Southern Counties Dorset.
- Thread starter garry2749
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Well I can't comment on the Crook family because I simply don't know them. I do however feel very sorry for the people that work at Southern Counties, they have been living in limbo over this for a long while now and that is simply not fair to them. I have often been up to SC on weekdays and at times I've been the only person shooting! I've heard it said that the place has been run down over a period of time, well that may or may not be the case, but at the end of the day it is a business and if they can make more money by doing something else with the land then who can blame them. Having said that, I'm still sad about it closing.
Michael
Well-known member
Just returned home, following a Karting/ shooting jolly yesterday atthe ground. Won the afternoon karting so me view on that will be biased, it was pretty much normal fayre for these type of do's. The shooting ground while extensive looks very tired, trap problems and lack of enthusiasm aplenty. Hotel very pleasant and clean, wood framed cheapy so probably wont age well, food was poor, milk for breakfast was off. My biggest gripe is the lack of any sort of safety brief or gun instruction, I found myself having to tell people how to hold the gun, how to stand and mount and the old standard shoot where it's going not where it is. This is poor, unsafe and shows shooting in a poor light, could and should be better, closing shortly or not. Had a new short haircut, left hat at home result sunburnt head.
HDAV
Well-known member
Sorry to resurrect this old chestnut but anymore (confirmed) news on possible closure date...if at all??
I only ask as my lad is due down there for a competition thing on the 20th September.
Must remember to book the Fountain....or whatever that pub is called?
DT
I only ask as my lad is due down there for a competition thing on the 20th September.
Must remember to book the Fountain....or whatever that pub is called?
DT
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- Mar 22, 2012
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The latest, I believe is that it closes at the end of this season. Certainly there are no advertised fixtures beyond October time. Some of the staff have left or are leaving soon.
I stress though, that's come from others. The ground are saying very little.
I stress though, that's come from others. The ground are saying very little.
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Nobody knows anything Jan!!!! I'm up there most weeks and nobody that works there has a clue about when it will close, there will be a Dorset CPSA committee meeting soon and it remains to be seen if any county fixtures will be accepted for next year, we are all in the dark. All we know is that planning permission for change of use has been applied for, we don't know what will happen if it gets refused. :fie:
RobertBeard
Moderator
Well I've lodged a planning objection.
Hopefully some others will as well!
Hopefully some others will as well!
shootinguru
Well-known member
:fie: Yeah! I thought about making an objection stating that shooting grounds were preferable to solar energy but I thought about it and
decided I did not think it would have any clout? :crazy:
decided I did not think it would have any clout? :crazy:
shootinguru
Well-known member
:fie: Word on the street! S.C. has guaranteed to hold all/any CPSAc/ships in 2015 that the board will give them?
At the same time the neighbouring land owner is about to start installing 1000's of "solar" panels directly behind the shooting ground! so come on you "experts" tell me how raining lead shot down on them won't cause problems? :hunter:
At the same time the neighbouring land owner is about to start installing 1000's of "solar" panels directly behind the shooting ground! so come on you "experts" tell me how raining lead shot down on them won't cause problems? :hunter:
P
** Pending Removal **
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Errrr.......I am struggling to get my head around the bizarre events.
1. Supposedly ground owner wants a change to venue instead of it being a shooting ground (probably sick of all the moaning shooters and an easier life looks appealing ).....and puts in planning for solar......sorts out (or not) its neighbour spat....and goes for a pint hoping for a life with less hassle.
2. Shooters wake up and realise that they could lose their Sunday pinging....as there are not many other grounds available down there (much regret......gnashing of teeth...me a culpas.....sack cloth ashes.....more moaning about how crap it was.....shooters forum fight....then everyone off to the pub and forgets about it for a month.....various sides licking wounds....and much outrage).
3. Cpsa launch an action to get everyone to lodge a planning objection...WTF is that. Real un-joined up thinking. Did they think that objecting to the planning and making it fail....would endear them to the owner? :laugh:
4. Now if I was the wealthy ground owner ....at this point I would be highly pissed off....that a business with no more than a few quid in the bank (£300k or whatever) had stopped the change of business use I had planned....for my own property.....Especially after pumping all the private money into making it the best ground in the country....and then seeing exactly 'how' it was valued.
5. Considering I had some serious excavation machinery (motorway stuff).....and if I did not need the money......I think I would have a Sunday drive around....flatten everything.....then go off for a holiday. When back....put planning back in......or cover it with more caravans....until a later date.
( :laugh: but that is just me....and what I would do if anyone messed with my business on a point of principle :laugh: )
In reality.....if we all valued and used our shooting grounds wherever they are.....they may be around forever.
It is a tragedy that we could be past the point of no return with this ground now.
Mind you....as I said at the very beginning of this whole problem........it is amazing what 'good professional negotiators' could have done....when the very first issue came up. Once things get entrenched (and especially amongst wealthy people) it becomes a point of principle. Serious business people do not let muppets interfere with business decisions taken.
Only my opinion of course based on the information provided in various threads here :wink:
1. Supposedly ground owner wants a change to venue instead of it being a shooting ground (probably sick of all the moaning shooters and an easier life looks appealing ).....and puts in planning for solar......sorts out (or not) its neighbour spat....and goes for a pint hoping for a life with less hassle.
2. Shooters wake up and realise that they could lose their Sunday pinging....as there are not many other grounds available down there (much regret......gnashing of teeth...me a culpas.....sack cloth ashes.....more moaning about how crap it was.....shooters forum fight....then everyone off to the pub and forgets about it for a month.....various sides licking wounds....and much outrage).
3. Cpsa launch an action to get everyone to lodge a planning objection...WTF is that. Real un-joined up thinking. Did they think that objecting to the planning and making it fail....would endear them to the owner? :laugh:
4. Now if I was the wealthy ground owner ....at this point I would be highly pissed off....that a business with no more than a few quid in the bank (£300k or whatever) had stopped the change of business use I had planned....for my own property.....Especially after pumping all the private money into making it the best ground in the country....and then seeing exactly 'how' it was valued.
5. Considering I had some serious excavation machinery (motorway stuff).....and if I did not need the money......I think I would have a Sunday drive around....flatten everything.....then go off for a holiday. When back....put planning back in......or cover it with more caravans....until a later date.
( :laugh: but that is just me....and what I would do if anyone messed with my business on a point of principle :laugh: )
In reality.....if we all valued and used our shooting grounds wherever they are.....they may be around forever.
It is a tragedy that we could be past the point of no return with this ground now.
Mind you....as I said at the very beginning of this whole problem........it is amazing what 'good professional negotiators' could have done....when the very first issue came up. Once things get entrenched (and especially amongst wealthy people) it becomes a point of principle. Serious business people do not let muppets interfere with business decisions taken.
Only my opinion of course based on the information provided in various threads here :wink:
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shootinguru
Well-known member
I hope that the CPSA lands itself right in the poo poo! :crazy:
RobertBeard
Moderator
Your opinion can be so endearing at times! :laugh:
No doubt you would have advocated rape & pillage if you had been around in medieval times! :laugh:
The yokels are revolting let's put them down! :laugh:
Well most of us that shoot at Southern Counties are pretty much resigned to the fact that it is going to close, we just don't know when! Even if the planning consent doesn't come through for whatever reason, there is nothing to say that it will stay open! If it's losing money, Barry Crook will likely shut it regardless, it's a business at the end of the day and nobody in their right mind would keep it open just so that it could swallow money! I have lost count of how many times I've been there this year on a weekday and I've been the only person shooting!!! There are lots of theories as to why it's not used more, many have been mentioned on this forum over past couple of years, but the place is under used and that's that! Sad but true!!! :fie:
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Sounds like that petition did the trick : http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/blogs/bye-bye-world-class-ground-39220
P
** Pending Removal **
Guest
Quote ......"Symbolic in a way of the apathy surrounding the lack of a legacy following the 2012 Olympics."
It is a sad day if the planning gets through.......and we lose this ground. i agree with Peter ...it s the best ground in the country to hold an Issf or UT world level competition......but ....the problem / cause........it is apathy surrounding all the shooters themselves....they only care when it directly affects them.....it is nothing to do with Olympic legacy.....most shooters do not give a toss about the Olympics.....and they very plainly do not give a toss about 'who' is running their sport......history proves that one.
It is great and very apt for the selected BS GB team members or chosen few to put the emotive selling videos about ETP, Target Tokyo etc etc....for the good of improving the sport....etc etc.
But ......in reality, it is a nice BS funding tick box campaign.....for pulling down UK Sport funds....they have to complete the 'interventions' connected to the fund awards....and.....they need to introduce more youngster to the sport .....it s all about cloning the sport....generic models etc etc etc.
in reality this will have limited shelf life.....parents will only travel their kids all over the country getting nowhere......for a short time....before the money / effort / patience runs out....and their kid s still no where near making a GB team to shoot in anything serious abroad :wink:
Then when they drop off the radar... I appreciate that their place will be filled by the next kid....whose parents are suckered in (complimented by kind words about their offsprings offering them to come and play on the programmes...to develop them as the next future potential to be the next Olympian) and take up the traipsing around....to be coached by any Tom Dick or Harriet (which baring 2) have interesting coaching qualifications to say the least......Not to mention what you actually have to pay....!!
Ho hum....
Yes it is bye bye probably to SC....and that is a reality and a real shame......but.....if it had been used by the NGB's ....in a better way ......with serious plans for the future of shooting...talent ID etc etc....would it have survived as a shooting ground........probably not
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clayclouter
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2012
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- 645
Seems to me trap grounds and the shooters that frequent them have fostered an elitist cabal with little or no real access for ordinary shooters to avail themselves of the facilities unless one conforms totally to their codes and rituals? It is as far as one can discern (I can only discern since I am not welcome at any trap ground as I shoot a semi auto) a ritualised emotionless, unsociable pursuit conducted in near total silence, where dress, type of gun and pecking order seem to be far more important than actually enjoying oneself. Little wonder then that such grounds are closing since looking at the CPSA registered events for such , the attendance by trap shooters is quite clearly on the wane. Just my opinion of course
