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I've always booked Short Siberia 100 yards bench during weekdays for, oh, must be five years or so now, because it's easy to park near the firing points and not have to lug heavy equipment too far, the butts are a short walk, and most of all because it's relatively quiet during weekdays.

Tried to book online today and was put on Century. Thought I must have made a mistake and re-booked - again stuck on Century. Phoned the Range Office and was informed it's always fully booked during the weekdays. "What about next week?" Same story - and apparently "It's been like that for the past three years." Always fully booked from Monday to Friday - quieter on weekends.

This is news to me. Are the ranges open on Mondays now? For the past three years it's always been the opposite - busy on weekends (because people aren't at work) and quiet weekdays (because people are at work). And the ranges were closed Mondays. Certainly was the case when I shot last month with only two other shooters on the other benches on a Friday.

Have things drastically changed?

The Nuclear Police have Short Siberia during the week.
Nice little earner!

dodgyrog wrote:The Nuclear Police have Short Siberia during the week.
Nice little earner!

yep supposedly the black clad ninjas have paid for most of the works to improve the range so it seems fair that they get to play in the week.

They are also renting space from the NSRA in the Lord Roberts Centre for classrooms and offices I believe.

Alan

20series wrote: They are also renting space from the NSRA in the Lord Roberts Centre for classrooms and offices I believe.

I believe that's correct.

But they STILL lost money again last year!

20series wrote:

dodgyrog wrote:The Nuclear Police have Short Siberia during the week.
Nice little earner!

yep supposedly the black clad ninjas have paid for most of the works to improve the range so it seems fair that they get to play in the week.

They are also renting space from the NSRA in the Lord Roberts Centre for classrooms and offices I believe.

Alan

I must have missed the improvements on Short Siberia bench - looks exactly like it has always looked to me - right down to the cheap plastic chairs and an out of order toilet.

Dark Skies wrote:

20series wrote:

dodgyrog wrote:The Nuclear Police have Short Siberia during the week.
Nice little earner!

yep supposedly the black clad ninjas have paid for most of the works to improve the range so it seems fair that they get to play in the week.

They are also renting space from the NSRA in the Lord Roberts Centre for classrooms and offices I believe.

Alan

I must have missed the improvements on Short Siberia bench - looks exactly like it has always looked to me - right down to the cheap plastic chairs and an out of order toilet.

You haven't been able to hire Siberia on weekdays for years - and you seem to have missed the toilet block positioned next to it now, rather than the single dubious portaloo.

No, I saw the toilet - adjacent to the path leading to the butts and it was closed.

And I've only ever booked weekdays on Short Siberia - to avoid the chatty Kathys.

I was there in June - here's my booking.

NRA (Practice) Fri 13 Jun 2014 PM Short Siberia 100 Bench Confirmed Fullbore NRA Face

Dark Skies wrote:No, I saw the toilet - adjacent to the path leading to the butts and it was closed.

Are you sure you're not talking about the porta-loos that have always been there?...There is now a proper toilet block in the SS car park - There is also one on Century, but both could be mistaken for a builder's porta-cabin if you didn't know...

...they are well kept, and one of the best improvements to Bisley this year.

Since the Nuke cops took over SS during the week, 200 yard bookings have been put on Century Butt 19 - This isn't so bad, as the drainage and firing points have had some recent works completed, and are easily accessible from the 300 yard car park on the way to SS...there is only porta-loos there, but the block at SS is only a short walk.

Dougan wrote:

Dark Skies wrote:No, I saw the toilet - adjacent to the path leading to the butts and it was closed.

Are you sure you're not talking about the porta-loos that have always been there?...There is now a proper toilet block in the SS car park - There is also one on Century, but both could be mistaken for a builder's porta-cabin if you didn't know...

...they are well kept, and one of the best improvements to Bisley this year.

Since the Nuke cops took over SS during the week, 200 yard bookings have been put on Century Butt 19 - This isn't so bad, as the drainage and firing points have had some recent works completed, and are easily accessible from the 300 yard car park on the way to SS...there is only porta-loos there, but the block at SS is only a short walk.

No, I'm talking about the two toilets side by side on the edge of the car park to your left if you were about to walk down to the butts.

And if these toilets are the improvements that were paid for by the police (for their own benefit) in exchange for monopolizing Short Siberia every week then I as a member feel shortchanged. I don't drive 120 miles (round trip) and pay almost £40 a pop (on top of membership) to take a leak in an okay-ish toilet - I go there to shoot. Something I only get to do around six times a year due work, the distance, and horrendous traffic on the return trip.