PRIZES - THE MILLERS MILE - FISHING RULES
The Winner of each event will receive a winners medal + another prize if produced in time of a music cd made by Louis our compere here at Mortimers Cross Mill in 2005. The cd is called “Gone Fishing” and features a song called “The Millers Mile”. It was Louis who came up with the name for our Coracle tournament race.Incidentally the time to beat set by Peter Faulkner in 2005 is 7 minutes 12.28 seconds. The slowest time so far is 28 minutes 51.84 seconds !

Louis is well known around Shrewsbury for his Folkadelic music gigs and internationally for his work with John Fox formerly with Ultravox. So a BIG thank you to Louis for sparing the time compering our event!

The Coracler with the most winners medals at the end of the weekend event will be declared overall champion and given a special prize.

There will be no entry fee for the fishing competitions and no prize money. The competition just provides a sporting opportunity to practise the art of fly fishing from a Coracle in a water stuffed with trout. There is a Mortimers Cross Mill Challenge Trophy awarded annually for the heaviest trout caught on the fly.Rules of the fly fishing from a Coracle competition are only a fly rod may be used and the angler must be sitting in the coracle.Only a dry fly or nymph may be used. Definitely no reservoir type lures!Only one fish of 12 inches (30 cm) or larger may be killed for eating (that’s about the length of this sheet of paper).The sporting angler who catches and releases the most fish will win a medal in each competition and the heaviest fish caught will be entered in our annual competition. All tackle must be kept in pockets.No haversacks or bags allowed.This will prevent anyone killing every fish they catch and secreting them away!Barbless hooks preferred. Anglers may get out and run to a new spot carrying their Coracle but must NOT paddle past a fellow Coracler nor cast into their swim! Please be aware you may be being watched by curious bystanders. Watch your back cast doesn’t hook anyone and please take care to present our art in as good a light as possible. Remember Izaak Walton`s immortal words “Study to be quiet”. Sitting quietly in a Coracle waiting for a fish to rise nearby then casting to it is a whole lot more effective than paddling furiously to each rising fish and frightening the fish with your paddle strokes. If you walk up river through the woods a mile you will come to a field which is the boundary fence of the river bed that I own. It is possible to get a landrover to this spot with difficulty. The paddle back offers a lot of fast thrills and spills water. We call it “Going on Safari”. My fishing rights stop a little way downstream of this field by the lime kilns. Marked by an office chair leaning against a tree. So much more easily understood than a sign!

COSTS
This weekend event is costing Mortimers Cross Mill Limited just under £1000. That’s why we are charging entry fees for non coraclers of £4 per car, £6 per van, £10 per mini bus, £20 per coach and £2 each for pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists. All persons bringing Coracles to the event are free to enter and may use Mill Stream Lane to drive down to bring their Coracle to the waters edge. Please be aware the entrance off the road has a ramp on it and there is a very steep corner with awkward camber to negotiate on to Mill Stream Lane. Ferraris and similar low to the ground vehicles will get stuck. Don't forget this is an historic industrial site and a farm not a purpose built tourist attraction. You could help us financially by buying a copy of Louis` cd off Jeanette at her drinks tent for £10, buying lots of nice things off the other stall holders and paying the £3 per person per night camping fees. We are giving 50% of the gate money to The Lugg & Arrow Fisheries Association who have been asked to come up with £30,000 by The Wye and Usk Foundation to improve the habitat of the Atlantic Salmon in the rivers Lugg and Arrow.

25% of the gate will be given to The Coracle Society and 25% retained for setting up costs. Is there anyone in your party who could spare an hour or two helping man the gate or guide cars? Is there anyone in your party who could volunteer to be a steward on a rota and/or teach people how to make a model of a coracle?

MODEL MAKING
I thought having a duck race would be fun but using little model Coracles instead of yellow plastic ducks.If you bring a model or make one on site,please write your name on its seat! I wrote to 120 schools in a 50 mile radius of here inviting them to take part.I`ve not heard back from any of them. I asked a European funded group called Herefordshire rivers dot org to put the event into their internet diary of events. It would have cost them a few minutes of their time. They did not bother. I have invited several other organisations and schools locally to get involved or use our facilities and they haven’t bothered either. I`m not bovered but will be if all 120 schools turn up on the day and bring 50 models each! So write your name on yours!


TIMES
Sometimes during a lull, local naturalist Peter Faulkner will take a group off into the woods and meadows naming the massive abundance of wild flowers for which this property is renowned. Interestingly DEFRA sent their officer round in the winter who declared the property unworthy of merit. Peter will charge £1 per person to impart his knowledge.

Friday 7pm to 9pm
Fly Fishing from a Coracle

Saturday 7.30am to 9am
Fly Fishing from a Coracle (subject to demand)

Saturday 9.30am to 12 noon
Model Making in the main marquee and Model Coracle Racing in the river Lugg

Depending on numbers 4 separate competitions will be held for Primary school age,secondary school age,sixth form age,adults and another for radio controlled model coracles.A winners medal will be awarded to the winner of each class. A Medal will be awarded for the best home made model coracle in the various age groups. Judge: Chairperson of the Coracle Society, Peter Faulkner.

Saturday 12noon to 2pm - Race the Millers Mile
This race starts touching the wooden foot bridge by the Water Mill. Bear in mind this area is a scheduled ancient monument so don’t stand on the bridge leaning on its hand rail or stand/lean on the metal fencing. The essential thing is to find someone responsible to time you on a reliable mobile phone stop watch! If I can get away from manning the gate and car park, I will time you. You can push off from the footbridge and paddle up the mill stream. You get out by the alder log bridge. This rudimentary bridge is out of bounds and not to be used by anyone.Sorry! Its not safe! Run across the piece of ground to the river Lugg below the weir. Don’t trample through my willow arbour! Paddle downstream of the river Lugg back to the wall by the Mill. As soon as you touch the wall with hand or paddle the race is over and the time must be recorded and witnessed. Racing the Millers Mile can be undertaken at other times during the weekend but you must find a steward to keep an eye on your progress and someone with a stop watch. You could volunteer to be a steward if you are wanting to help You can borrow a special jacket!

Saturday 2.30pm - Grand Parade of frivolously dressed Coraclers
Jeanette will judge the winner and award a medal!

All the following races may be divided into heats to allow competitors space in the limited river width available. The finals of the heats will be held immediately.

3 pm ish 1st Race !
Adults 60 metres. Start on start line. Paddle downstream. Go around the buoy & paddle back to finish.
2nd Race Ladies 60 metre
3rd Race 18 yrs and under 60 metres
4th Race One Handed 60 metre race (Competitors spotted using two hands will be disqualified,but they may
change hands, because I know, its really tiring)
5th Race Hide Coracle Owners 60 metres Race
6th Race Non Winners Race 60 metres. For anyone who didn’t get 1st,2nd or 3rd in previous races)
7th Race Novices Race 30 metres (For people who have never entered a Coracle race before) Experienced members are asked to be on hand to help anyone who falls out!
8th Race Inspired living by the river Severn in Shrewsbury in the 1980s I formed The Shrewsbury Hell Fire Coracle Club.Anyone could become a member by using a fishermans 45 inch umbrella as a sail and staying in the Coracle in a gale for 50 metres.Life Membership of the club was bestowed on only about 5 people some of whom are here today! Wind permitting we will attempt a 30 metre race. A First as it happens. We also used outboard engines on Coracles but that’s another story as is our badge which portrayed a Coracler going over the highest waterfall in Wales…..15 years later someone came up with the expression “Extreme Sports”. Pleased be advised our club had nothing to do with the more traditional Coracle Society and our Coracles were John Davies of Shrewsbury Coracles which were far larger and more robust than any other maker and no one went over the falls! Bring a big umbrella with you and try it in this race.
9th Race Coracle Relay Competition. Team event.
10th Coracle Water Polo. Team Event

Saturday 7pm to 9pm
Fly Fishing from a Coracle Competition.

9pm to 11pm
I thought it would be nice to sit around a communal bonfire or in the marquee and sing a few folk songs,bang some bongo drums and relax. We do not have a licence to play amplified music so please don’t use your vehicle stereos.

Sunday
There are so many events happening this weekend around here I thought we could have an exact duplicate of Saturdays events on Sunday so that everyone could fit us into their busy schedules. Also it gives the weekenders a second chance at everything and of course our potential champion will be adding to his or her stash of medals to win the special prize!

10am to 12 noon
We should be getting the Coracle Models down to a fine art and racing them without mishap

12 noon -2pm Race
The Millers Mile

2.30pm
Jeanette will judge some even more frivolously dressed Coraclers.

3pm ish
The Races 1-10 will occur in the order described above. After which our champion will be announced and prize awarded or posted if you went home earlier. There will be no evening fishing competition.

WE WANT YOU TO ENJOY YOUR VISIT WITH US AND COME BACK NEXT YEAR. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING SAFETY HINTS & TIPS

Mortimers Cross Mill is a scheduled ancient monument as is the limestone quarry and the weir. The Mill may be open on Sunday 10am to 4pm.

Admission Costs
£4 Adults, £3.50 OAPs and £2.50 Children.

Alan Stoyel may be doing a milling demonstration there.

A few warning notices
The doorways and ceilings are low so mind your heads. The floors are uneven and if you wish to see all of the Mill a certain amount of climbing up steep steps is necessary. We therefore recommend that stout shoes or trainers are worn. Please do not climb the steps if you think that you may struggle. The Mesh guards and rope barriers are installed to protect you from moving machinery. Please do not attempt to remove or bypass them. Please do not touch or lean on any exhibits in the battle centre or the mill. The fences around the Mill and other water are there for your protection, do not attempt to climb over them and do not go through the gaps created for the Coraclers. The River Lugg is beautiful but it is also very fast flowing. Keep yourself, your children and your pets away from the edge. If you go for a walk through our beautiful woodland keep an eye out for any roots or fallen branches that may be on the path. Please avoid going near any tree with orange plastic fencing around it particularly if its windy. These trees are in need of attention but we have not been granted a felling licence yet by the Forestry Commission. Please avoid our limestone quarry both on top and below it. The cliff face is dangerous as are the trees overhanging.

NO FIRES ARE TO BE LIT ON THE PROPERTY - Only the communal fire will be lit (The Communal fire planned is cancelled due to insurance problems)

PLEASE DON’T BRING YOUR DOG - THIS IS A WILDLIFE PRESERVE
If you have to bring it, please keep it on a lead at all times. Many birds are nesting on the ground here and we have hens, deer, otters and badgers that we don’t want your dog trying to kill!