battered around from left to right during the final, a 2 and 15 match, Nicole Rossignol emerged victorious on her home range with a 272.34, with Jon Underwood climbing the ranks, with the only 75 of the final, to take 2nd place with a 272.25. Lindsey Peden came 3rd with a score of 272.24. Congratulations to Jeremy Tuck, Tom Rylands and Tom Smith, making it into the top eight. David “Daz” Nuthall, ever humble, took 1st place in the Grand Aggregate after only dropping a single point, with Tom Rylands coming 3rd, and Katherine Fleck claimed the top U25 place, beating Saxon Brewer-Merchant by a mere V Bull.
The team then proceeded to clear up, pack up and clean rifles. However, this was when an important discovery was made – earlier in the day, during shooting, Archie Whicher had realised that he was slightly low on ammo. Unless he was going to convert all his sighters, he really did need the missing ammo to return. The team searched high and low, emptied every kit bag and even a couple of cars, but alas the case of the mysterious vanishing ammo was not solved. During the final moments on the range, whilst packing to leave our rifles and equipment with the Canadian MP, the case of the vanishing ammo was solved, with the Captain locating the rounds in his kit bag. The team responded, in unison, in a deafening chorus of ‘FINE!’.
On to Quebec city, for a couple days of R&R.
Our range kit and rifles safely stored in the Military Police Station at Val Cartier, rifles in a vault, kit in cells and Jack’s blazer still in his room at the Barracks. The team relocated down to the flesh pots of Quebec City.
Assembly was in the hotel bar, a tiny little room which we filled quite adequately. Terence, our Captain’s tame tapeworm was making his presence felt and needed feeding.
A restaurant was duly booked and a number of us toiled up the hill to the Upper City. We found ourselves with an hour to spare and so – you guessed it, had a drink and managed to quieten Terence with a small offering of Calamari – enough to stop the growling…
The “Young Blades” ate fish and oysters for their aphrodisiac qualities. A couple of “senior” Young Blades joined them, merely to ensure their well being, of course.
Late evening saw nearly the whole team assembled in a bar near our hotel (where else). The Blades were last seen heading off to an area where they had been told “scantily clad ladies” might appear.