Roger Silcox, Proprietor Roses Wood Shooting School, Senior CPSA Staff
Tutor, Honorary life Chairman of the Institute of Clay Shooting Instructors,
(Retired).
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I worked full time for and was tutored by Roger at his Roses Wood
Shooting School, Somerset from 1991 to 1993, I assisted him in the making
of his instructional videos; Shooting Straight & Shooting straight at
Competition. I carried on working for him as a Locum Instructor until 1998.​
I will forever owe this great man an immeasurable debt of gratitude in making me the Coach that I am today.
Christopher (Chris) Craddock (Decd.) Holland & Holland S.S., Senior CPSA Staff Tutor & Director, Author.
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I was introduced to Chris Craddock, who was Roger’s own mentor and friend, during my time at Roses Wood. I spent 2 to 3 hours every Thursday evening at Chris’s House in Bath, where he taught me my Gun Fitting Skills and passed on to me a vast amount of personal knowledge for Game & Clay shooting skills.
He allowed me access to his substantial personal library of books on the historical background to traditional shooting sports, gun fitting and British fine gun manufacturers and explained how his time working with the Great Robert Churchill shaped his own coaching career and teaching methods.
He was a true Font of Knowledge and a true English Country Gentleman; I have been incredibly fortunate and incredibly privileged to have been trained by one of shootings Greats!
Sam Grice, Proprietor of Long Acres S.S. Cambridge, Current Senior CPSA Staff Tutor, Fellow of the Institute of Clay Shooting Instructors, Author, Retired Cambridge College Master
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I first met Sam when he was a CPSA Staff Tutor on my club coaching course in 1991, then in 1993 after I finished at Roses Wood S.S Sam offered ne the position of Senior Instructor at his Long Acres Shooting School, Great Wilbraham Cambridge. It was under Sam’s tutoring and daily guidance that I truly learnt how to Coach and pass on the technical skills and Knowledge I had acquired.
Part of my duties whilst at Long Acres Shooting School would be to regularly accompany Clients (both adult and junior) on shoot days and hunting trips to provide instruction and safety supervision in the field. Also as a result of my association with the Long Acres S.S, in 2008 I was offered the position of Estate Manager and Shoot Captain for the 4000 acre Dunira Estate in Perthshire, Scotland.
My duties included commercialising the Estates game shooting and deer stalking operations, the management of all Shoot hospitality, liaison with the Keeper and his staff with relation to the management of bird stocks and presentation of drives on all shoot days.
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Over the next 15 years he became my close friend, life mentor and on many occasions a 'Guardian Angel'. He is not only the last of the 'True Greats' of Classic British Instructors. He is the best 'Partridge Shot' I have ever seen.
Brian Hammond, CPSA Development officer, CPSA Staff
Tutor, CPSA Advisor to the British Home office for legal
issues (Retired)
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Brian was also a Staff tutor on my first coaching course
in 1991, as the CPSA Development Officer at the time he
helped me deal with Noise and Planning Issues at my
Shooting Club and School, then went on to teach me
about the legal aspects of running shooting grounds,
how to reduce noise pollution using effective earth
bunding and tree planting schemes, health & safety
in shooting ground operations.
He had a huge depth of knowledge about the legal aspect of all shooting sports and was on the consultation committee dealing with the Home Office over shooting issues. In my opinion, he was a great loss to the CPSA when he decided to resign in the early 90’s.
Joe Wheater (Decd), Clay Target Shooting World Champion and British Olympic Team member, Proprietor of The Grantham S.S.,
​Joe was one of the UK’s most successful Shooters during the 60’s & 70’s he shot in the G.B Team at the 1956, 1960 & 64 Olympics he was the British Open Sporting Champion in 1956, 60, 61,62, 64 and then again in 1971 & 72, I was incredibly fortunate to be introduced to him by Chris Craddock. I spent many weeks staying at his home on his own shooting ground and shooting School, where he instructed me on the skills needed for Shooting Competitive Sporting Clays at Championship level.
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He was a “No Nonsense Yorkshireman" who said that in his early Competition days he had no choice but to win as he needed to get the “Bus Fare Home”.
A great man who really deserves to be remembered by British shooters. He achieved something that even 'George Digweed' or the more recent Top Guns haven’t, and that is to win a British Open Sporting Championships in the same years as Shooting in the G.B Olympic Squad.
​He is one of my all time shooting Heroes!
