Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2015 i The Field

A POLL recently voted the robin Britain’s favourite bird, with the hen harrier and red kite not far behind. Since the vote was promoted by the RSPB, this outcome is unsurprising. Yet if Britain is to have anything as silly as a designated “national bird” by far the most appropriate candidate is the dear old red grouse, a creature of supreme beauty and joy, pride of our heather uplands, unique to the four parts of the United Kingdom. The grouse will never receive any such accolade, of course, for class war reasons. It is a gentleman, where the robin is a fractious urchin from the same stock as Dickens’s Artful Dodger. It is a gamebird, a quarry species, for centuries a focus of sportsmen’s passions, which can even claim its…

What are the sounds that characterise the British seaside? The tinkling of halyards against boat masts? The cry of herring gulls in a Cornish harbour? Or, perhaps, the steady popping of ragworm holes on sunbaked mud-flats? The British Library, National Trust and National Trust for Scotland are working together to create the first UK “coastal sound” map. The project runs during the summer, closing on 21 September. “There is something really evocative about the sounds of our coast; they help shape our memories of the coastline and immediately transport us to a particular time or place whenever we hear them,” said Cheryl Tipp, curator of wildlife sounds at the British Library. “With this project we want people to record their favourite coastal sounds and tell us what they mean to…

THE first proper evening of the summer saw Christie’s fill with a collection of keen GWCT supporters, landowners, estate owners and what appeared to be most of Norfolk. The new Earl of Leicester was to speak about Holkham, the family seat, and the relevance of rural estates in the 21st century. Beforehand there had been much praise amid the assembled crowd for the past speakers at the GWCT’s regular London fundraising talks. A clutch of dukes, Northumberland and Westminster included, had previously taken to the rostrum. “Perhaps a ducal coronet is a qualification for speaking here,” mused Lord Leicester as he began his turn, to a receptive audience. The process of diversification was started by Lord Leicester’s father, the seventh earl. He returned from South Africa and saved the estate,…

EXTENDING to 554sq miles and rising to a height of just 1,490ft at Urra, the North York Moors comprise the largest single expanse of heather moorland in Great Britain although, until recently, they have not been keepered as intensively as the higher-altitude Pennines to the west. A succession of heather ridges delineating a host of picturesque dales between the Howardian Hills and the grey North Sea either side of Whitby have been the sporting preserve of the same families for generations, the wild red grouse cared for by the sons of men who were gamekeepers before them; an ordered, traditional world where the term “paying guns” did not feature in the vocabulary. Bransdale, the largest North York moor of them all, remains in the same family ownership 321 years after…

AS the 12th of August approaches there are those keen to be on the moor. But for a small, sometimes lucky, always sporting, group, the brace of grouse will be a part of something infinitely more exhilarating: a Macnab. The Field’s Macnab Challenge celebrates its sixth year, and second in association with Pol Roger Champagne, Glenfarclas Whisky and Hine Cognac. The appeal of the Challenge is attested to every year by the Macnabbers. They aren’t grouse boys, they aren’t only boys, they aren’t necessarily expert fishermen. But they are unfailingly imbued with sporting enthusiasm for every part of the Macnab Challenge. Our modern-day Leithen, Palliser-Yeates and Lord Lamanchas are regularly afflicted with the opposite of the famous ennui. Not for them idle hours cogitating how best to enthuse the spirit.…

REMEMBER, you read it here first. Great white sharks are swimming off the British coastline, just waiting to clear the beaches and frighten holidaymakers to death. I’m talking about the real thing: film star, man-eater, the largest shark of all. Carcharodon carcharias . The white pointer. White death. Fantasy? I set up a month-long hunt for the British version of Amity, with Sky TV backing, a couple of years ago. Didn’t happen for various reasons. But you don’t convince a television company to back a hunch unless there’s pretty good evidence that the final product will contain more than some scary music and library footage. Steady on. This is making me sound like a cross between Vasco da Gama and David Attenborough. Like most journalists, I never put in any…

WHEN guns and guests come bounding into the dining-room or bothy, ravenous from their morning’s exertions, you want them to be delighted and salivating when they spy the food. Need inspiration for yet another shoot lunch? Then lettuce begin… For the host, getting lunch right is unquestionably an important part of the day. It is also one of the few elements you can definitely control, unlike the weather, your dog or the birds. When planning the menu you are probably lucky enough not to have to worry about catering for allergies or intolerances but you do need to consider that, even in the shooting field, tastes are broadening. Pies, stews and casseroles will, of course, always go down well but just as critical is what you serve with them. Having…

SOME years ago I was walking in the foothills of the Pyrenees near the French-Spanish border looking for butterflies. The path divided, one branch continuing up towards the crest – a good place for hill-topping species such as the scarce swallowtail. As I started walking up I rubbed my eyes when I saw a Davy Crockett double coming towards me, complete with his iconic racoon-skin hat. I was staring at this strange apparel when Davy asked where I was going and then vehemently insisted that I should take the path to the right instead. Rather curious by this time, I waited until this bizarre character had disappeared down the hill and I carried on upwards. I soon encountered a small area in which stones and boulders had been overturned and…

SOME years ago I visited the kennels of one of Norway’s leading breeders and triallers of English setters. I was surprised to discover that the dogs were exercised on long leads from the back of a quad bike. I asked why. “Wolf,” was the terse answer. The kennels were a mere 100 kilometres from Oslo but wolves had become established in the area and, a year before, a seven-year-old bitch had been taken while loose in the paddock by the kennels. Being descended from wolves gives dogs no protection. A wolf pack won’t tolerate dogs in its territory, which is one reason why wolves are far from popular in Scandinavia in the areas where they have become re-established. Fortunately, we haven’t got wolves to contend with; I like the romantic…

WANDERING along the Fulham Road of an evening, you don’t expect to be transported to Zimbabwe – to smell the dustiness of the bush; to hear the elephants crashing around as they tear off tree branches to strip the leaves. But the collection of mainly silver or enamel sculptures by Patrick Mavros, on display at his London gallery, is so full of his joy and love for Africa that you are drawn straight into his world. A herd of elephants meanders along the shelves, each one individual and named, often after Africa’s most famous historic elephants. Mavros explains, “I happen to live in big-time elephant country, and so the elephant have always been part of our lives. I love looking at them, how distinctive they are. They are big, intelligent…

Charity walker Richard Farquhar will be visiting racecourses in Yorkshire in August on the middle leg of his marathon 3,000-mile walk to raise funds for Racing Welfare and Pancreatic Cancer UK. He set off from Newmarket on 20 March on his Walking the Courses Challenge to link the 60 racecourses of Britain from Newton Abbot in the south to Perth in the north, from Yarmouth in the east to Ffos Las in the west. On 1 August he will be at Doncaster; afterwards he sets off for York, Catterick, Beverly and Thirsk, finishing the month at Cartmel in the Lake District on the 31st. The walk coincides with a meeting at each course and before racing Farquhar walks a leg of the track itself accompanied by trainers, jockeys and other…

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“ JUST shoot,” was the seemingly unhelpful advice I was given on returning to shooting grouse after a 20-year break. As it turned out, it was good advice once I came to understand the context in which it was given. But how else does one set about preparing and then performing when the dream grouse invitation does finally arrive? With modern grouse-moor management meaning there are more grouse about, an invitation is perhaps more likely now than it has ever been, or you may get a crack at them by taking a day or two at more affordable prices. As a photographer of grouse and grouse-shooting, I have watched a huge number of people from the worst to the very best but I am not one of the legendary grouse-shots…

THE competitive aspect of fishing is not something that has ever appealed to me, largely because fly-fishing is for me a contemplative past-time, where the only element of competition is the act of attempting to convince a fish that my jumble of feathers, fur and thread is worth eating. However, when presented with the idea of a species competition day, my interest was piqued. The challenge was simple and similar to that of the old Golden Maggot television show: find a fishing partner and challenge two other anglers to lock piscatorial horns and see which team could catch the most species in a day. Regular fishing buddy Howard Colmer was the lucky (or luckless, depending on your point of view) angler I persuaded to join me, while the gauntlet was…

“ MY brother and I always wanted to have a rock concert,” reveals Harry Legge-Bourke from the Glanusk estate. “In 2004 we were dealing with horrendous death duties and needed an injection of cash. A small, local music festival required a new home, they approached our parents and the deal was done.” Today, the Green Man is one of the most anticipated events on the festival calendar. As diversification projects go, one can see the appeal of a festival. Country folk know how to throw a good party, and hosting a rock concert is a darn sight more fun than a farm shop or caravan park. Festivals are also a booming business: the top 20 contribute more than £450 million to the economy. Much of this growth is down to…

NOBODY in the recent Poldark series had a clue about the ancient art of scything. In one episode, that topless apology for a mower, Aidan Turner, playing Ross Poldark, hacked away at the grass as if he were swinging a golf club. To see it done properly, visit Andi Rickard, champion mower. A slender, super-fit mum who lives on the Somerset-Devon border, Rickard is a demon with a blade. She teaches and competes at old-fashioned reaping, which in her part of the world was traditionally the work of unfragrant men in smocks. Her message is simple: put your deafening, smelly strimmer on a skip and buy a scythe – a proper Grim Reaper job with handles. In the right hands it’s a tool of amazing efficiency with a history as…

PARSING PARSLEY Q Cow parsley seems to pop up anywhere and everywhere. Is there any use for it? Can I eat is and use it like parsley? WR, Oxford A Cow parsley likes to grow in sunny and semi-shaded locations in hedgerows, meadows, woodlands and on many roadsides. It is fast-growing and produces large quantities of seeds in a growing season, making it very invasive. Cow parsley is edible but apparently has a sharp chervil flavour with a hint of carrot. Hemlock and fool’s parsley, both of which are poisonous, are easily mistaken for cow parsley. It is therefore important to ensure you have picked the correct plant. Cow parsley has been know to have mosquito-repellent properties when applied directly to the skin but you must ensure you don’t confuse…

PRIOR to the 15th century weapons of the hunt were largely the same as those used in warfare. However, as the techniques of hunting became more specialised and the grandest weaponry more elaborate, the use of highly decorated equipment in the hunting field became an important way to demonstrate wealth and status. The firearms of this sporting garniture held at the Royal Armouries are a product of the state-run smalls-arms factory at Tula, Russia, established in 1712. Principally intended for the production of military arms, the factory began producing luxury weapons for monarchs and nobles in the middle of the 18th century. The garniture consists of a shotgun and a pair of pistols dated 1752, together with a powder flask and a pair of stirrups, probably added to the garniture…

ON test this month is the Browning 725 20-bore over-and-under. We have looked at a 725 20-bore before, the excellent 32in-barrelled Hunter (July 2014 issue). This is a lighter, 30in gun with more action decoration and different wood. It varies in both handling and character from its outstanding 32in 20-bore stablemate. My own practical understanding of the gross and subtle effects of barrel length and weight have, meantime, evolved considerably since having had major issues with a shoulder injury. For much of the past six months, I found it hard to lift a 32in gun, even a 20-bore, and this led me to revisit the issues of barrel length and weight. Before getting technical, though, let us consider the aesthetics of this extra-finish but still affordable, smaller-bore 725. The gun,…

Nottingham University polo calendar 2015 The mallet-wielding Nottingham undergrads get their undies off, and all for men. They chose to raise funds for the charity Prostate Cancer UK because they want to increase awareness of prostate cancer in the young male population. The Field has contributed to the cause. £10 + p&p; www.su.nottingham.ac.uk/sports/sport/poloclub/products…

HOT on the heels of The Field’s Young Shots Challenge, for shoots that encourage young guns, many organisations will run youth events in the coming months. Doubtless inspired by The Field’s Macnab Challenge, the Royal Berkshire Shooting School is holding simulated days for 10 to 18 year olds at Pangbourne. The junior Macnab challenges are a competitive introduction to shooting, fly-fishing and deerstalking on 30 July, 23 October and 18 December and cost £150 per day. This August BASC is running young shots’ introductory days at Essex Shooting Ground (5th); Kibworth Shooting Ground, Leics (12th); Holworthy Farm, Dulverton, Somerset (16th); Oxfordshire Shooting School (19th) and Atkin Grant & Lang Shooting School, Hertfordshire (27th). The cost is a very reasonable £20. Enthusiastic young shots can learn more about shooting skills, safety…

STRANGE sightings in the Borders – landowners have been seen clutching their gamebooks and using their fishing rods to pole-vault over Hadrian’s Wall, pursued by a shoal of Sturgeon, which, at least, can’t leap as high as Salmond. Northumberland, far from putting them in holding pens, is welcoming them with open arms. There are enough grouse to go around in the north east and North Yorkshire and no need to disguise yourself in woad to escape the Tartan hordes as they eat up your land. All that is missing is that son of Morningside, Mel Gibson, in the lead role and an Oscar, sorry, an Angus, is guaranteed. Mention Scotland to some agents and they furtively look around for fear that McStasi nationalists might be listening. Some even say, off…

PHIL Dixon, Jeremy Hermann, Lisa Isles, Scott Nellins, Simon Robinson – what do they have in common? The answer might seem obvious: they’re all highly accomplished, high-profile fly-fishers who have represented their country at various levels (Home International, Commonwealth, European and World) as adults and often feature in game-angling magazines. However, something else binds these hotshots together, something that lies at the heart of their journey towards becoming the very best anglers they can be: they have all been members of the England Youth Fly Fishing Team. Competitive fly-fishing is an ideal environment in which young people can extend their involvement in the sport and hone their skills, within an atmosphere of honesty, integrity, responsibility, good sportsmanship and respect for the environment. Gaining an England Youth Team cap, and participating…

YOU have enjoyed your hunting to the full , you have thrilled to the chase. Now you are between seasons or you have had to give up following hounds. Or are you, perhaps, contemplating your first day’s hunting and want to know more? One of the glories of hunting in the British Isles is the wonderful literature it has generated. There are many books that will help you to recreate at home the challenges and excitements of the chase – and you may learn much to increase your pleasure on a hunting day. Here are 10 classics that I believe are essential to a hunting library. Each will lead you towards others that will inform and entertain. HANDLEY CROSS RS Surtees Yes, it’s the first classic hunting book that springs…

WHILE wind power has long been a major source of energy, sailing as a pastime is relatively new, the word “yachting” entering the English language, from the Dutch jacht meaning “hunt”, as recently as the 17th century. The diarist Samuel Pepys wrote of the interest generated by King Charles II in his yacht, a gift from the Dutch East India Company, the competition that it engendered between the King and his brother, the Duke of York, and the latter’s desire to have a yacht built that would outpace the foreign design. Perhaps the birth of modern yachting was thanks to Prince George (later George III). To mark his 11th birthday in 1749 he presented a silver cup for the winner of a race from Greenwich to the Nore and back.…

I CONFESS we chefs get just as excited as you guns (and gundogs) about the 12th. We wait impatiently at our kitchen doors for the first grouse to be delivered, imagining how we will cook them once they are finally in our domain. When I worked in London restaurants grouse was most popular served in the traditional manner with bread sauce and game chips, which is totally delicious. Since becoming a private chef, however, and having cooked for many a shoot party, I have noticed this method is rarely asked for, as clients are game to try something different. My way of cooking is most influenced by the stage of the season. Young grouse roast better and work well served whole. As the season progresses I often serve just the…

INTEREST in “camp” rifles is surging. Whether it reflects a return to our hunter-gatherer instincts or whether it is simply that they represent a fun alternative to traditional bolt-action, scoped rifles it is difficult to say. Certainly, there is something appealing about a rifle small enough to fit in a backpack but capable enough to provide sustenance when needed. Add to this the concept of a combination rifle/shotgun, which enlarges the range of quarry and flexibility, and you have a practical and entertaining addition to the gun cabinet. Firearms of this nature need to be entered on both your firearm and your shotgun certificate. The Savage Arms Model 42 is just such a combination, uniting a .22LR 20in upper barrel with a.410 shotgun 20in lower barrel chambered for 3in cartridges,…

THE latest Subaru Outback brings good news: the design team responsible for hideous front ends has been given a stern talking to. Whatever they were smoking or drinking that inspired them to produce questionable gems such as the Mk 2 Impreza and the Mk 1 Tribeca, and was threatening to send the Outback – our favourite Subaru – down the same scary visual path, has been confiscated. The sixth Outback to reach these shores has adopted a more conservative look and is far better for it. The ugly dropped nose has been pulled up, the yoofimpressing slash in the bonnet has gone and the whole package looks more rural than urban. It is a bigger car than its predecessors and seems to have moved on from being just a beefed-up…