Membership Portal
This week we’re celebrating Penny and her amazing CGUK journey. Penny has now completed her members Loyalty Card, which means she’s earned herself £150 in store credit to put towards her next CGUK adventure. She’s chosen to use it for our Christmas Game Day at Downton, and we honestly couldn’t be happier for her. Her story is such a lovely example of what CGUK is all about, so we wanted to share it with you.
A few years back, I decided I wanted to learn how to shoot.
To this day, I’ve absolutely no idea where the urge came from.
Nobody in my family shoots, I don’t have any real farming friends, and I didn’t know a single soul who did. But something about this age-old countryside sport kept calling to me. I loved the idea of being outdoors, of doing a sport that didn’t require running (because I effing hate running), of doing something a bit different. The clothes helped too – give me tweed any day – and I liked the idea of hunting my own food. I knew right from the start that I wanted to shoot game.
So, naturally, I thought about learning to shoot for about three years.
And did… absolutely nothing.
After yet another round of moaning about how I didn’t know where to begin, and being too scared to go to a shooting ground alone, my youngest brother casually piped up during a family meal that he’d come with me. Perfect! I’d take him for a lesson… for his birthday… a few weeks later. I looked up our local ground, checked the price for a private lesson for two, winced slightly at the cost (a tad more than I’d usually spend on him) – but as it was basically for me, I thought “what the heck”.
I loved it.
I was beaming all day, and for the first time in my life I was actually pretty good at something from the off.
Standing in the clubhouse afterwards – nearly passing out at the bill because I had zero idea cartridges and gun hire weren’t included – I spotted a poster for The Country Girls UK, advertising that they’d held an event right there.
“That looks cool,” I thought, and immediately followed their Instagram.
I then spent eight months stalking the page. Not doing anything… just quietly watching as swathes of magnificent-looking women in their shooting finery graced my feed.
As a long-term singleton in my late 30s, the idea of making new friends was frankly terrifying. I already do a lot of “being nice” at work, and the thought of entering a completely new group, only to not like anyone, or worse, nobody like me, filled me with dread.
But in October 2023, I bit the bullet. I signed up for membership, joined the group chats, and waited eagerly for the next events to be released.
Barbury ½ Day Tuition – March 2023
I booked a room at the local pub the night before and arranged to meet another girl who was travelling up. I was shitting myself.
“What the hell have I done?” was all I could think on the drive up.
But she was lovely, and we had a great evening chatting over a few drinks.
The next morning we were up early (a warning now: I hate early mornings, to this day it’s the only part of shooting I don’t enjoy).
We arrived at Barbury and were greeted warmly by Kirsten. It was only the second time I’d ever picked up a gun, but the day was brilliant. I met amazing women, several of whom are now good friends, and I came away on such a high. I knew I wanted to properly learn to shoot, and I knew I’d made the right choice joining CGUK.
Barbury Intro to Sim – May 2024
By the time this event rolled around, I’d treated myself to a couple of private lessons and was very excited. It was great to see some of the ladies from before, and I was buzzing all day.
The event is a fantastic concept, helping you transition from calmly standing in a stand knowing exactly what’s coming… to the utterly delightful chaos of a sim day.
Carswell Simulated Game Day – May 2024
The nerves were real for my first non-tuition event just a few weeks later. Kirsten checked in with me about insurance and what to bring and had far more confidence in me than I did.
I barely hit anything. Truly.
But I had such a good time.
Getting a taste of a real game day format was incredible. The location was stunning, and shooting on the cliffs was magical, even for someone who sees the sea everyday living in Devon.
Prestwold Hall Game Day – November 2024
I’d done it. I’d booked my first proper game day.
Hannah – who I’d met at tuition events – and I had been messaging about wanting to do one together. I still wasn’t convinced I had enough experience, but Tania reached out and reassured me that I had more experience than many on their first day. “Just go for it,” she said.
So I did.
A big group of us agreed to stay the night before and after, but accommodation options were limited… which is how we ended up in one of the most bizarre hotels I’ve ever stayed in. Staff who didn’t know what day it was, no towels, no hairdryers, no loo roll, no restaurant, and stains of unknown origin everywhere.
It didn’t matter.
I knew it was going to be a cracking weekend when I walked into the pub on Friday night and saw everyone already there.
As game-day virgins, Hannah and I decided to have an instructor with us, and were paired with the wonderful Wenonah (CGUK Welsh ambassadors and qualified shotgun coach), who was calm, patient, and very good at reminding us to “just pull the bloody trigger.”
I shot my first pheasant on the second drive – a really high bird – and I was beyond chuffed. I shot a couple more that day, including a partridge on the last drive, and I was so proud.
Tania did the obligatory blooding for the first timers, and the venue and hospitality were fantastic.
I was buzzing for a week afterwards.
Graythwaite Simulated Game Day – May 2025
By this point, I’d met lots of the girls at socials and only shot a handful of times since my game day. But my shotgun licence had arrived, and I finally felt confident – still not an expert, but confident.
We arrived at an incredible Airbnb and had unbelievable weather for the Lakes. BBQ on (I have since discovered I earned the title of BBQ Queen that weekend), hot tub bubbling, and it honestly felt like meeting back up with some of my closest friends.
The shoot the next day was phenomenal. Scenery, drives, atmosphere, and I actually shot really well! One of my favourite days to date.
That weekend sealed the deal. I’d found my people. True, genuine friends. I was sad to leave for the long drive back to Devon.
Chillington Hall Simulated Game Day – August 2025
Arriving at this shoot felt like rocking up to Downton Abbey.
The venue and food were extraordinary, and I felt slightly underdressed but utterly delighted.
It was my first event with my own gun, and I finally felt I was getting into the swing of things. Some drives were challenging, some were ridiculously fun.
We were incredibly lucky with the weather – only caught in a quick shower at the very end – and the gamekeeper was so impressed with us that he threw on an extra drive, with all of us shooting at once, just to see how many we could miss!
We left on a huge high, amazing hospitality, beautiful setting, and eager to return.
Since then, I’ve already been to several more events, with my next game day just a few weeks away.
I can’t wait to share more with you.
And if you’re not sure whether to join?
Learn from me – and just do it.
You might just find it changes your life too.
