Anyone on the this board going? Would be nice to put a face to a name.

I will be in the Gun Trade Association Pavillion, stand No. F 0593 in the middle of Gunmakers Row over the three days. I will be fiddling around with gun stocks but also present will be Bill Blacker barrel maker, Peter Ashford gun engraver and Ian Tomlin gun case maker. All showing the skills in their respective trades.

Regards
J-P Daeschler
(Fletchedpair)

Jean-Pierre

I am going on the Friday and will attempt to look you up. I shall have my 85 year old father in tow so I am keeping flexible regarding meeting up with people. If the heat we are enjoying continues we may be seeking shade most of the time!

I have been disappointed with the CLA web-site; difficult to find your way around and no map of the layout.

As you say, it would be good to put a face to the name.

Tim

I'll be there on Saturday, possibly Friday.I'll be hanging out in the Sporting shooter tent or the Press area or generally wandering around.

I should be there Saturday and will do my best to look in. Lagopus.....

I'll be there with my wife on Saturday and Sunday. Cruising gunmakers row on Saturday and hopefully shooting a round of clays on Sunday. No other plans other than to have fun, meet some old friends, make some new ones, not spend too much and eat some wonderful food.

Nice to meet Jean-Pierre at a very hot and sunny CLA Game Fair today. Recommendation - get there early - I got there about 08:00 and went straight in, no problems. Some arriving later had traffic problems.

Everyone going should wear name tags--the simple paper ones from conventions. Just put a big BBS on it along with your name. Wish I was over there!

Sorry Jean-Pierre we never made it to you yesterday. Traffic management was poor from the M40. It took us two hours to do the 12 miles from the motorway to Ragley Hall. And we left Northamptonshire at 0715!

I don't blame the CLA but poor advice from the police. It was very tedious. We managed part of Gunmakers Row and had two long visits to the CLA members enclosure to find shade and sustenance. Plaudits to Purdey's for an imaginative safari style stand. There was a pretty James Woodward 20 I could have taken home with me. Longthorne's barrels milled from a single billet of Swedish steel were impressive - and nice fellows on the stand. Mark Crudgington (som of author Ian) was friendly and fun on the George Gibbs stand. And the ice cream on the long walk back to the car most welcome!

Tim

I went in on the Saturday when the weather was a little cooler. Set off from home at around 8am. arrived around 9:30am. coming in from the north and M42 direction. Drove straight in; no queues whatsoever, nothing right up to the point that I parked with the only car in front being a good 100 yards away. That's the easiest entry to the Game fair ever!

Some interesting guns but with prices being a little on the high side on the stands of some of the more ambitious dealers. I did find a rather interesting little C.S.Rosson of Norwich 2" chambered boxlock ejector with 26" barrels and Churchill rib. The unusual and interesting features of this gun was that it was a true left hand gun; left hand opening on the top lever, left hand rolled edge trigger guard and single trigger. If I had have been left handed I would have bought it. Didn't buy any guns but did come away with quite a few books etc. A good day really. Lagopus.....

Glad you found some good books. I thought that for some reason, most of the second hand booksellers (Hereward Books, John & Judith Head, Read Books etc) were absent - and there was very little choice of second hand books. It was a large fair, and perhaps I was looking in the wrong place?

I got a few from Coch-Y-Bonddu Books. A copy of David Baker's book on Thomas Horsley for £20 plus a few others from them. Lagopus.....

Wish I could have gone, especially given the weather you are having ! a great event, best, Mike

I did visit their stand. I have the Horsley book, as expected, a very informative book. Usually there are a few stands with a selection of second hand and antiquarian books, but I didn't see any this year.

True, that's one of the things I go looking for. I think a few of the regulars were missing.

Mike, I understand that quite a few people fainted in the heat on the Friday. A lot of the stall holders were saying how bad it was with the heat. A little bit cooler here now although expected to be near 90 degrees in the South but with thunderstorms promised for tomorrow. Lagopus.....

I was there on Friday.
Also told that many exhibitors (300+????) that usually do the CLA were not there.
I did notice lots of space behind the two main rows?

I chugged over on the Harley on Friday and hung out with a few people and idly chatted. On Saturday I took the Freelander and a load of people, donned my Press badge and 'worked'.

I enjoyed the show.

Had a super, if not too brief, time on the Sunday. Got there early when the weather was mild and spent the vast bulk of time on Gunmakers Row, especially the Boxall and Edmiston stand. I am biased however - they are building me a gun and it is due imminently! Other notable/interesting stands included Watson Bros and Michael Louca's in the white sidelock double-four bore.

I had a really great time over the four days and enjoyed meeting up with some many interesting people, including some of you here on the board.

Roll on next year!

Cheers
J-PD