clay pigeon shooting – The Activity People Blog

5 Valentine’s Activities Guaranteed To Get Your Heart Racing!

There’s more than one way to get your heart racing this Valentine’s Day, and with just over one week left before the big day it’s probably a good time to start thinking about what’s going to make the perfect present. With that in mind here’s a look at some Valentine’s treats that are guaranteed to make your day even more memorable, and more importantly save you from the annual last minute trolley dash!

Romantic Shoot and Stay

For a romantic getaway you’ll both love a shoot and stay voucher is the complete package and combines the rest and relaxation of a short break with the fun and thrills of a clay pigeon shooting experience. Your break starts at the shooting ground where you and your partner will take on either 25 or 50 clays each before heading back to your hotel for a romantic meal and relaxing overnight stay, all included in the cost.

Tandem Bungee Jump

If you’re looking for a more extreme adrenalin rush to take on as a twosome, a tandem bungee jump is a surefire way to find out how brave you really are! Strapped together by your ankles, you and your partner will take the ultimate leap of faith from 160ft in the air. Whether you leap from a bridge or crane sharing this truly once in a lifetime activity is guaranteed to bring you closer together, after all how many couples can say they spent Valentine’s Day hurtling head first towards the ground!

Hot Air Balloon Ride

Take your romance to new heights by heading for the clouds in the wicker basket of a hot air balloon for a unique bird’s eye view of some of the most picturesque parts of the UK. The giant balloons ascend to heights of between 500-1500 feet and can travel up to 10 miles in a single journey giving you the perfect opportunity to take in the sights as you glide along the horizon. Once you’re back on the safety of solid ground it’s tradition to raise a glass to a successful flight, and any experience which finishes with a glass of champagne is guaranteed to score you some serious brownie points!

Segway Experience

If you’re looking for an activity that guarantees fun, look no further! From full throttle races, to off-road treks and tours almost anything is possible on a Segway. The futuristic transporters may only have a top speed of 12.5 mph but they’re perfect for racing! Thrashing your Valentine in a Segway race and rubbing it in their face all day probably isn’t the most romantic way to spend a day, so if you’re looking for a more sedate experience there are a whole host of parks, off-road tracks and even country estates that are perfect for exploring on a Segway.

Zorbing

This awesome activity is guaranteed to have you head over heels by the end of the day as you and your partner climb inside a giant Zorb ball for the ride of your lives! Secured on opposite sides of the ball by harness you’ll be able to see the look of terror on each others faces as you bump, bounce, rock and roll down the steep sloped track. Once the initial shock of bouncing down a hillside in giant ball has passed the laughter kicks in, and you’re guaranteed to be in stitches when the ball finally comes to a halt at the bottom of the track.

Karting

If you’re always arguing about who’s the better driver this is definitely one way to settle the argument for good! A day at the track gives you the perfect opportunity to let out all that built up frustration and satisfy your need for speed as you battle it out to be first across the line. If you’ve not got a score to settle karting can be just as much fun, but it does make victory taste that little bit sweeter! Who said romance was dead?

New Years Bucket List: 10 Activities to Try in 2015

If after a week you’re already thinking about giving up on your New Year’s resolutions why not aim to tick a few things off your bucket list in 2015 instead, and if you’re in need of a bit of inspiration here’s 10 awesome activities to try in the new year.

1. Bungee Jumping

Whether you choose to go it alone or drag a friend along for a tandem bungee jump nothing comes close to the rush of plummeting towards the ground head first!

2. Skydiving

Jumping out of a plane at 15,000 feet might not be everybody’s idea of fun, but this truly once-in-a-lifetime experience is guaranteed to push your adrenalin levels to new heights.

3. Zorbing

These bonkers bouncy balls are as fun as they are thrilling, and as you bump and bounce down the sloped track you’re guaranteed to be in stitches!

4. Clay Pigeon Shooting

There’s nothing more satisfying than blowing clays to smithereens as they soar through the air so why not put your sharp shooting skills to the ultimate test!

5. Supercar Driving Experience

Celebrate the new year in style by getting behind the wheel of the car of your dreams and finding out what it’s really capable of by putting it through its paces on the track.

6. White Water Rafting

Britain is home to some of the wildest white water in the world which means there’s no better place to experience the intense excitement of negotiating boulder strewn rapids.

7. 4×4 Off-Road Driving

Why not put your driving skills to the ultimate test by heading off the beaten to take on a mad and muddy off-road driving course.

8. Paintball

If you’ve always dreamt of unleashing your inner action hero, paintball gives you the perfect opportunity to live out your childhood dreams, no matter how old you are!

9. Segway

From flat out races to off-road treks there’s no end to the fun that can be had on Segway, and almost anybody can master the art of riding the futuristic transporter.

10. Quad Biking

Quad bikes can conquer almost any terrain so get ready for some mud churning mayhem as you take on the ultimate off-road adventure.

New to Clay Pigeon Shooting? Our 5 useful hints

1.Determine your dominant eye

Prepare for your shoot by finding out which is your dominant eye before you go to the clay shooting venue. It is important to bear in mind that dominant eye does not always follow dominant hand, however by using this simple test you can decide which eye to use to look down the barrel of the gun to focus on the target

Focus on an object in a room and point at it. Close your left eye and if you can still see that object at the end of your finger this means that you are right eye dominant. If it has moved away from your finger open your left eye and close your right eye, be careful not to move your hand. If you are left hand dominant that same object will be back at the end of your finger. Simple as that!

2.Mounting the gun correctly

Holding the gun correctly is crucial to firing the shot comfortably and accurately. With the help of your instructor you need to aim for the butt of the shotgun to sit in the groove in your shoulder joint. Hold the shotgun tight to ensure that the kick of the gun doesn’t impact on you when fired.

Your front hand should be placed as far down the barrel as possible whilst still allowing you to hold the gun tightly.

3.Comfortable and strong standing position

Your standing position is important to maintain accuracy when firing the gun. Both feet facing forward, with the foot opposite your trigger finger being the furthest forward. Use this foot for the majority of your weight to lean on as it is this that keeps you steady and helps maintain your balance.

4.Bring your head to the shotgun

If you are a first time shooter it will be very tempting to bring the gun upwards instead of bringing your head to the shotgun. If you can bring your head down to the shotgun you should be able to see right down the barrel and see your target much clearer. Don’t worry if you don’t get this right at the start, the instructor will always be on hand to guide you with this.

5.Stay steady and calm while firing

Hitting your clays generally comes down to two factors – your positioning and not delaying your shot. You will get lots of hints and tips but here’s some more that will impress even the most experienced instructor.

Follow the clay as it comes out of the trap, keep your eye down the barrel and be sure to keep the bead at the end of your gun inline. Resist the temptation to follow the clay with just your eye, you need the barrel to follow your line of sight too. Squeeze the trigger just as the clay disappears out of your line of sight.

One last tip, shoot the clay as its rising, once it starts to fall it may be best to wait for the next clay!

This time of year is simply perfect for clay shooting so why not give it a go?

Clay Pigeon Shooting – How it all started

Continue reading Clay Pigeon Shooting – How it all started

It’s Official! Karting Can Make You More Successful!

You may have noticed an upturn in the fortunes of Premier League football club West Ham United over the past couple of weeks. But did you know that their improvement in form coincided directly with a team kart race and clay pigeon shoot?

Early in February, the relegation battlers were beaten at home by Birmingham City, before scraping a late draw against similarly relegation threatened West Bromwich Albion.

That’s when manager Avram Grant decided to introduce a brand new tactic; but not on the football field, on the kart track.

Grant took his underperforming athletes to enjoy a day of high speed karting followed by clay shooting. In his own words, the manager told The Telegraph “we decided to take the individuals to be as a team together”.

Since then the Hammers have picked up two very impressing victories, thumping Burnley in the FA Cup before doing exactly the same to an in form Liverpool in their last league game. It’s widely thought that their 3-1 demolition of Kenny Dalglish’s reds ranks as their best performance so far in the season, and Grant is in no doubt that the club’s rubber-burning, trigger-pumping day out has played a vital role in their sensational resurgence.

“It was good for the team. It was very successful. It was nice to see them enjoying themselves away from everything.”

Action-packed away days are a great way for any team or company to escape the rigours of their daily workload, and recharge their batteries so that when they return to work, they’re ready to give their best.

There isn’t a better way to turn your ‘individuals’ into a ‘team’.

Don’t believe us? Just ask the nearest West Ham fan.

If you’re interested in organising a lightning fast go kart grand prix, a spectacular clay pigeon shoot, an all guns blazing paintball war, a skydive or more, there are hundreds of options available through The Activity People, and you can find them all right here.

Game to improve your aim !!

Practice makes perfect and you can hit the bulls eye every time !

This simple and fun game will help improve your aim.

You will need:

Rubber Bands
Sticky tape or blu tack
and lots of paper.

MISSILES (heh, only paper ones!)

Get lots of regular pieces of printer paper and cut them into strips about 1 inch wide.
Fold each strip in half long ways 2 times. Then fold it short ways once. Then long ways 2 more times. Do this with all the 1 inch wide strips of paper until you have a nice stockpile of paper missiles!
Get a rubber band and stretch them between your index (pointer) finger and thumb.
In order to shoot load a missile on the half of rubber band closest to your target.

TARGET

Stack 5 pieces of paper so they lay on top of each other (the extra layers protect the surface behind the target from marking).
Draw a bulls eye on the front sheet.
Tape it or blu tack to a vertical surface (but not a wall as the missiles can leave a mark on paintwork or wallpaper if you fire with enough power and miss!).
Practice shooting the target until the bulls eye is an easy target!

WARNING (we know you will be sensible but just in case!):

If fired with enough power the missiles CAN HURT, so be careful.
NEVER shoot at the face.
DO NOT play this game at School – you could be suspended or, worse, expelled.
NEVER EVER add nails or staples to your missiles – you could really hurt someone.

Now to put your expert aim to the test…………..sites nationwide:

Essential Bond

1. How to make the perfect martini:

There are numerous way to make a Martini: gin or vodka, little or no vermouth, stirred or shaken and an olive or lemon twist garnish

The following recipe is for the classic Martini – remember to shake if you want to go Classic 007:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1 green olive or lemon twist for garnish
orange or Angostura bitters (optional)

Preparation:

Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass or shaker filled with ice cubes.
Stir or shake for 30 seconds.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Add a dash of orange or angostura bitters if desired
Garnish with the olive or lemon twist.

Variations in the classic Martini:

Dry Martini- Traditionally uses more dry vermouth, however recent trends define a Dry Martini as using little or no vermouth.
Bone Dry or Desert Martini- No vermouth.
Gibson- Garnish with a cocktail onion.
Perfect Martini- Use equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth.
Dirty Martini- Add a small amount of olive brine.
50-50-Use equal parts of gin and dry vermouth.
Vodka Martini- Replace gin with vodka for a nice alternative.

2. Drive an Aston Martin

Experience the thrill of driving a Supercar at one of the many superb venues available nationwide. These experience days are truly unforgettable, a must for Petrolheads and Bond enthusiasts alike.

3. Perfect your aim

Take some time to perfect your aim in paintball, lasercombat, clay pigeon shooting or even archery. Bond is an expert in all 4 and more besides………………moderately good at 1 is a good start and probably a damn sight better than any of your friends!

4. Learn the art of seduction

Some basic (but useful nevertheless) pointers in the minefield that is seduction:

Read the body language of the object of your attentions. And adjust your approaches accordingly – if you are being met with blocking signals…..back off gracefully, desperation isn’t particularly suave.
Flirtation should be subtle but unmistakable. Flirtation should never be coarse.
Be funny and fun – making someone laugh can be hugely attractive.
Don’t be pushy about your feelings. Gentle persuasion always yields better results.
And should you strike out, don’t be disheartened. Your Bond Girl is out there somewhere.

5. Learn the art of survival.

Watching back to back Bear Grylls could give you a few pointers on this! Alternatively taking part in some outdoor activities such as horse riding, orienteering or land yachting will definitely start you off on the right track.

Have fun out there!