IF it hadn’t been for old Hollywood film star Errol Flynn, Harold Rawes might never have been introduced to archery.

But the American idol’s iconic film The Adventures of Robin Hood captured the imagination of the then 14-year-old Bolton schoolboy in the early 1950s, and turned his interest away from cricket and straight to the longbow.

“I lived in Barrow Bridge then,” recalls Harold, now 77, “and a friend of mine also became interested in archery at the same time so we used to practise in his father’s field nearby, which was quite long.”

The youngster invested in a wooden longbow from town centre sports shop Bell’s and honed his skills before joining local group The Bowmen of Overdale when he was 16.

This set him on an enjoyable past-time that took him through a couple of local clubs, and into the world of field archery, which is the other one of two main disciplines in this increasingly popular sport.

Unlike target archery, which consists of shooting at a target, or boss, at measured distances, field archery involves shooting at targets placed around woodland.

As this is likely to involve uneven terrain and a host of natural distractions, the challenges are many. But this is only one difference in a sport that is surprisingly technical – full of various classes of competition involving types of bows that vary dramatically.

As for the young Harold, he moved comfortably between the disciplines as time went on. He joined local clubs including Dean Bowmen, who now shoot at Dunscar, and clubs in Feniscowles near Blackburn and in Preston. There is also Old Delph field archery club, which shoots on the old Hulton estate on the Atherton/Over Hulton border.

The sport itself has grown exponentially over the years, boosted especially by its inclusion in the Olympics and the Paralympics.

“It is a sport that disabled people can do, provided they have upper body strength and the right technique,” he said. “Target archery in particular is popular.”

For field archery, 40 pictures of animals or costly 3D models are placed around a woodland course as targets. It is not legal to shoot live animals in the UK, but this is not something archers would do in any case.

The archers go out in groups of four around the course, armed with their bows and the specially made arrows and shoot in turn. There are competitions around the county; Harold practises in target archery but competes in field archery.

He has had some lengthy breaks from his sport – notably one of 20 years when family commitments took precedence – but then he returned to it. It’s a sport for any age: Harold took along son Mark when he was five years old and he became interested in archery, too.

“Archery is a family sport,” he said.

He shoots these days with a recurve bow – with tips that curve away from the archer when the bow is strung – which is more efficient than a straight-limbed bow and is a variation on the traditional longbow of Robin Hood’s time.

Buying a bow is not necessarily a cheap investment: there are many different types for the various disciplines and they can cost from £200 to £500 and beyond. Many are also very sophisticated and can include sights. The arrows, made from aluminium or carbon, are also expensive, from £5 each. Harold prefers to assemble his own.

The sport demands good hand-eye co-ordination but also intense amounts of concentration. Field archery in particular is good for fitness as the course can be rough, but that’s something that Harold has always enjoyed.

“I love the challenge of field archery,” he said. “You have to cope with the terrain and then steady yourself mentally and physically before shooting. It’s always rewarding.”

z To find out more about field archery go to www.nfas.net