New Range Opened !

Phoenix Shooters Association UK have opened the first new range in the Wirral area for over fifty years.

Thanks to the support of Mostyn House School  ( See http://www.mostynhouse.co.uk/ ) Phoenix Shooters Association has built a range in an air-raid shelter which was built by the school just before the second world war. In those days Mostyn House was a boarding school, so the shelter was big enough to contain all the pupils and staff.

It was also used as an indoor cricket "pitch", although I'd hate to have been a batsman facing a fast ball under the 40 watt light bulbs which provided the lighting in those days.   It became known as "the dive" after it was closed for use for anything other than storage, and so it remained for many years.

As we all know shooting ranges have been closing left right and centre, and we know of at least six in the Wirral alone which have closed in the past twenty years. The new Home Office guidance on ranges has made life a little easier, although we have to admit it has still been a considerable struggle. The only range that we know of in the Wirral that has opened in the last fifty years (probably far longer) is the Grange R&PC - at http://www.grangeshooting.co.uk/

PSA has been working with Mostyn House School over the past two years, and on 27th February - about a year ahead of the original estimate - the range had it's official opening - two years ahead of sechedule.  This is due to the hard work and dedication of our members, and the helpfulness of the staff at the school who after all, have many far more important priorities.

Mostyn House is one of the very few schools in the North West to offer shooting as a sport or activity, and they supported our sport even in the dark days of the late '90s. We thank them for this support.