While most families go their separate ways once the kids develop minds of their own, the Whiteoaks stick together - united by their exciting hobby. They told Helen Mead how their wild western pastime became a family affair.

TONY WHITEOAK'S Christmas presents from his wife take up much of one wall in the family home in Wyke, Bradford.

The lorry driver's eyes light up when he glances up at them - four large, porcelain figures of the movie star Clint Eastwood, standing, hat cocked, gun-at-the-hip, in various Western guises.

"They're fantastic - I was gobsmacked, I knew about them but she had said she couldn't get them," he says, as Alison tells how she had to hide them at the homes of relatives to avoid them being discovered.

That Tony, 33, is an avid western fan, fascinated by the cowboy lifestyle, is clear not only from the figures - but other trappings which adorn the cosy living room. Guns are mounted on walls, country and western mementoes lines shelves and there are videos of great westerns starring John Wayne, and, of course, Clint, piled high beside the fireplace.

It is as if his hobby has taken over. But Tony is not alone in his love of all things western. The whole family has been bitten by the wild west bug. Both Alison, 40, and sons Chris, 13, and 11-year-old Timothy are passionate about the pastime. And their grandma Marianne, 62, is also "totally smitten."

It all started 17 years ago when Tony popped into a pub while on a lads' weekend in Blackpool and came upon a fast draw competition. "I asked what they were doing and watched. I thought it was great fun and it went on from there," he says.

Tony already enjoyed country and western music, but after that he began to attend specialist events where he dressed up cowboy-style and took part in shooting contests. When he met Alison, a nurse, he was thrilled to find that she shared his musical taste and it did not take long to persuade her to take the western life more seriously.

She recalls: "Tony asked if I would dress up a bit so I put on jeans and a shirt and got a hat. Then he bought me my own rig."

Now the family each have their own "rig" or gun belt, and both Tony and Chris are experts at fast draw. Chris came second out of a 56-strong, predominantly adult, field at a New Year's Eve contest. Timothy is also quick and equally enthusiastic about the cowboy life.

Like their parents, the children have their own western gear, having graduated from the toy play set outfits they wore as youngsters.

Says Chris: "We really enjoy dressing up. We have leather pants and belts - sometimes it's a bit hard to walk. And black waistcoats."

The family are members of the national British Westerners Association - for devotees of the lifestyle - and Tony is one of the founder members of the Bradford-based Young Guns Western Club, which has a monthly hoe-down in Wyke.

Every so often the family pack their bags and head off into the sunset to take part in an authentic cowboy camp. They first went when the boys were just aged four and five, to a gathering in Morecambe, home of the well-known Frontierland theme park.

Recalls Chris, a pupil at Bowling Community College: "It was fun and we ran about shooting each other with cap guns."

Adds Timothy, who attends Woodside Middle School: "There are lots of children there and we have made really good friends all over the country."

Other camps which the family would not miss include that at Wagon Lane, Bingley, and at the Ship Inn, Mirfield. At camp they get the chance to sleep in tents, cook in the open and sing around the camp fire. "It is really good, and great for the kids because we make our own entertainment. They learn to use their imagination," says Tony.

"Chris wants his own tent now," says Alison, adding: "We got hold of some authentic beds made from wood and canvas so we take those along and the children have learned how to put them up."

Activities the family enjoy include turkey shoot - firing at a moving target - buffalo hunt (bow and arrow), egg throwing, horse shoe pitching and line dancing.

Another feature prominent in the family's living room are the gleaming trophies won by each of them for their skills. Alison has found her niche lassoing and knife throwing.

Retired catering manager Marianne, who also lives in Wyke, clearly remembers how she got hooked. "I was in the girl guides for 25 years and when Alison and Tony came to visit after a camp they smelled of wood smoke. I said I'd like to go camping with them and they were really keen."

Two weeks later, there was a camp at Bingley. She says: "I was really excited. I lived in Bath at the time and packed up my 25-year-old mini and drove up. I've been passionate about it ever since."

It also presented Marianne with the chance to learn to ride: "I was 55 years old and the camp had a weekend of riding western style. I started then and I've carried on."

Perhaps the most important aspect of the family's hobby is that they all join in.

Says Tony: "It keeps us all together as a family. Everyone goes to burger restaurants which is nice enough, but to have the whole family enjoying the same hobby is fantastic."

And they show no sign of getting bored. Says Tony, who recently travelled with Alison to Spain to visit the location for Clint Eastwood's Fistful of Dollars: "If I ever win the lottery I'll build a proper western town in England and open it as a tourist attraction."

YOUNG Guns holds its club night on the first Saturday of every month at Wyke Centre, Green Lane, Bradford. In March the evening will be in aid of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). For more details contact Tony or Alison on Bradford (01274) 415074.

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