"Surprise Photograph" 1928

[Woodsy]

At high school in the early '60's we had 2 ranges; 25 yards for the No8 .22's and a 300 yard range for everything else. We shot No4 .303's mostly but also used Brens, Vickers and Sterlings, plus demos with the then newly issued L1A1 SLR's. The school armoury had over 500 rifles plus MG's. We also had a mortar platoon that used to fire 3" practice bombs diagonally over the playing field while the rest of us were doing drill in the middle. The School Cadets training was compulsory for all boys unless they had a written medical exemption. Nowadays only a very small number of schools have a cadet programme and it is voluntary, with fairly low participation. The 300 yard range at my old school is now the school golf course but the 25 yard range is still in use and they have a clay target range as well, so all is not lost!