From 5.30pm on Thursday 20th September until dusk, we are teaming up with Stratford Clicks (http://www.facebook.com/groups/285493941542887/) - a group of photographers based in Stratford-upon-Avon to provide free photographic opportunities for archers.

Stratford Clicks will work with archers on 1:1 basis or in small groups to enable posed, action and ad-hoc photographs to be taken, with full, credited permission given by the photographers for archers to use all images as they seem fit (not-for-profit only). This will enable archers to use the images in their own portfolios, websites, print etc for personal use and professional development.

We would like to take this opportunity to invite all archers to come shoot with us, and work with the team of photographers at the above date/time. A Field Captain will be in place, and all insurance cover will be provided by Stratford Archery Centre.

A small amount of equipment will also be available for short-term loan use during the session if required, but we anticipate most archers to bring their own with them.

There are no range fees, and targets can be set to whatever distances archers wish to suit their own needs.

Following the event, we will be heading to the hotel bar to socialise and exchange contact details to enable the images generated to be shared amongst those attending.

Full DDA access is available for the session- cars can drive right to the equipment/tent line if required, but before the photo shoot starts, we request that all vehicles be moved back to the car park so they are not captured in the photo shots (they can be brought back after the photo shoot has finished of course).

Please circulate and distribute to colleagues as you wish- the more archers we can get to attend this free event, the more material and content can be generated.

For more information, please email stratfordarcherycentre@gmail.com

 So, you've seen The Hunger Games, Avengers Assemble and Brave, the Olympics have lit your fire and you want to try archery to see if you can hit that bull's eye, but don't know where to start...

Save a slot in your diary over the August Bank Holiday weekend- we're partnering with Archery GB and the BBC and opening our doors so you and your family can come and try out the sport, and see if it's something you'd like to learn more about.

We'll be open all day on the Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday between 10am and 5pm, and we're waiving our usual fees over the course of the weekend. 

It's probably best to send us a quick email in advance to let us know when you'd like to come over and have a go (stratfordarcherycentre@gmail.com), tell us how many will be in your group too... then just in case the weather looks poor, give us a call on 07920273476 just to make sure we haven't been rained off before you make your journey (...it's the Bank Holiday in Britain after all ;-).

If you want to have a free swim in the pool during your visit, you'll need to register your details at http://www.leisureandspaatqhotels.co.uk/ in advance, and to make sure you take advantage of those cheap hotel accommodation, dinner and theatre ticket deals via Stratford Manor, we advise you enquire and book as early as possible (http://www.qhotels.co.uk/hotels/stratford-manor-warwickshire.aspx).

Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Key to managing any successful business is maintaining a healthy, professional and transparent relationship with suppliers.

Here at Stratford Archery Centre, we are asked by customers where they can go to buy archery equipment similar to that we use.

Most of the bows we use are made by Matthews, and we use Merlin Archery Ltd to supply us with all our archery stock.

We are more than happy to supply direct to our customers of course (as you can see from our Products), but we have found from experience that being able to visit a shop with huge amounts of stock, friendly people with years of knowledge and experience, and the ability to recommend alternatives for consideration pays dividends for the customer in the long-term.

That's why we have such a healthy relationship with Merlin Archery Ltd - they supply us, and we refer our enquiries to them. We can rely on them to give good solid advice, and also deliver quality products at competitive prices.

For more information, please visit the Merlin Archery Ltd website.