Meet the Team: Sports Section – Golf and Shooting

Pictured above: Secretary Alex Wrighton and Captain Graeme Hunt, planning strategy for further golfing events

Golf has been an integral part of the Coachmakers’ sporting arena for many years, and we have many associations with other Livery Companies as well, writes Assistant Graeme Hunt.

Our function as the Captain and Secretary is to liaise with these other Livery Companies, our own players, manage handicaps, score cards, prizes for the day and also the host Golf Clubs we use.

We associate most frequently with other leathery Liveries including the Leathersellers, Glovers, Curriers, Cordwainers, Girdlers, Saddlers, Pattenmakers, and Loriners, as well as the Ironmongers and the Drapers; all of our fixtures are about fun and camaraderie.

I first played golf at a Coachmakers’ event about 25 years ago in our spring match at the New Zealand Golf Club (near Woking, not the other side of the world).

It was a happy and relaxed day, with convivial company, a great golf course and more than excellent food and wine.

In those days there were about 40 players, made up of Coachmakers and our friends from the Leathersellers.

Alex and I met at that event, and a true friendship continues to this day – of course we were the youngest golfers from the Coachmakers at the time – sadly we are still among the youngest players!

Numbers have dwindled in the intervening years although we do seem to have some young players attending again, so let’s hope this piece in Coachlines will encourage further attendees.

Past Master Robert Croall has been an attendee at this very event for the past 40 years and always brings down a bevy of his chums from the Borders – very keen golfers they are too – on one occasion after a satisfying round in the morning and a hearty lunch, rounded off with a little wine, we headed off to the afternoon 12 holes.

To our amazement the course was covered in a fine covering of snow. Obviously us soft Southerners were about to head back to the warmth of the club house and a crackling fire in the hearth.

But ‘no’ were the cries from Rob and his friends – “What are you doooing – it’s only snow, we need more than that to put us off of our game!”

Past Master Philip Ashfield was Captain of Golf at that time, and when he asked me to join him for lunch at Langan’s, I was most pleased – what a nice chap is he, I thought. Alex was invited as well, who was by now already the Golfing Secretary.

Little did I know that Philip had a cunning plan tucked up his sleeve, and by the time we were draining the last of the brandy, I had somehow become the new Captain – Philip was a very charming, and persuasive man.

I must say I owe him a lot, as it has been an enjoyable role being your Captain and not unexpectedly I am introduced to our golfing colleagues from the other Liveries, where it is my pleasure to represent our Company.

It is excellent news that we have a keen golfer in Senior Warden Stephen Fitz-Gerald, who, subject to election, is scheduled to become our Master from September, so we are excited and hope to see many more of you at our forthcoming events.

Don’t forget, our last event of the year is at Tandridge Golf Club – another convivial day shared with the Leathersellers, Ironmongers, and Drapers, on 26th September.

As you can see from the photograph below, the Club house is one of the best, as is the course (standing well within the top 100 in England) – to be fair, the catering is considered be the same, so we are in for a treat, in terms of golf and lunch.

Tandridge Golf Club

Should anyone wish to consider joining us for Livery golf, do please get in touch with either Alex or myself:

awrighton@norwood7.co.uk

mail@graemehunt.com

Coachmakers’ Shooting Section

The why
Part of being a Coachmakers is meeting other like-minded people, and within the Coachmaker membership there a number who enjoy shooting, writes Liveryman Alastair Boyes. In line with this the shooting section offers the opportunity to socialise with fellow Coachmakers who enjoy both game shooting and clay shooting. The aim of the initiative is to grow the shooting section and create a network of shooters with similar interests, and to have a jolly good time whilst doing so!

The who
The shooting section is organised by me, Liveryman Alastair Boyes. I have been interested in shooting since school age, shooting both game and clays around the country as often as I can. With that in mind I try and organise three informal clay shooting events a year, and one day of game shooting during the winter season. These events, it must be emphasised, are open to all Coachmakers, family and friends of Coachmakers included.

The what
The form for the informal clay days typically follow the pattern of meeting for breakfast at 10am at the shooting school. Informal shooting of 100 clays or so, with a bit of banter and competition. Following shooting, lunch is taken at a local pub to enjoy reminiscing over specular shots or abject failure to hit anything! The aim is to finish around 2pm. Most importantly all are welcome (Coachmakers, family and friends) to join what should be an entertaining day of shooting, good company and a nice lunch.

The game shooting days are organised to be open to all levels of game shot. The aim is for a mixed day for up to 10 guns, we usually stay locally to the shoot the night before and enjoy a pleasant dinner with good company. The days are usually organised close to the Midlands or central England to ensure accessibility to all.

What about the Inter-Livery Clay Shoot?
In addition to the social clay and game shooting, I also try and muster a team of volunteers for the annual Inter-livery Clay Shoot, one of the highlights of the City of London calendar of charity events, which is traditionally held in the second week of May. Since its inception in 1993 it has been hugely successful in raising funds for charities nominated by the winning teams and includes a donation to the Lord Mayor’s charity. More than 450 guns attend each year with teams of four representing over 55 Livery Companies. Each member of the team shoots 80 sporting birds over 12 stands, a 20 bird Two Man Flush and a 80 bird Team Flush. I really is a fun day with an excellent hog roast lunch.

The Coachmakers is keen to field two teams next year. This will again be held at the West London Shooting School on 14th and 15th May 2025. So if you are keen to join, please email Alastair Boyes (alastair_boyes@hotmail.co.uk).