Above Photo: Graham “Sleepy” Mutrie takes aim

If you have read the October 1971 issue of the Old Guv’s “Topical Points” you could be excused for thinking it was a copy of Australia’s “Guns and Ammo”.

At that time rifle shooting was a big thing at the Guv with a number of “elitist” shooting groups all over the building.

But the group that was run out of the “Intertype Room” was the one that everyone fought to get into.

The leader of that pack was our very own Father Christmas, the late Jack Findlay.

People like David Lascelles, and others who could afford the club fee were also members.

Membership was by invitation only, so how did a Binder make the side.

Well, the late Des Brown must have been a good rifle man because he won the Bonython Trophy for being able to shoot a running man at 300 yards.

Brian “Grubby” Hartshorne won the Pat Garrett Trophy for the Best In the Back Shot at 2 yards.

Grubs was brilliant at that, but then he had a good master in Jack Findlay, of course, who won the Clint Eastwood ‘Make My Day’ Trophy for 20 years running.

Jack Findlay’s mentor was the late Les “The Bull” Hawes, Government Printer. “A nice man” according to our Grubs.

The Bull trained as a urban sniper by practising on an Old Guv “shitboy” known only as “The Toff” as he reluctantly swept up the flame tree leaves on the King William Road footpath outside of the Old Guv.

Then there is the crazy story of the Machine Room Duck Hunters, that’s to come…

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