Essex masters 2021

As Boris has now said this lockdown will not be eased until likely mid to late March and then in a very limited way what chance do you think of this going ahead this year.would it not be better to aŕange it for later in the year.this year's dates were given within a week of the last being cancelled and obviously nobody could have guessed how this virus was going to pan out.

Last week Prof Chris Witty said the expectation would be that  'we would walk slowly backwards out of lockdown' so rather than a sudden 'off' and all back to normal - and the virus runs riot again, seems lessons have been learned.

Planning any kind of event this year is tricky. 

It’s been proven that normal reg shoots with around 100 entries work safely and well, shooting in pairs (in T3 conditions etc). The Essex Masters is more like Glastonbury with shotguns historically, so I think it would be very different if they did manage to do it under modern conditions. 
 

I am entered into a few shoots in March, but I’m taking the odds at 50/50. 

It's frustrating that clay shooting, in pairs outside has been suspended, it's a naturally socially distanced activity.

Will Hewland said:

It’s been proven that normal reg shoots with around 100 entries work safely and well, shooting in pairs (in T3 conditions etc). The Essex Masters is more like Glastonbury with shotguns historically, so I think it would be very different if they did manage to do it under modern conditions. 
 

I am entered into a few shoots in March, but I’m taking the odds at 50/50. 

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I hope that we all get out to do some worthwhile shooting this year.i would however have to say 90% Essex will not happen again due to shear  numbers and being at the end of march .I would hazard a guess at July before we get any real chance of comps with big attendance at 50-50.our sport along with many others was decimated last year and the virus was no where near as virulent as at the moment.hopefully I am wrong but i would not bet against

Cosmicblue said:

It's frustrating that clay shooting, in pairs outside has been suspended, it's a naturally socially distanced activity.

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Yes i agree.i am secretary of a small club.we could quite easily run with two people shooting however the problem we have is that the age of our members is mainly that of the vunerable groups .

4 million vaccines (1st pass) so far. 15 million expected by mid February. At this current rate, it will be end of May to get 70% of population vaccinated 1st jab. It will take pretty much the whole year to get the country vaccinated with both jabs. Some will object for various reasons to having the jabs. The global demand is putting a strain on production and that demand is increasing.

We’re most definitely not out of the woods yet. I could seem a prophet of doom and gloom or a realist. Personally I’m very optimistic that we will be able to enjoy the summer months in moderate safety continuing the tier systems with another more stringent autumn/winter, but we’ll end up one of the most robust nations in the world.

That’s just my opinion and I’m in no way qualified, but that’s my hunch

bostonmick said:

Yes i agree.i am secretary of a small club.we could quite easily run with two people shooting however the problem we have is that the age of our members is mainly that of the vunerable groups .

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Know that exact problem also as a secretary of a small club, we have lost a lot of income, yet still have the rent for the ground and insurance for the traps etc to pay. Being a not for profit club means no government financial help. Clearly if shooting does not get back to normal soon their is a great risk that clubs could close due to lack of funds.

100%   most people don't seem to understand just how bad things are going to get.   I hope I'm wrong but I think lockdowns are going to be far more devastating than the virus 

I think the whole of 2021 will be in and out of tiers

Me too Sian, we’ve booked in for a few of the shoots, Essex masters included and we are just hoping and praying we can get some shooting in.  I wouldn’t even mind if we could just practice in twos in the coming months.  Hope you and Tony are OK.

The Northern Shooting Show , based at the Great Yorkshire Showgrounds , has just cancelled this year’s show which was scheduled for May . The rescheduled date is May 2022 .  I’d hazard a guess that any mass gathering like the Essex Masters isn’t going to be happening anytime soon . 

MartynB said:

The Northern Shooting Show , based at the Great Yorkshire Showgrounds , has just cancelled this year’s show which was scheduled for May . The rescheduled date is May 2022 .  I’d hazard a guess that any mass gathering like the Essex Masters isn’t going to be happening anytime soon . 

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Agreed. Many people in my neck of the woods, some I know personally, roundly ignored the 1st lockdown and the 2nd. The same people are ignoring this one too but so are many, many others. The reality is the whole country is sick of yo yo lockdowns that don't move anything forward. As someone said, they're just kicking the can down the road but we're in more trouble now than 9 months ago because this time it's not really working.

At least the vaccine rollout seems to be running well and my 1st one is booked for tomorrow. Now I'm not a fan of vaccinations, I've never had a flu jab and I wouldn't have Covid for my sake either. But I'm having it because the only possible way for the country to make any progress is if a big majority of the population have it.

It's a numbers game and those who refuse vaccination because of some idiotic conspiracy theory or because in "their culture" they have traditional folk remedies etc. deserve nothing but universal contempt.

I don’t think it’s been widely reported but the vaccines are not like vaccines of old. They do not give you a mild dose of covid.

Instead they give your immune system a heads up on what to look out for. Basically it’s a mimic of the Corona protein spikes that allow access to the interior of the cell. The virus uses this method to infect the cell, whereas the vaccine sends in mRNA (messenger Ribonucleic Acid, or a single stranded piece of DNA if you will). 

These genetic instructions  sort of knock on the door and handshake with the genetic code in you own DNA, then let the cell know what’s coming and how to defend against it. Possible side effects are not symptomatic of a covid infection 

The vaccine does NOT mean you will not carry the virus. In fact we are carrying around with us in our throats, noses, ears, hair and on our skin an estimated 380 trillion viruses. That’s ten times more than the number of cells you have in your body. So those who do not have the vaccine are putting only themselves at risk. Both those that do and do not have the vaccine will still be carriers. The effort here isn’t to prevent the spreading. That cannot be stopped without mass scale disinfection and even that isn’t likely to be successful. You literally need to kill every covid molecule with bleach or alcohol (I’m not advising heavy drinking... just in case anyone think I might). This effort is to reduce the numbers of seriously ill and deaths that is putting an enormous strain on healthcare, society and the economy. 

As for injection of microchips to trace everyone’s movements, there is ample technology that we pay for ourselves that provide more sophisticated tacking. These stories are often a result of fear and ignorance. I do think some effort should go into trying to educate people what the vaccines actually do and how.

I don't think anyone really knows how long we'll be like this for, at the moment it feels like the light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off.  Can see us being tiered for a while yet when we come out of LD.

Like everyone else I've had so much cancelled, including the end of the game season, and at the moment I can't be bothered to book on to any shoots but luckily I can still go fishing locally and that might continue until this mess has been sorted.  Had some great days and trips last year but found it hard stopping and starting.

Covid will have finished off some game shoots and if clay shoots don't open up soon then it will finish some of those off; rent, wages etc doesn't pay for itself.

We didn't rush to book onto the worlds this time round when bookings reopened. Looked the other day and its was fully booked up and can't say I was dissapointed. It is a pain to be paying up front for some shoots and then sorting out the refunds when it all goes tits up again. I'd just be happy to shoot practise at a local ground at the minute.

donna said:

Me too Sian, we’ve booked in for a few of the shoots, Essex masters included and we are just hoping and praying we can get some shooting in.  I wouldn’t even mind if we could just practice in twos in the coming months.  Hope you and Tony are OK.

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Hi Donna,  we’re good thanks but bored as hell at weekends.  I’ve been booking shoots as well not because I think we’ll be allowed to do them more it makes me feel there’s a chance and it makes me happy ..  

Jonny English said:

We didn't rush to book onto the worlds this time round when bookings reopened. Looked the other day and its was fully booked up and can't say I was dissapointed. It is a pain to be paying up front for some shoots and then sorting out the refunds when it all goes tits up again. I'd just be happy to shoot practise at a local ground at the minute.

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I rolled over from the cancellation and rebooked for this year.  I’m very sceptical that it’ll go ahead but the plus side is I’. get £700 or so back .   Not that I’ll have anything or anywhere to,go,to spend it

Jonny English said:

We didn't rush to book onto the worlds this time round when bookings reopened. Looked the other day and its was fully booked up and can't say I was dissapointed. It is a pain to be paying up front for some shoots and then sorting out the refunds when it all goes tits up again. I'd just be happy to shoot practise at a local ground at the minute.

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Did take a peek and yes looks fully booked at present, did notice a number of entrants called “Competitor” can only imagine that its members whose renewal is due and in the current climate have yet to do so, some may yet decide not to, therefore spaces might become available. 

Essex Masters now been postponed to 21-29th of August.

schmokinn said:

Essex Masters now been postponed to 21-29th of August.

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I’d say that’s doubtful. I’m working to the assumption that all major events will be cancelled this year. The Home Internationals, World and European championships have either gone or will go as the selection events have been binned. 

Given recent government announcements, I find it hard to see any event that draws a crowd going ahead, even into the summer. Registered competition will be fine, perhaps with restrictions for a while, but that’s about it for this year I’m afraid.