Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2022 i The Field

LET’S LEARN MOOR RETURNS Thousands of children from across the country will have an opportunity to meet the people and organisations that help to protect our moorland biodiversity. During the event on 4 to 8 July children will be ‘rescuing’ their teachers with the mountain rescue, solving rural crimes with the police and learning about the importance of the precious carbon-rich peatlands. STORM RESPONSE FUND The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution has announced the availability of fast-tracked emergency grants of £1,000 to provide financial support to farmers severely affected by the recent storms. Grants can be accessed across the farming community by calling the 24/7 helpline on 0800 1884444. CONSERVATION CHAMPIONS AWARD LAUNCHED The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation is proud to announce the Conservation Champions Awards, in conjunction with Marsdens Game Feeds,…

Flower: Sweet pea Pink Moon: 16 April Harvest: Rhubarb April comes from the Latin word aperio, meaning ‘to open or bud’. APRIL FOOLS’ DAY The term ‘All Fools’ was probably meant as a deliberate stab at All Saints (1 November) and All Souls (2 November) days. Although the origin of playing practical jokes and pranks on this day is hazy, many folklorists believe it may go back to 16th-century France. At that time, New Year’s Day was 25 March, with a full week of partying and exchanging gifts until 1 April. In 1582, the Gregorian calendar moved New Year’s Day to 1 January. Those who forgot or refused to honour the new calendar were teasingly called April Fool. WEATHER FOLKLORE STATES“If it thunders on All Fools’ Day, it brings good…

The Field is an essential part of British country life, and the best-selling fieldsports title in the UK. In continuous publication since 1853, we are proud to announce a 9.3% circulation increase, giving us a monthly independent, audited circulation of 24,503*. The demand for intelligent, well-researched and genuinely good content has never been stronger. In a world of fake news and dodgy reviews, The Field stands proud as a forum for independent journalism. To our readers, friends and advertisers I would like to say thank you, for your loyal and kind support and for making our world such a thriving and unique part of British life. We are looking forward to the future with you all by our side. * January to December 2021, Audit Bureau of Circulations…

What unalloyed joy it was to cast aside the last annus horribilis (or two) and welcome a crowd of sporting adventurers, Field friends and contributors to our Macnab Dinner at The Savile Club in London. The last event many of the crowd had attended before lockdown had been our 2020 dinner, and the 2022 iteration positively crackled with the excitement and anticipation of being ‘out, out’ again. As ever, The Field Macnab Dinner hosted half a dozen Americans who had flown in from Kansas, South Carolina and further afield. Joe Thompson took the crown as the most decorated Macnabber and Sean Delaney revealed that it was The Field’s Macnab attempt at Amhuinnsuidhe that had inspired his sporting trip to the same place in September, where he claimed his first Macnab.…

Woodpigeon shooting is rightly regarded as one of the most sporting challenges a keen Shot can take on. Pigeon are known as the grey grouse, and though they rarely offer the unique challenge of a speeding downwind grouse, they make up for that in their much greater aerobatic ability to change course, direction and speed with the merest flick of a wing. I’ve been shooting pigeon seriously for nearly 30 years and still have the keenest sense of anticipation every day that I go out. With pigeon, you never quite know what’s going to happen: you can expect to shoot 200 and only shoot 20, or vice versa. So how have things changed over the years, and how can you maximise your chances? I’m assuming that the necessary action has…

Forget for a moment the Resurrection and the prospect of eternal salvation. The most exciting thing about Easter is the simnel cake. Of course, there are many other traditional Easter foods. People get agitated about Easter eggs; hot cross buns are divine; and who doesn’t relish some rare roast lamb for lunch on Easter Sunday? But none of these can hold a paschal candle to the simnel cake. For what could be cleverer than a fruit cake with not just one but two layers of marzipan, one baked in the middle of the cake, one on the top, and then topped with 11 marzipan balls, one for each of the apostles, minus traitorous Judas? Unsurprisingly for a recipe whose origins date back nearly a millennium, there are various myths surrounding…

WESTERN OSPREY PANDION HALIAETUS The Birds of America, 1827–38, by John James Audubon Often found along coastlines, lakes and rivers, the osprey is an impressive bird. These expert fishers are often seen hovering above the water, waiting patiently for the right time to strike. When the moment arrives, they move in a split second, plunging feet-first into the water and grabbing hold of their prey in their sharp talons. The Bird: The Great Age of Avian Illustration by Philip Kennedy, published by Laurence King Publishing, hardback (£40)…

THE kaleidoscope of adventure that growing up on a farm brings is something I will never cease to be grateful for. Whether hacking around our fields in Northamptonshire, picnicking in the harvest stubble or learning to pluck pheasants and pocketing a treasured 20p per bird, there was always something to enjoy. In my teens, I earned a few pennies more driving tractors, and in my twenties, I would run the farm perimeter to get my dose of home when back from university or my job in London as sub-editor of this very magazine. Because we would be so busy in the summer with harvest, our family holiday consisted of a week every March fishing on the Dee. Days were filled with simple pleasures in spectacular scenery: casting into the ever-changing…

INSTAGRAM WILDFOWLING WONDER Who doesn’t love a good wildfowling picture, with the sun rising over the landscape? This is probably why so many Fielders on Instagram enjoyed our striking image of a wildfowler raising his gun to a flock of geese on the foreshore. As one Instagrammer noted, ‘What a photo’. FACEBOOK TIME TO PUT THE PAWS UP A piece from David Tomlinson on the retirement age of working dogs (Sporting Dog, February issue) sparked a debate on Facebook, with one side proposing that ‘when they’re ready, they’ll tell you’ and the other countering that ‘a major factor is the breeding and depends on how they are raised and treated by the owner’. INSTAGRAM MOONLIT MILESTONES Fielders on Instagram were intrigued by an image of the Trinity Hall milestones from…

Cereals tickets raise money for farming charities Cereals Event 2022 is giving 50% of each ticket price to a choice of three farming charities. “We know that farmers are facing a challenging time, with soaring input costs, the transition away from Basic Payments and the uncertainty of global trade deals,” explains event organiser Alli McEntyre. “We want to support the industry with as much practical help as possible, and raise funds for those who are most in need.” Visitors can choose whether their donation goes to the Farming Community Network, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution or Yellow Wellies. The Cereals Event will be held near Duxford, Cambridgeshire on 8 and 9 June. For tickets and information visit cerealsevent.co.uk…

30 March to 30 October Delight in Nature: Stanley Spencer’s World Stanley Spencer Gallery, Berkshire. Tel: 01628 531092; stanleyspencer.org.uk 1 Newark International Antiques & Collectors Market Newark and Nottinghamshire Showground, Winthorpe, Nottinghamshire. Tel: 01636 702326 2 Coral Scottish Grand National Ayr. Tel: 01292 264179; ayr-racecourse.co.uk 2 West Norfolk Foxhounds & North Norfolk Harriers Point-to-Point Fakenham, Norfolk. Tel: 01933 304795 pointtopoint.co.uk/events/6811 3 Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race River Thames, London. theboatrace.org 9 The Randox Grand National Aintree, Liverpool. Tel: 0344 579 3001; thejockeyclub.co.uk 10 Countryside Lincs The Lincolnshire Showground, Lincoln. Tel: 01522 522900; lincolnshireshowground.co.uk 10 Tedworth Point-to-Point Barbury Racecourse, Wiltshire. Tel: 01933 304795 pointtopoint.co.uk/events/6821 15 and 16 Royal Cornwall Showground Antique, Salvage, Vintage & Decorative Fair Wadebridge Showground, Whitecross, Cornwall. Tel: 07887 753956 18 Taunton Vale Foxhounds & Taunton Vale Harriers…

Write to: The Editor, The Field, Future Publishing PLC, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London, W2 6JR Email: field.secretary@futurenet.com LETTERS MAY BE EDITED FOR CLARITY OR SPACE SALMON CONTAINED Dr Martin Jaffa makes a point when he says that the numbers of returning grilse are on the increase [see Letters, March issue]. In a complex biological system, it is difficult to understand this, but there are several methods as to how this could be teased out. The simplest, which would allow salmon farms to continue operating, would be to follow the established practice of other nations and move salmon farms to contained systems, on land, so that the returning flow of ‘used seawater’ could be sterilised of sea lice larvae. I believe there are methods of doing this. At present, open systems…

▶ Early scrapbookers believed you read more attentively for keeping one. US president Thomas Jefferson and novelist Louisa May Alcott (left) were early enthusiasts. The latter claimed her copious clippings helped inform her novels: “The habit of reading with a pair of scissors in my hand has stood me in good stead for much of my literary work.” ▶ Don’t assume that no one will be interested in your scrapbooks once you are dead. Your children may fight over them. A good scrapbook can be a social record as Dutton proves, declining to reveal which auction houses he follows in search of others. ▶ “Scrapbooks are a really easy way to connect and start a conversation – particularly across generations,” says Bray, whose teenage daughters have inherited the family habit…

Blame The Great British Bake Off. People no longer feel that offering guests a home-made Victoria sponge is enough. The GBBO has convinced us we need to produce something that both plays with standard ingredient combinations and defies the laws of physics. (The pressure on parents for birthday parties is particularly acute: pressed for time and defeated by some online tutorial for conjuring the cast of Frozen out of icing, many dash to the supermarket). This is a huge shame. Home-made cakes are more delicious, and imbue their baker with joy and a healthy degree of smugness. Baking, generally, isn’t hard: most classic cakes are pretty straightforward. Nor does the icing need to stun. Unless you’re a child, there’s an inversely proportional relationship between the impressiveness of the icing and…

WHERE’S STEN? Q Some 15 years ago, a wonderful leather craftsman called Sten Tromans made the most beautiful gun slip and matching cartridge bag for me. His company was called Stencraft Leather, which is now closed. It was in Norton Canes, near Cannock. I wondered if any reader of The Field might know of his whereabouts as I would be very keen to have some more items made. GC, Wiltshire A Stencraft Leather moved from its premises in Norton Canes due to rental expenses and businesses local to it do not have a forwarding address. If any Field reader knows if Sten Tromans of Stencraft Leather is still in business, or has contact details for him, please contact me at the Country Queries email address above. RAISE A GLASS Q…

New Ideas in Botanical Painting: Composition and Colour This is much more than a coffee-table book. Jenkins is a botanical artist and a professional gardener and her passion for plants and gardens pervades the pages as she reflects on the symbiotic relationship between the two, and how her approach to one complements the other. First, we learn how Jenkins was drawn into botanic art, about her studies and influences. The book is then divided into two sections, Grow and Paint. In Grow, we learn how she manages her gardens in London and France, her preferred seasonal subjects and the importance she attaches to growing her own plants to examine and depict. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most interesting part of the book is Paint – excellence is surely always most fascinating when…

Marks & Spencer (M&S) will be the first major retailer to stock game that is both lead-free and British Game Assurance (BGA)-certified, after a member of its agricultural team attended the annual Agents’ Symposium last week. The company intends to lead the way in the sale of sustainable game, which is why it has adopted the BGA’s standards. All meats have in-country, independently certified standards, and from now on M&S expects to see game assured in the same way. The BGA is urging shoots that want to register for assurance and make the transition away from lead ammunition to get in touch to find out how they can supply M&S. BGA chief executive Liam Stokes told The Field that this is a landmark moment: “M&S has told the shooting world…

SJ Hunt, chief executive of the Country Food Trust What is your agenda? To feed people in need by utilising the meat of the countryside, particularly pheasant and venison. Frozen venison mince and pheasant breasts are supplied free of charge to the larger redistribution centres. We need to raise funds to buy the meat from the game dealers, which means that our national ambassador programme of volunteers and business supporters is vital. We are currently launching our Wild Venison Project to encourage the country to eat more venison to help counter the glut of deer, which is harming the ecology at an alarming rate. We are looking for more ambassadors and business supporters, so please do get in touch if this is of interest (thecountryfoodtrust.org). Elysian moment? We are blessed…

A recent report from a special NatureScot Scientific Advisory Committee subgroup shows that urgent and drastic action, not more research, is needed immediately to save the capercaillie. The GWCT, which has been at the forefront of research into declining capercaillie numbers in Scotland, has stated that all involved need to act now. Rory Kennedy, director of Scotland for GWCT, said: “There can be no ifs or buts about this report’s conclusions… we need to move now, we need to move fast and we don’t need to hide behind the need for more science if we are to save our dwindling populations of this iconic species.” The actions that the GWCT suggests are preventing disturbance and deploying effective predator control to stabilise the population. The report also added that the control…

Figuière Mediterranée Rosé 2020 Reduced from £12.85 to £10.95/bottle* Spring is springing! Don’t miss this rosé at a brilliant 15% discount. Free delivery for orders of 12 bottles within mainland UK (usually £15). Save £37.80 on 12 bottles delivered. While stocks last or until 30 April 2022. Tasting note: A delightfully pale rosé with a nose of light red berry fruit, leafy and lightly juicy – bring on the longer days. Order here: Call 01353 721999 or visit: privatecellar.co.uk/fieldwine Use code APRIL22 at checkout for free delivery on orders of 12 bottles or more. *This offer is exclusive to The Field Wine Club…

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I was all set for the Highlands for a post-pandemic life change. I’d spotted a brand-new property built on a Sutherland peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean. Overlooked by the peaks of Stac Pollaidh, Canisp, Quinag and Ben More Assynt, with deer and otters as land and sea neighbours, and even the odd dolphin surfing the waves, this was the moment to declutter and detox by investing in that buzz phrase ‘natural capital’. There was also a larch-built eco lodge, a wraparound terrace for outdoor dining, the opportunity to launch the boat with direct beach access, nearly 30 acres to play in and a fishing village over the rocks. But, such is the clamour from a new breed of purchaser in search of a middleof-nowhere postcode, the house went…

NDC Last season, we enjoyed a superb day’s walked-up shooting with friends on Bodmin Moor. Our host, having recently taken over his family home and moved back to Cornwall, was faced with a dilemma over how to keep the farm viable while protecting its extraordinary biodiversity. His enthusiasm for this unique piece of country is highly infectious and really got me thinking about how we view the sporting environment we are fortunate enough to hold in trust. These days, it’s almost impossible to avoid media coverage of the rewilding movement, which divides opinion almost as much as the fieldsports debate. From wolves and lynxes in the Highlands to bogs and beavers on Bodmin, the rewilders are attracting a mixed press. However, having spent a day wandering through this precious landscape,…

WHEN the then Editor asked me whether I would like to write this Under the Hammer column, he gave me a steely, old-fashioned look. The previous chief scribe, he explained, had developed a penchant for writing about ancient Chinese and Japanese plates, bowls and assorted fragile impedimenta; objects that might delight bow-tied academics but were unlikely to stir the blood of right-minded readers of The Field. He had, finally, issued a ‘cease and desist’ warning. However, being a journalist – we hacks are by instinct a deeply contrary lot – the next column was an extravaganza of oriental crockery from various unpronounceable dynasties. The result – because editors tend to be as steely as their writers are contrarian – was that the job was mine, should I want it. “But,”…

I FACED a harrowing crisis the other day. No, no, I’m fine now, thank you, it could have been so much worse. I managed to keep a clear head and can – at last – talk about it without a shudder. My old chum Nigel had brought his last treasured bottle of 1996 Château Lynch-Bages as a special treat. The table was laid, the supper was ready and our chilled aperitifs were but a memory. We drooled at the thought of such a fine red but as Nigel struggled to open it, the damn cork, tired after a quarter of a century quietly doing its job, promptly crumbled and sheared in half before having been fully extricated. “The cork, tired after a quarter of a century quietly doing its job,…