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We first interviewed  Annette in her shop in Roche Close in the new part of Rochford a little under three months ago. As we are at the beginning of the year, we popped in to wish her a happy new year and the following conversation ensued:
   
Rochford Life: It’s a new year. How was last year?
Annette: Last year wasn’t too bad. It had its ups and downs but this time last year being mid-recession we didn’t have too many orders  This year I’ve had more orders before Christmas but because of the snow people haven’t been able to get in and collect. I’m hoping that someone will come in during the next two or three days to collect a bow that I specially ordered for Christmas because he wanted it as a Christmas present.  

RL: We’ve just had a jump in VAT. Will that affect you much, do you think?
Annette: With it being a specialist type of equipment that I do I don’t think it is going to affect too much. It may do, may not; it’s early days and I can’t really say.  Some prices have gone up but some have gone down, which is quite nice. It’s early days but I’m hoping it’s not going to interfere much and that people are going to carry on doing their sport.

RL: I assume that when somebody starts a sport like this, they will carry on and continue to buy the things they need for it?
Annette: That’s right. I didn’t see a major rush prior to the VAT increase. I didn’t exactly see people queuing in the street when VAT went down, so who knows what is going to happen.

RL: Hopes and aspirations for this coming year?
Annette: I would say getting into more clubs and getting my name out there more. The biggest bugbear I do have at the moment is getting around the coaches because coaches tend to send their trainees off to companies they have dealt with for donkey’s years, which is fair enough but it would be nice if some people could break the mould because you are only as good as your last sale and if you had a bad sale you need to put it right but that doesn’t always happen...  

RL: And you have a lot of experience to give customers....
Annette: Well this shop is run by a level 1 coach. I have a young lad who comes in here who is an Archery Leader and he knows how to coach people but is limited. I’m soon to be assessed to become level 2; there are four grades so I’m almost half way through. I’d just like some of the coaches to give me a chance to prove that I do know stuff. Some people have actually given me a chance and the feedback that I’ve had has been that I do know my subject.  

RL: What do you have to do to get through a level 2?
Annette:  I need to have two assessments. One is on my knowledge of ‘recurve’, that’s the longbow here, it’s the way they come back when the string is pulled and they recoil. This is the main bow that a lot of people use. I’ve had a major learning curve in the last three months on the compact (the small bows) and how to service one. As you can see I have one in the press at the moment. I actually now shoot one myself. So I need to be assessed on that one.  I’ve had eight weeks of school type training  in a village hall up in Hertfordshire and been given great big manuals to follow and it’s been quite intensive.

RL: It sounds like you can keep on and keep on learning?
Annette: Yes, that’s what I love about archery you never stop learning, even down to the products. They bring out different ideas, different theories and so it is a subject in which you don’t stop learning. Some people go into a lot of detail; they weigh their arrows, they weigh their shafts, they weigh the points and if the points are a little bit out, they’ll take a little bit off the point to try to get match sets. It can go on and on!    

RL: Well as I said when I listened to you before, I am learning an immense amount, and it sound like you have been as well. Well, may your hopes for the expansion of your reputation be fulfilled in this new year. Thank you again for the time you’ve given me.