Editor's note - Issue 12, Oct/Nov 2022

Dear Readers, this time we are bringing into your hands a very special edition of our monthly magazine, the twelfth issue of which is the conclusion of a year's work. After these months, it seems to us that creating TIFAM was like skiing down a very steep hill, in a dense forest, blindfolded, or to use an archery analogy, shooting the head of a match from a moving platform in absolute darkness with the simplest bow and crooked arrow... But all joking aside as it is a great privilege for us to write and create for you, without whom our magazine would not have come to be. After all, we share the passion and love for the sport of archery and, as we have repeatedly indicated in many of our articles, this obliges everyone, since, in essence, we form a great archery family. That, in principle, is the main objective we are pursuing - acting for the benefit and well-being of our archery family.

It has to be said that these 12 months have been, on the one hand, a time of joy and building something from scratch but, conversely, a period in which we have been subjected to many tests and have had to face sometimes very difficult circumstances. Such as, for example, our recent adventure with a dishonest printer who took the money and never fulfilled the order. Most of you can probably imagine what a blow this was for us. Fortunately, after a month of struggling, we managed to recover our funds - at least in this aspect we are back on track, but the lost time will never be paid back... Nevertheless, don't worry, we have a lot of resilience within ourselves, we don't give up, we learn (sometimes painfully) but we always go forward with courage and a raised head. That is why we bought a large-format printer, which arrived yesterday, and we will probably start printing the 12th issue of TIFAM from Monday.

Throughout this year we have had several new colleagues on the editorial team, some have left and others first left but then came back:) We have changed the website, developed a new, more productive workflow, clarified the interests of individual editors and have more and more guest writers - which I always encourage... Write to us if you have something to say - here and on FB we are able to reach 10,000 people a week, which seems a really big success considering the size of our little enterprise:) However, as I have written before - TIFAM is an idea, a way of life, at the same time the very substance of all higher feelings, everything that makes a man better, that pushes us towards the light and makes us leave the darkness behind. For all of us here on the editorial board, TIFAM is the illumination that transforms our lives every day.

And believe me, there is not a single ounce of exaggeration in this poetic tirade of mine. I can see it every day in the faces of my colleagues, I read it in their words, which pass through my computer with the speed of light like hot-bound meteors piercing eternal abysses of cold space. I can feel it and see it in the extraordinary persistence of our publisher, Meggie, who patiently stands at the very back, beyond the grids of spotlights, making sure that everything is on the right track and that nothing gets in our way. She sets the scene so that we can shine while remaining in the shade herself.

Each of us gives as much as we can, often more than our circumstances allow. The words that you read every month are usually the concluding result of hours and days of creative work, to which one must have a calling.

Of course, you know what I'm referring to since you've read Michelle's impassioned articles and interviews, Lynn's international coverage, Owen's socially astute columns, whom I increasingly think of as a Stringfellow rather than my colleague Owen Reynolds. You've followed NIck's gradually spinning tale of America, you've seen the unique photos and you've been surprised by Laurent's unusual opinions. Matt brings you information from the North and, in his own unique way, combines narrative, history, geography, natural science, general and scientific knowledge all in one neatly assembled bundle for delivery to your heart and soul - every month, with no hidden costs. Of course, I can't leave out Andrew, who has only recently joined us but already won the sympathy of many of you. His way of telling stories or talking about things that are close to us all is so unique that one might almost say it is his own. Reading Andrew's columns feels like he somehow gained access to our thoughts and dilemmas - how he does it, I don't know - maybe you should ask him yourself? The most important thing is that he writes and that we may read his words...

That's essentially all we're about - we revere writing and we like you to read us...

What will the next 12 months be like? Will there be any at all? I think so - we have passion and perseverance, which we have proved many times over the past year, and we have been tested by fire, but we ask for your support - read us and buy the magazine when it comes out in print, and think about a subscription, which will help us a lot as it will provide stability and funds for the day-to-day operations. Visit the TIFAM store on our website, where you can buy archery-themed T-shirts, hoodies etc. - with unique designs ( created in-house by us) that you won't find anywhere else. Stay tuned and support us whenever you can. Happy reading!