Are you going to Martinborough fair?

I was hoping to post this piece before the 1^st of February, but alas real life intruded and I had to postpone completing this post. Therefore, this post has been edited and completed after the fact. A most unsatisfactory eventuality but necessary considering the intervening/interfering and interposing circumstances. Arse.

And so it came to pass......

This coming Saturday (1^st February 2020) unveils the Martinborough Fair: the premier event in the Wairarapa calendar. For on this day (for it is none other) the centre of Martinborough (twinned with Tipton) is closed to all vehicular traffic as up to 500 stalls set pitch and ply their goods according to their want. And on this day, Flaxen Saxon and his son, Adelbert ‘The Unsteady’ will be hawking our various and sundry goods, comprising: bows, arrows, archery arm guards, protective finger tabs, slingshots, and knives- the stabby variety. 

This year, we will set a stall showcasing our bows and archery accessories as a prelude to the launch of our new venture (nay adventure) ‘Saxon Archery’. My son has assured his hoary old father that the website is about to go live and subsequent to this prestigious event, bows will be offered for sale on ‘Trade Me’- the New Zealand equivalent of e-bay. Addendum: the web site is indeed ‘live’ and can be accessed here: WWW.SAXON.CO.NZ

A lot of effort has been put forth, especially by my son, who has been responsible for the construction, design, and population of the site with articles. My role has been to provide content in the form of articles and take a few photos/videos of bows in action.

The weather this Saturday tide is predicted to be fine and our ‘pitch’ of 18 square metres will encompass a 3m x 3m awning to provide respite from the unrelenting Wairarapa sun. This represents a sound policy as the sun and the heat in this part of the world, and at this time, has been known to send sensible and sane men quite mad. What effect it will have on my tenuous grip on reality is difficult to predict.

An early start is predicted and it is hoped we will alight in Martinborough about 7.00am (we made it for 7.45am- but more on this is in the followup post). This will provide ample to time to pitch site, assemble the canopy and trestle tables allowing the placement of bows and associated fine accouterments.

Our main items for sale will be the ‘Thunnor’ and ‘Frigga’ Bows. Thunnor has a draw weight of about 39lbs. This bow is aimed (geddit?) at the more experienced archer who appreciates a quality bow at an intermediate draw weight. Although the bow is sold as ‘bare’ and ‘denuded’ (redundant tautology), attachments can be added, such as, sights, a clicker, a sophisticated arrow rest and stabiliser rods. This bow would suit an individual hankering for an Olympic style bow and consequently, the bow is fully ILF compliant (see/seek explanatory note at the end of this blog post). The riser is composed of durable magnesium, aluminum alloy, while the limbs are made of glass fibre overlaying a wood core.

Our second bow (Frigga) is suitable for the novice archer and is priced accordingly. This allows the newbie to savour, nay wallow, in the delightful archery experience without spending/expending too much gelt (tight arse wads). The bow breaks down into three pieces for ease of carrying and can be reassembled in but the blink of an eye without tools. Also, the draw weight is a tad lighter than Thunnor at a mere 30lbs. The riser is aluminum, and like Thunnor, the limbs are a mix of fibre glass and wood. Traditional bows will be available for archers wishing to pursue a pure and unsophisticated archery experience. Feel the atavistic thrill that can only be obtained from the simple, but alluring, ‘stick and string’ and let us not forget their historical and cultural significance. In addition, I’ll demonstrate a few of my own bows, to a populace agog, such as the English longbow and a cavalcade of Asian horse bows. Perhaps I shall be moved to put forth a show whereby I will exhibit my arrow casting skills by shooting an apple off Adelbert’s head..........Not to worry- I have another son in reserve.

Lastly, there will appear a gaggle of fine knives for sale. A mixture of ‘folders’ and ‘bush’ style knives will be exhibited under a custom-designed glass spring-hinged draw container. Health and Safety always remains a top priority with the flaxen haired one and the cunningly fashioned container is designed to shut down like a steel bear trap and remove the digits from any ‘customer’ with light-fingered tendencies. All fingers thusly and justly removed will be returned to their rightful owners after a thorough and exhaustive inspection.

To be honest, we are not expecting to sell much in terms of inventory. Tis more about showcasing our brand and promoting our company to a wider audience. It is estimated that about 15,000 people will attend this year, so it well worth the effort.

Anyway, we shall see how it all transpires. Hopefully, we will elicit a lot of healthy interest. A further post will ensue next week to provide feedback on the day’s proceedings.

Note: The acronym ILF stands for International Limb Fitting. Limbs of this type can be fitted to any number of ILF risers. Thereby limbs can be exchanged and the bow upgraded without discarding the riser. This enables a cost-effective bow system not limited/allied to a particular archery brand.