The History

From the thirteenth until the sixteenth century, the national weapon of the English army was the longbow. It was this weapon which conquered Wales and Scotland, gave the English their victories in the Hundred Years War, and permitted England to replace France as the foremost military power in Medieval Europe. The longbow was the machine gun of the Middle Ages: accurate, deadly, possessed of a long-range and rapid rate of fire, the flight of its missilies was liken to a storm.1 Cheap and simple enough for the yeoman to own and master, it made him superior to a knight on the field of battle.2 Yet, important as this weapon was, most of our present day beliefs concerning it are based upon myth.

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The British Longbow Society is recommended for Longbow enthusiasts. GNAS or the Grand National Archery Society is the UK National Archery body and they have an on-line searchable by area database of archery clubs in the UK. Not all 'GNAS' Archery Clubs shoot in the traditional Longbow however so you may need to check first.
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The traditional "two-finger salute" dates back to the taunts of English archers against the French during the Hundred Years' War. The act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking the yew" (or "pluck yew"). Much to the bewilderment of the French, the English having won a major upset at Agincourt, began mocking the French by waving their middle fingers at the defeated French, saying, "See, we can still pluck yew! "PLUCK YEW!"

Over the years some 'folk etymologies' have grown up around this symbolic gesture. Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say (like "pleasant mother pheasant plucker", which is who you had to go to for the feathers used on the arrows for the longbow), the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodental fricative 'F', and thus the words often used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute are mistakenly thought to have something to do with an intimate encounter. It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows that the symbolic gesture is known as "giving the bird".

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The average English Military Archer could fire 12 to 15 arrows per minute and hit a man-sized target at a minimum of 200 yards. The maximum range was about 400 yards.

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,