Lakeside Sporting Ltd

[TIGHTCHOKE]

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/HotelsNear-g190776-d13321767-zff8-Lakeside_Clay_Shoot_Fishing_Lakes-Loughborough_Leicestershire_England.html

[Demonic69]

We visited Lakeside yesterday (3rd Jan), fancied somewhere we haven't been before.

First impressions were good, though the access road is a bit pot-holed (as is the norm). It's a lovely setting with fishing lakes at the side, hence the name. The club house is nice, booking in is easy and the receptionist was pleasant and friendly, not the norm at some clay grounds it seems. Took plastic wad carts, so bought some fibre there. All the decent and cheap carts had gone so were stuck with Hull Sporting 100 at £80/250!! They were happy with my 2 guest shooters, we did call in advance to check.

33p a clay and you get a plug for your party, which I tend to forget less than a card. Currently most of the place is a swamp, so take wellies. They've been very busy and the weather hasn't been kind. They're working on it though, have ordered some road planings and just need a chance for the mud to settle.

There are stairs, a LOT of them! If you struggle with mobility I wouldn't bother; many stairs and a fair walk to/from the lake and forest sections. My knee was ******** after the day, but we did have to do the hokey-cokey (in-out, in-out) due to some hunt coming through that kept changing their bloody minds. You climb up stairs and back down to get to the 2 training stands (you can bypass these if missing out those stands), the rest is accessible via the raised paths leading to more stairs down. If you head to the forest area it's a fair walk and there's no circular route, so it's all the way there then all the way back.

A few same-y clays, but a fair amount of variety. Nothing particularly long-distance that we saw, but some challenging loopers, teals, the water-bouncer etc. Plenty of stands scattered around, so even when busy it should be easy enough to find somewhere to shoot.

Almost all of the stands were functioning fine and they were addressing the faulty ones that were reported to them. We shot 250 between us and probably had a dozen no-birds, which the lady removed no problem.

Because of the hunt debacle the staff struggled a bit with food, getting inundated and struggling to get orders out in a timely fashion, but the cafe is nice, with a good amount of seating and a decent menu. I recommend the breakfast butty for £5.50, it's bigger than the normal cob and you get 4 items  The food was spot-on and the drinks were OK.

The shop is upstairs and is extremely well-stocked. LOADS of air rifles, especially PCP. Plenty of clothing and a good amount of shotguns in all price brackets. The staff up there seemed friendly and helpful also.

All in all a really good day and will certainly go back, just need to down the ibuprofen before hand.

[London Best]

I, too, was there yesterday. I have never seen anywhere so busy, no wonder they ran out of food and cheaper ammo. The paths had become very muddy again, which surprised me as I know how much work had gone in to preventing it. We had 100 clays without a no-bird, but were only on a limited number of stands as I had taken my daughter who is an almost total beginner. When we went indoors they had run out of sausage rolls but I did snaffle the last Cornish pasty. The hunt was no problem, and, for us country types, made the day more interesting.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

All points noted!  

I shall endeavour to buy any food required before shooting.  

[Demonic69]

10 minutes ago, London Best said:

I, too, was there yesterday. I have never seen anywhere so busy, no wonder they ran out of food and cheaper ammo. The paths had become very muddy again, which surprised me as I know how much work had gone in to preventing it. We had 100 clays without a no-bird, but were only on a limited number of stands as I had taken my daughter who is an almost total beginner. When we went indoors they had run out of sausage rolls but I did snaffle the last Cornish pasty. The hunt was no problem, and, for us country types, made the day more interesting.

My only problem with the hunt was their indecision! We were called in, let back out, then called back in just as we got to shooting! This caused us to have to wait in 2 massive queues instead of one. We should have just stayed for a butty after the first call TBH but we were keen to shoot over the water. If I'd seen the thread before I'd have said something and possibly said hello! You couldn't miss 3 fat lads in clay vests 😃

[London Best]

2 minutes ago, Demonic69 said:

You couldn't miss 3 fat lads in clay vests 😃

You could in that crowd! A fair description of 90% of the clientele.

[Rewulf]

On 30/12/2021 at 18:54, DUNKS said:

Hi are you sure you are talking about Lakeside? The clay price today for none members is I am sure 28p and that's the dearest its been in the five or so years I have shot there!

 

3 hours ago, Demonic69 said:

33p a clay and you get a plug for your party

You must get preferential treatment DUNKS ?

[Demonic69]

17 minutes ago, Rewulf said:

 

You must get preferential treatment DUNKS ?

28p for members apparently. Unless they just didn't like the looks of us 🤣

[DUNKS]

21 minutes ago, Rewulf said:

 

You must get preferential treatment DUNKS ?

I do as a member! Just forgot about the full price.  I am amazed at the crowding. My son and I go almost every week. sometimes twice and in over five years have never seen it crowded. Sometimes mid week we are the only ones there. same with Sunday late afternoons. Pleased you all had a good time though.

[Karl1972]

On 30/12/2021 at 14:13, London Best said:

They used the Covid lockdown to civilise the Somme. Quite tidy now with no plaswads lying about any more.

 

Strange how different people see different things. 
I was once persuaded to attend a charity shoot at Cocketts and nothing would make me go back there. But as I said, I am definitely not a clay shooter.

What didn’t you like about cocketts ? 

 

On 30/12/2021 at 14:13, London Best said:

They used the Covid lockdown to civilise the Somme. Quite tidy now with no plaswads lying about any more.

 

Strange how different people see different things. 
I was once persuaded to attend a charity shoot at Cocketts and nothing would make me go back there. But as I said, I am definitely not a clay shooter.

What didn’t you like about cocketts 

[London Best]

20 hours ago, Karl1972 said:

What didn’t you like about cocketts ? 

 

What didn’t you like about cocketts 

Pretty much everything.  
It was in the late 1990’s. Someone asked me to join him on a charity day. I am not really a clay shooter, and did far less then than I do now, so I had to be persuaded to go. I had no cartridges and was told I could buy them there. Naturally, I took my usual gun, an English game gun with 2 1/2 inch chambers. When I tried to buy cartridges, not only did they not have anything suitable, but the person selling them didn’t even understand what I was asking for. So I had to borrow my friends gun, which was a horrid clumsy  Browning trap gun with a stock to fit arms like an orangutan, quite unlike my preference for a 26 inch with a shorter stock. My friend was very short, but with long arms. I was six feet with short arms. Worse still, the gun was left handed! I didn’t like the ground, to me it was very competitive clay orientated, which I don’t like as I am totally non-competitive. Obviously, I hit very little, not that that mattered. I had a thoroughly miserable time and have never returned. Perhaps it has changed over 25 years? I don’t care as I have no interest.