To think archery has no place on a public playing field?

[IroningThrone]

I live in a village with a large public sports/playing field - it has grass tennis courts, football pitches and such marked out. Dogs are allowed and I've always used it to give my dog a good run around (he's on a 50ft bright pink lead, not running loose. I tend to stick to the edges near the hedges so I'm not disturbing anyone!)

Walking today and just been shouted at by man setting up archery targets. They're set out so 1/3 of the field is now unusable. I'd planned to loop round the full field (as shown by the blue line- red dot is where he was setting up. Blue blob is where I entered the field!) He also wasn't shooting at the time so I'm not sure why he felt the need to shout at me that I couldn't go that way!

It's a public field with multiple access points - aibu to think that archery belongs somewhere where the access can be more controlled? A kid could quite easily run in from the side access and right across where he'd plonked himself!

Re claiming a place from google you’re right but I haven’t claimed the place after said discussion. And the OP clearly knows this by blacking out the name. We listed it on Google as we were previously elsewhere and it helps visiting archers find our club when travelling to competitions. We also use what3words

It's not harsh at all.

OP is complaining about someone playing archery on a field.
She's then gone to the trouble of looking up the field, found that it says "Local Archery Club", blacked it out, and posted the photo to try and argue that people shouldn't be practising archery there.

It's dodgy at best.

The quality of my tech is so low that I can't see that is says Archery Club. I bet the OP only wanted to try and anonymise the location. I mean, you would hardly try and make mischief for an archery club or its members by anonymising the club, would you? I am assuming that the OP was simply a bit taken aback to see arrows about to fly, and decided to seek opinions on whether this is OK on publicly accessible land.

@GregJP sorry, I tried to clarify, I wasn't suggesting you had. OP may not have understood this is an established club with a better right to be there than she has, just because the name is on the map though. In your case that is clearly what it means.

Mind, I'm well aware I see the best in people to the point of gullibility.

I've too often been unfairly suspected of bad behaviour, perhaps!

So common sense would tell you to keep off the ACHERY CLUB filed then

Greg, you need to stop dog walkers from using your field. You might be setting yourself for a law suit if you don't stop people such as the OP. We own a lot of land and have to tell people to leave a few times, especially on the land that borders a town. We actually call the town marshal and sees them off. We don't want someone getting hurt and suing us.

If OP reported the Archery Club, the upshot would be no more public access to the grounds it leases, other than by specific hire (eg the football club which uses it at set times)

Can someone sue if they're hurt on private land that's clearly signposted without permission to be there?

As far as I’m aware you can still attempt to sue but if measures/risk assessments and signage is in place they would still find it hard to win a claim. We have our own insurers who identify risks and should a member lose an arrow we have to report that.

It does sound as though it would be advisable for @GregJP to print off this thread and discuss it with the club's insurers as a concrete example, and then take whatever steps they recommend.

It looks as though OP might just have lost the village the general use of the field.

What a simply marvellous thread!! Nothing constructive to add but I do love Mumsnet!

And another example here of @GregJP being courteous and neighbourly, doing the right thing.

I agree with PP - you are a great ambassador for your club and sport… thank you for restoring my faith in human nature, your patience on this thread has been exemplary

Absolutely fucking batshit.

knew a man who was hitting a golf ball in the park once so dangerous. I did mention it of course.

This threads the equivalent of a man hitting a golf ball on a golf course and being told it's dangerous.

Wow this all kicked off!

Those people PMing me and tagging me - I've just got home from work, where I have limited access to my phone. I wasn't ignoring anyone, just unaware that the thread had taken a turn.

I covered the names simply to keep the location more private (which is the same reason I said I walk my dog on a 50ft pink lead - I don't even think you can buy those!) Just trying to protect my privacy, nothing more and nothing underhand.

I did see the club name but there seems to be a few businesses listed in the village on the map that don't actually exist any more. Next time I'll check into it more but when I clicked on the name nothing loaded and so I assumed it was a mistake. But if you prefer to think the worst of me I guess I can't stop you.

As to ownership of the field - when I moved to the village recently I was told it was a public sports/playing field. I usually access the field from the side through a cut in the hedges and there are zero signs there. It's also the first time I've used the field on a weekend day - I normally use it early on a morning before I head to work.

It wasn't my intention to cause trouble or stir the pot, I just wanted a outside take on a situation that made me feel uncomfortable. It looks like my information was bad and I apologise (though I do think there should be signs on all access points)

I'm going to ask for the thread to be deleted as I feel my privacy has been violated and I'd prefer people not to know where I live!

Thank you for getting back to the thread.

unfortunately the gaps in the hedge were made by some builders and a second from children. We are in the process of blocking these off and signage has been placed at the back but have been removed. newly made signs have been made and will be put up as soon as we can.

as I said before If you wish to meet down the field and I can talk you through things. You will see us mainly on a Wednesday evening and Saturday afternoon during spring and summer. However archers are free to attend anytime.

going to ask for the thread to be deleted as I feel my privacy has been violated and I'd prefer people not to know where I live!

@IroningThrone thank you for returning to the thread - I suggest a name change to preserve your privacy?
There are several useful learning points on here, it would be a shame for them to be deleted

It would be a great shame if this thread were deleted.

Lol!

Who put you in charge?!

Quite

There's a long history of archery on common land - historically, men were obliged to shoot on the village greens every Sunday by law. There were archery courses set up like golf courses across large areas of common land too.

It's not really relevant to the thread, given that they're shooting on private land and in accordance with their risk assessments and procedures, but the significance of archery, historically, is pretty cool.

Oh I never knew that@CaptainThe95thRifles I'm off to google some more about the history. I've always fancied archery.....might be too old now!

Archery is one of the most accessible sports around - you're never too old! There are also different styles of archery depending on what interests you - traditional long bows, Olympic recurves, horse bows - they all have different strengths and options depending on what you want to do.

One of Henry VIII's archbishops, Latimer, lamented in the 1540s that "now we have taken up whoring in the towns instead of shooting in the fields". Archery was supposed to be a pure and valuable pastime, even if you were generally out in the fields "shooting at the butts"!