Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2019 i The Field

MOST VIEWED Readers’ choice In the April issue, we tackled the question of which breed makes the best gundog. While springer spaniels ultimately came out top, it turns out pointers are the readers’ choice after this picture, taken by Keith Sykes of one of Meryl Asbury’s pointers, caught Fielders’ attention. “The best gundog. Period,” asserted one Fielder. “Nice to see a beautiful EP doing its job,” enthused another. “I love this picture,” agreed one more. “I work two pointers myself. What amazing style.” #THEFIELDMAGAZINE A fishy issue Fielders were very taken with our May cover. “Beautiful cover on this month’s Field hats off to the designer!” commented one. “It also made me smile,” agreed another. After an exhaustive search, the Editor chose the paintings by American artist and writer James…

RESTOCKING DEBATE I read with interest the article by John Bailey regarding restocking our salmon rivers [Comment, May issue]. He makes a very seductive argument. Like Mr Bailey, I fish the four corners of the UK, in the main chasing what has become the elusive salmon. I also fish in Iceland and on the Kola. Whilst I thoroughly enjoy my visits to Spey, Tay, Wye, etc, catching the odd fish, my visits overseas are much more productive. However, as Mr Bailey implies the sorry state of our salmon stocks is not simply the result of the decline in restocking. The demise of our salmon and sea-trout runs is much more complex. There’s the negative impact of fish farming and the drastic decline in recent years of smolts returning to our…

REWILDING is divisive in land management circles. Removing human intervention from a managed landscape and allowing nature to take its course is becoming increasingly fashionable, be it the reversion of heather moorland and hill sheep country to ancient forests or intensive lowland arable cropping to mires, scrub and extensive grasslands. The advocates claim a range of positive impacts across water, carbon fixation, wildlife diversity and associated tourism. Opponents have concerns about the loss of employment, heritage, sporting interests and conflicts with food production. Ambitious rewilders look at landscape-scale opportunities. The Dutch, historical leaders in draining wetlands for agricultural purposes, were pioneering rewilding back in the 1960s with the 12,000-acre Oostvaardersplassen reserve. Red deer, Konik horses and Heck cattle were introduced and ring fenced to enact the herd-grazing patterns of large,…

THE British Empire, wrote historian James Mill, was “a vast system of outdoor relief for the upper classes”. He reached this opinion later in life; his great work of history, published in 1817, had been the bible of imperialism. He simply came to believe that the “civilising mission” of empire was just a cover for continued British rule, drained of all moral content. Mill did not live to witness the transformation of the British Raj during the second half of the 19th century. Although many Victorian imperialists thought that Asian and African civilisations would never progress to independent constitutional government, they believed it their mission to bring to their colonial subjects the benefits of “ordered liberty”, the foundation of Britain’s own greatness. The major elements of this were the rule…

There were, of course, outliers. Some from the upper echelons of society at home cared less for the conventions of the Raj; and, indeed, it was perhaps easiest for them to flout them. Lady Hailey, a renowned shot, learned to fly (and lamented her crash in “such a jolly little aeroplane”) and went trekking in the Himalayas (duly earning the Royal Geographical Society’s Gold Medal), while also cultivating unusual habits such as riding around in a rickshaw with her pet bear, and insisting her pomeranians were publicly fed before guests could sit down to lunch. But there were others, too: missionaries and more middle-class women who were independent of mind and spirit, and less cowed by the tutt-tutting from their peers. Women such as Fanny Park who, leaving her husband…

THE sundowner, ah, the sundowner. If anything conjures up images of the British overseas, it’s the sundowner. Indeed, I can just see myself after a hard day’s graft overseeing pater’s rubber plantation, sitting with the memsahib on the verandah of our bungalow as an elegant, be-turbaned figure pads quietly across the lawn with the first chota pegs of the evening. Gosh, darling, was that the gong? It’s nearly time to change for dinner. What time are the Oakshotts expected? Oh, and is the Major still joining us later for bridge? It was said, of course, that the sun never set on the British Empire. The realm was deemed to be so vast that at any given time some tiny part of it would still be bathed in sunshine and that…

DOGS IN ART Dogs of all shapes and sizes are celebrated in an exhibition at Chatsworth, until 6 October. Works by Constable and Stubbs will feature alongside contemporary pieces by Lucian Freud and Antony Gormley, among others. In the garden, artist Ben Long has create an eight-metre scaffolding sculpture. Details at: www.chatsworth.org/thedog HISTORY UNRAVELLED A five-year project to thread together Britain’s history, from 1603 to 2016, will be launched on the opening day of the Chalke Valley History Festival (24-30 June) near Salisbury. In total, there will be 35 talks, podcasts and, finally, a book, one copy of which will be donated to every secondary school in the country. Details about this year’s festival, which has a main theme of ‘Farming’, can be found at: www.cvhf.org.uk DAKS OVER DUXFORD The…

WHEN it comes to highlighting the housing shortage, the medium of protest rarely hits the streets. Nobody has chained themselves to the railings or glued themselves to a train to draw attention to the need for more homes. You are more likely to see people protesting about the building of new houses than moaning about the lack of them. Meanwhile, the rising tide of homelessness is a national disgrace. The trouble is pinpointing the enemy – the ogre whose face you can put on placards or whose effigy you can drag through Westminster. Parties of whatever hue will blame their opponents for not building enough houses on their watch, while no politician has ever won a seat by campaigning for more residential development in his or her constituency. So, straightaway…

UNISH ISLE OF SKYE, INVERNESS-SHIRE This is a 17th-century, Hebridean ruin with more than 400 acres of coastal farmland on the tip of the Isle of Skye. It is claimed to be the earliest domestic building on Skye and set on land rich in association with clan feuds, the Highland Clearances and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Unish, on the Waternish Peninsula, offers an opportunity to redevelop the ruins of Unish House and create a coastal estate, subject to the appropriate planning consents. The property offers a block of pasture and moorland, with three miles of coastline. It is rare for such a significant acreage on Skye to come to the market. Agent: Strutt & Parker Tel: 01463 719171 Offers over £475,000…

HAVING never guzzled a deep-pan pizza while sprawled on a sofa nor attended a football match, I’m not sure I qualify as a proper sports fan. But, like many, I do get caught up in the momentary excitement of sporting festivals, be it the Six Nations, Cheltenham or Wimbledon. The enjoyment is enhanced if you’ve taken part in any of them, and most of us will have chucked the eggy ball or galloped horses or thrown a lazy lob in Pimm’sfuelled tennis, often at the weediest of levels. Being generally pathetic has one abiding virtue, however: it enables us to appreciate the true greatness of the likes of Owen Farrell, Ruby Walsh or the immortal Federer. It would be easy – and true – to say much of their success…

What a difference a century makes. Around 100 years ago the British Empire was the largest empire in history and at the beginning of the 20th century it comprised 23% of the world’s population. The globe was coloured pink and no matter how you turned it, that was the predominant colour. The British Empire had originated as far back as the 16th century but it was the 19th century that saw the period of its greatest expansion. Based on the complete dominance of British sea power, India and much of Africa were shaded the requisite colour and when Benjamin Disraeli returned to power in 1874 he initiated another period of imperial expansion. The rationale behind empire was to seek raw materials and to develop markets for a highly industrialised home…

1650 Southampton parson Robert Brooke brings his hounds to America as he takes up governorship of Maryland 1766 First subscription pack in America, Gloucester Fox Hunting Club, New Jersey (disbanded 1820) 1803 Cumberland Hunt, Australia 1811 Sydney Hunt Club formed and still active (breaking for both world wars) 1812 The Calpe Hunt started on Gibraltar by garrison chaplain Rev Dr Mackereth 1826 Montreal Hunt founded (Le Club de Chasse à Courre de Montréal) 1835 The Ooty Hunt Club founded by British residents of Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu, India 1840 The Cape Hunt Club founded, Durbanville, South Africa 1842 Adelaide Hunt, Australia 1853 Melbourne Hunt, Australia 1868 Governor Sir George Grey introduced a pack of beagles to New Zealand 1870 Peshawar Vale Hunt formed in Northern India (now Pakistan) 1872 Pakuranga Hunt…

This painting is so anatomically correct that is it worthy of a natural-history book, but the pose and overall demeanour of the stag are carefully constructed to convey key Victorian values, such as power, pride, elegance and dignity. It was his ability subtly to anthropomorphise animals that made Royal Academy member Sir Edwin Landseer a favourite of Queen Victoria. Today, the painting has become synonymous with the majesty of Scotland’s wildlife and Highlands. It was purchased in 2017 by the National Galleries of Scotland for £4 million. Animal: Exploring the Zoological World, published by Phaidon, is available now (£39.95)…

PRINCESS Hélène of Orléans (1871-1951) was one of a coterie of Victorian Sporting Dianas who embraced the fieldsports world with vigorous enthusiasm. An imposing figure, standing at more than 6ft tall, she was born in exile in Twickenham in 1871. Apart from brief spells back in France she spent most of her formative years in Britain, where her mother, the Infanta Maria Isabel of Spain, was renowned for being the finest shot and rider of her day. She ensured that all her children became, “fearless riders, indefatigable walkers and good shots”, The Field noted. Hélène was regularly cited as being a fine shot, although her older sister was a crack one. Hélène was, “able to handle a gun with little less dexterity than her sister, Queen Amélie of Portugal, that…

THE APPREHENSIVE GARDENER I am not a gardener. As I type, I am staring at two sorrowful, rose-scented pelargoniums (the third iteration of their kind and about to make their way to the compost heap) bought in the throws of a romantic notion about their scented petals. On the plus side, I do still have a tree that the Woodland Trust gave out at the Hay Festival three years ago – it is flourishing in its pot. My gardening skills are eclectic and Griselda Kerr’s impressive and useful tome on how to manage the plants one finds in the garden is a boon to the amateur. The book is divided by month, with an index at the back – so one can locate the plant one needs advice about quickly…

A COUPLE of months ago I was invited to a dinner party at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge. Mind you, to call it a dinner party was to sell it short, it was a happening. I had been summoned by my friend, Humphry, who is himself a bit of a happening. Wikipedia describes Humphry, amongst other things, as an English baronet, an expert on antiques and architecture, a soldier, an explorer and the president of the Tibetan Spaniel Association. That sells him short. He is a bon viveur, a wicked raconteur with a razor-sharp mind. Allegedly, he arrived at Everest base camp to rendezvous with a fully equipped American assault team wearing a pair of tweeds over his grandfather’s silks, together with one ancient Sherpa. Knowing Humphry, it…

The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) will play an important role in a Natural England initiative to reintroduce hen harrier chicks (pictured) to a site on Salisbury Plain this June as part of a project to save the bird from extinction. Over the next five years up to 20 birds will be reintroduced annually from donor sites in Spain and France. The birds are poor survivors with natural mortality affecting about seven out of every 10 in their first year, so it will take some time to establish a healthy population. While the NGO supports the scheme, the RSPB remains opposed to it. “The RSPB has serious reservations about this approach to hen harrier conservation in England. Instead, we believe that ending hen harrier persecution is the key to restoring the…

1 ELEPHANT NECKLACE BIBI VAN DER VELDEN Charming rhodinated sterling silver elephant pendant with brown and white rosecut diamonds and 18k yellow gold details. No Dumbo, this. 3145 31020 626 90 95 2 UTILITY DRESS TROY LONDON Lightweight corduroy with tortoiseshell buttons, flattering waist tie and exaggerated lower pockets. Summer staple, in sky grey or navy. 150 02034578549 3 LEATHER CASED PICNIC SET PURDEY Oak bark tanned leather case includes stag horn-handled utensils, china plates, bowls and cups edged in Audley red, a brace of Thermos flasks and everything else for four people to take lunch outside. 7995 02074991801 4 IGO ORGANIC ROSE POL ROGER Set to become a summer trend, good-drinking organic rosé wine housed within an elegant, understated can.…

THE FARMHOUSE NEWFIELD, NORTHUMBERLAND The kitchen and breakfast room form the hub of this Grade II-listed house, with a door leading out to the terrace. The kitchen, with a stone-flagged floor, is fitted with hand-painted units and black granite surfaces, an island and larder units. There are nearly two acres of land. Agent: Finest Properties Tel: 01434 622234 Guide price: £799,950 DUNKINTY HOUSE ELGIN, MORAY The kitchen of this nine-bedroom country house has a top-of-the-range cooker, American fridge and marble worktops, with an adjoining orangery. The house dates from 1878 and forms a quadrangle around an enclosed courtyard. It has just over nine acres. Agent: Galbraith Tel: 01343 337968 Offers over £995,000 SUMMERSIDE HOUSE STOCKSFIELD, NORTHUMBERLAND Not one but two kitchens here, the outside kitchen an oak-framed room that includes…

HOLLY HOUSE DYKE, LINCOLNSHIRE This is a Grade II-listed, late-Georgian property about 13 miles from Stamford. It has distinctive Lincolnshire architecture and period features; an extension was added in 2007. The house has five bedrooms and landscaped grounds include a patio area and kitchen garden. Agent: Norton Rickett Tel: 01780 782999 Guide price: £620,000 HIGHFIELD TOTNES, DEVON A Grade II-listed Georgian Villa, across three floors, in an elevated position overlooking Totnes. It has six bedrooms and four reception rooms. There is also a large cellar divided into four rooms. Features include Gothic windows. The house is 19 miles from Plymouth. Agent: Marchand Petit Tel: 01803 847979 Guide price: £1.25m COLES HILL HOUSE WESTMILL, HERTFORDSHIRE A Grade II-listed, seven-bedroom country house set in 20 acres of formal gardens and parkland. The…

THERE is a particular wave of despondency reserved for finding yourself on an expensive weekend away, dolled up to the eyeballs, sitting with a plastic willy in your mouth. Hen parties, unless you are the bride or the dictatorial matron of honour, are, on balance, painful. No matter how classy the gig claims to be, they can be unanimously represented by the plastic willy straw. You hit an age at which the domino effect of friends getting hitched means that, for a decade, summers are written off. Each weekend there’s a wedding or a hen or stag do that you have to travel to, booking a hotel and buying a present. (My late grandma used to say it’s the same when you hit her age only for funerals not weddings;…

PRAM BUSTERS Q A friend has an old pram, the hoods of which are suffering. Do you know anyone who might be able to repair or renovate the pram? AL, by email A A small, professional, family-run business in Scotland restores coach-built prams. Restoration can be in the classic style or updated with a contemporary spin. Send photographs to pramswithpizazz@gmail.com and a quote for work will be given. Once a price has been agreed, the pram will be collected and then returned following repairs. Contact Scott at Prams with Pizazz on 01292 281283 or go to www.pramswithpizazz.com MISSING A SEAT QI am a long-standing subscriber to The Field. I have two shooting sticks, one dating from the 1920s and one given to me in the 1970s. The metalwork on both…