Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2022 i The Field

UNDER the direction of UK REACH, the independent chemicals regulatory frame-work covering England, Scotland and Wales, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was asked to produce a restriction dossier for all lead ammunition. The work was initiated following the regulatory body’s split from EU REACH, which had commenced the same work a year earlier. The nearly 500-page dossier, published in May, showed that the main risks identified through scientific evidence are that the use of lead shot and rifle ammunition can, in certain circumstances, cause primary and secondary poisoning in wild birds and mammals, and that its presence in game meat can impact on human health, especially for pregnant women and young children. While the risks are well documented and can sometimes be mitigated against, the public and political tolerance…

♦ EMAIL MADELEINE.SILVER@FUTURENET.COM TWEED CAP WILLIAM POWELL Made from 100% Scottish Lovat Mill tweed in England, with a satin lining and a generous nape and crown so it stays put when the wind howls. Get kitted out ahead of the season. ♦ Price £45 ♦ Tel 01295 701701 ♦ williampowell.com OSTRICH BOOT BAG FINE SHOOTING ACCESSORIES Load up the car in style with a bag roomy enough for any gumboots – and block your initials on the oval to stop them going walkies on arrival. Robust double zips on the flap for easy access and a wipe-down liner. ♦ Price from £895 ♦ Tel 01913 233843 ♦ fineshootingaccessories.com HUNTSHAW 2 MTD BOOT AIGLE MTD technology makes boots windproof, waterproof and breathable. Excellent grip allows for uneven terrain and adjustable elastic…

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Until the mid-20th century, the vista from my office window at the British Embassy in Cairo extended uninterrupted to the pyramids of Giza. These wonders of antiquity are no longer visible, but my view across the Nile survives, looking across to the Gezira Sporting Club on the island of Zamalek, founded in 1882 as the Khedivial Sporting Club for British cavalry officers in need of a place to play polo. This reminder, and a love of the game that I developed early in my regimental life, gave me the impetus to invite a British Army polo team to Egypt last November, after an almost unbroken 70-year hiatus. At stake for the five-goal Army team as they took on our generous Cairene hosts, the Kings Club, was the newly created Brigadier…

Ingredients Serves 4 Strained yoghurt 10 tbsp plain whole yoghurt1 tsp fine sea salt Venison 4 venison steaks2 tbsp olive oil8 sprigs of thyme Aubergine salad 2 aubergines, striped with a peeler lengthways, then sliced into 1½cmthick rounds2 tbsp balsamic vinegar1 tsp runny honey1 small garlic clove, peeled and finely minced5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil½ to 1 red chilli, finely chopped30g fresh basil, roughly chopped Strained yoghurt In a small bowl, mix the plain yoghurt with the sea salt. Lay a muslin cloth over a sieve set over a bowl, spoon in the yoghurt and leave to drain for at least 1 hour in the fridge. Aubergine salad In a large bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, runny honey, red chilli, extra virgin olive oil and half the basil.…

Ingredients Serves 4 (as a starter or side dish) Artichokes 1½ lemons8 artichokes100ml olive oil100ml dry white wine4 small garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced4 slices pancetta, chopped Pinch of dried red chilli flakes2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped2 tbsp mint, finely chopped1 tbsp oregano, finely chopped Artichokes Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into a bowl of cold water. Cut off the top of the artichoke and remove the outer leaves, scoop out the furry inner core and trim and peel the stem to leave just the heart. In a heavy-based pan with a lid, add the olive oil and snugly fit in the artichoke hearts. Season with salt and pepper then add the wine, scatter over the garlic, pancetta, chilli and half the parsley, mint and oregano. Place a…

These are busy days at Land Rover Towers. The emails and press releases about new models – and new variations of new models – are pouring out almost daily. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with them, especially if your priorities in mid-May involve fungicides and straw shorteners on gold-dust wheat. Luckily, I spotted the invitation to the big one: the launch of the new Range Rover. And, in another encouraging sign that we’re all done with masks and social distancing, it was a proper one. Boutique hotel, dinner, early start, huge loop around the Bristol Channel, chichi lunch in Clarksonland and home for tea and buns. “In the next 24 hours after the website going live, a sale was made every nine minutes” The run up the A34 was…

THE SPORTING CHANCE GAME FAIR PLUMAGE Ronald Rose recently completed A Walk With Shaun, a 480-mile, 24-day walk from one end of Scotland to the other, in memory of a friend who took his own life. Rose raised £3,000 for the Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust (GWT) and created invaluable awareness of the assistance it provides. Rose, a wildlife ranger manager for Forestry and Land Scotland, doesn’t take the personal challenges of the work lightly. “It’s OK not to be OK. And more than OK to tell a family member, a friend or colleague, or specialists like the GWT, about problems you are facing and how you are feeling.” Helen Benson, GWT’s chief executive, said: “Ronald’s Walk With Shaun has been an amazing feat, and all the more humbling since he has…

A PERFECT storm has broken over game shooting in this country. Bird flu struck one of the most important areas for game rearing to the sport we know today. The issues have been compounded by a lack of cooperation between governments and the fact that international law is now governing parts of the game shooting sector rather than EU law. This is the cold tailwind of Brexit, and one of the consequences is that we face a new game season like few others in modern times. What has become clear is that game shooting in this country is now overly reliant on European imports, and when those imports are restricted, our domestic sector faces real difficulties. Not all shoots are face-down in the nettles, however, and although shooting is likely…

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 SAGA I have read with interest recent correspondence in your magazine regarding the continuing decline of migratory fish stocks. The salmon farming industry appears to be being blamed for causing this decline in many areas, but although it may indeed be a contributing factor, I cannot see how it is the only reason. I live on the Llŷn Peninsula, and I can recall that back in the 1970s, the rivers that I fished were full of fish. I was very keen then, and often I would go down to my local river in my lunch break to see which pools contained the most fish,…

STOCKWELLS COTTAGE ASTON UPTHORPE, OXFORDSHIRE A detached four-bedroom period cottage in the village of Aston Upthorpe, four miles from Wallingford. The property, stretching to 2,450 square feet, dates back to the 18th century and is Grade II listed. There are plenty of windows and good ceiling heights, while the sitting room has an inglenook fireplace and French doors opening on to the rear gardens. There is also a garden room and a cellar. Agent: Singleton & Daughter Tel: 0118 984 2662 Guide price: £1.1 million BRUSHWOOD FARM FRILFORD HEATH, ABINGDON, OXFORDSHIRE This four-bedroom house was built by the current owners 40 years ago, so is on the market for the first time. It comes with nearly 5½ acres of mature wooded gardens and paddocks, as well as a stable block…

It used to start with a telephone call, then it moved to emails, but nowadays the call to arms comes via WhatsApp: “Morning, are you free to shoot as part of my team on a charity shoot in July?” Typically, and wherever possible, we all try to say yes. A day shooting with friends in the summer sun, finishing with a good lunch and all for a worthy cause – what’s not to love? Invitation accepted, the event slides to the back of your mind until, with a week to go, you get the reminder from your host saying how they are relying upon you to help the team win. No pressure. So, what to do and how to prepare for such a day? Well, first of all, allow me…

Of all the country sports, pedigree whippet racing today must be the most innocent. There is no swag of prize money, no on-course bookies and the picnics behind the custom-made campervans would not challenge Car Park Number One at Royal Ascot. “A transformation has occurred,” wrote Pauline Wilson, one-time editor of Whippet News, in her book, Whippets: Rearing & Racing. “Although most people imagine these little dogs still run to their cloth-capped owners amid a background of gambling and drinking, nothing could be further from the truth. It has evolved into an amateur and family sport.” So I was to discover as I joined the Andover & District Whippet Racing Club for one of its 15 annual Sunday meetings in a grass field behind the welcoming Weyhill Fair pub in…

If you happened to be strolling along the shore of what we now know as Happisburgh, Norfolk, over 800,000 years ago, along the estuary of what might have been the original course of the Thames, your eye might have been caught by a few windswept figures, no doubt armed with sapling-based basket nets and poles. These hunter-gatherers were most likely Homo antecessor, perhaps on their way back from a coastal forage to the predator-safe haven of their estuary-island settlement. Fast forward the best part of a million years and their footprints are discovered, neatly preserved in the silty mudflats, by a group of excitable scientists. They would have been gathering shellfish, molluscs and seaweeds of the same sort we dine on to this day, and the thought of gathering these…

In 1860, eight lads teed up to knock it three times round Prestwick for a leather-and-silver belt and a pat on the back for the first championship; it was an era when golf professionals were principally grass cutters and club makers. It would have been hard to imagine then that 162 years and 150 instalments of The Open later (after the interruptions of the world wars and other hiatuses), it would have become the spectacle that will be celebrated on 14-17 July at St Andrews, ‘the home of golf’. The event is one of this country’s sporting monuments. From its inception in 1860, it has grown into an international competition that sees thousands enter qualifying events across the globe. The first 12 Opens were held at Prestwick Golf Club, after…

I’M currently trying to read the collecting, ‘what next?’ tea leaves and coming up with cups of coffee. Investment common sense would sort of suggest that, with the possibility of a spreading war in Europe interrupting normal business, hikes in the costs of food and energy already with us and further huge hikes haring around the corner – not forgetting the not insubstantial matter of rising interest rates – the sensible way forward might be holding back on aggressively expanding your treasured collection of whatevers; be that Beanie Babies, old tractors, flintlock pistols or, in my case, ancient armour and (my sort of still guilty, undetected secret) ancient gold Byzantine coins. But no. The current indications seem to be that the art market is still going gangbusters. One explanation I…

CHEDWORTH HANGING COCOON BRAMBLECREST Designed in Gloucestershire to enjoy the best of summer. The range is made from lightweight and all-weather outdoor rattan in a soothing shade. Frost resistant and with ‘season-proof’ fabric in Herringbone Barley. Three sizes for lounging alone with a book or in company. Hang from a tree or the frame, indoors or out. Price: £681 for single hanging cocoon, £1,429 for triple Tel: 01285 760974 bramblecrest.com ROORKHEE CHAIR & WASHBASIN MELVILL & MOON / ARDMORE The collaboration between South Africa’s ‘retro’ safari outfitters and Fée Halsted’s iconic South African design house is a marriage made in heaven. Melvill & Moon’s campaign furniture is classic and versatile (its washbasin doubles as a wine cooler) and is now available in the UK made from beautiful Ardmore fabrics. Choose…

The results are in for the 2022 GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count. More than 1,900 farmers and land managers took part in the count from 4-20 February to provide a vital snapshot of the health of our cherished farmland birds. Participants saw 130 species across more than 1.5 million acres. Over 420,000 birds were counted and an impressive 26 red-listed species were recorded, with seven among the 25 most frequently seen species. Of these, starlings, lapwings, fieldfares and linnets were the four most abundant, with more than 125,000 counted – 29% of all species recorded. The most commonly seen birds were blackbirds and woodpigeons, sighted by over 71% of counters, while more than 63% spotted robins, carrion crows and pheasants. The five most abundant birds seen were woodpigeons, starlings, lapwings,…

IT was once said that “golf is a good walk spoiled”. For one unfortunate soul in 1870, those six words don’t quite do it justice. Two old acquaintances and competitive golfers, Sir David Moncreiffe and John Whyte-Melville, decided to shake on what can only be considered a ‘death match’. They wagered that whoever stepped off the course as the loser would pay with their life. While the result of their duel was never officially recorded, the proof is very much in the pudding. Thirteen years later, Whyte-Melville stood up to make a speech tinged with sadness about “the causes that led to” the death of Sir David. He went on to outlive his adversary by half a century. By that time, there had already been a clampdown on private betting,…

This month, The Game Fair returns to Ragley Hall in Alcester, Warwickshire. Around 120,000 visitors are expected to attend from Friday, 29 July to Sunday, 31 July, and the event once again promises to be a fantastic celebration of fieldsports and country life. The Hall, home to the ninth Marquess of Hertford, sits in 450 acres of landscaped gardens and parkland near Stratford-upon-Avon. The Game Fair’s packed itinerary includes exciting displays, thrilling competitions, educational demonstrations and plenty of chances for visitors to have a go for themselves. There is something for everyone to enjoy, from clay shooting and rifle enthusiasts to fishing fanatics, foodies and more. The Field has been at the heart of every Game Fair since 1958 and this year will be no different, with our stand located…

To be asked to have puppies at walk is a privilege, and a labour. Eager volunteers nurture young hounds from as early as eight weeks until the start of the next hunting season or exasperation sets in. Puppy walking is a vital aspect of a hound’s education. It introduces them to the sights and sounds of the countryside, as well as offering some financial respite to the hunt (they eat a lot). Sometimes this sojourn is cut short if hounds become too wayward, or too many pairs of gumboots go missing. No matter how or when the puppies are returned, at every Puppy Show, the walkers smile like proud parents as the huntsman shows the new entry. Over the years, I have had the chance to talk and drink Pimm’s…

Brits have rediscovered the unadulterated joys of an old-fashioned bucketand-spade holiday, and everything that comes with it: the sand which gets in the sandwiches, the dive-bombing seagulls, the glistening sea – enticing regardless of its temperature. Dotted along the shoreline are the newly appreciated jewels in the coast’s crown: beach huts. These unassuming little structures are enjoying something of a renaissance after two years of travel restrictions. “There was a 50% increase in website traffic in 2020 compared with 2019,” says Charlie Ramsay, founder and executive chairman of SpeedyBooker, the technology platform behind BeachHuts.com. Having been all the rage in the interwar years and after World War II, the beach hut languished in the holiday doldrums, a casualty of the air travel boom towards the end of the 20th century.…

THERE are times when old ideas, considered outdated, can be revisited in the face of a new and changing landscape. Sometimes these concepts can receive a new lease of life and once more make an impact. Just as often, however, they meet with failure and a harsh reminder of why they fell out of favour to begin with. The Royal Armouries’ collection holds an unfortunate example of the latter. At its core, it is a volley pistol working in a similar manner to the Nock volley gun of the Napoleonic Wars, made popular in the hands of Sergeant Harper in the Sharpe series of novels and television films. Unlike its blackpowder ancestor, this pistol fires the now ubiquitous .22 in Long Rifle cartridge, and can carry 10 rounds chambered in…

THIS month’s test gun is intriguing but familiar. It’s called the Wimbledon Park, conceived by Stephen Murray, who managed the Purdey Sporter project, and is made in association with Perugini & Visini (a Brescian firm) as the Purdey Sporter once was. Weighing in at 7lb 12oz, the gun is elegantly, but quite plainly, finished with minimal tight scroll hand engraving at the fences, action knuckle and action belly. There are beaded edges underneath too, and sculpting at the fences. The Wimbledon Park name is hand engraved on the bottom of both action walls in London style. The coin-finished action of the test gun is clearly inspired by the Perazzi MX8 as well as the refined Purdey Sporter (now evolved into the entirely English-made Purdey Trigger Plate model). Messrs Perugini and…

Ingredients Serves 6 Base 150g sweet pastry Filling 120g demerara sugar120g salted butter, room temperature2 medium free-range eggs120g pistachios, finely ground25g plain flour1 tsp ground cinnamon½ tsp baking powder2 tbsp fig jam6 fresh figs, cut in half You will need a 9in/23cm loose-bottomed, fluted tart tin Base Roll out the sweet pastry and line the tart tin, lightly prick with a fork and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/gas mark 4, line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beansandparchmentandcook for a further 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Leave to cool on a rack and turn the oven down to 150°C fan/gas mark 3. Filling Beat the sugar and butter until pale…

SIX OF THE BEST WINES TO COOK WITH 2020 SPECIALLY SELECTED GRÜNER VELTLINER (£6.99, Aldi) Fresh, crisp, citrusy and dry: a great example of this most food-friendly of grape varieties. COCKBURN’S SPECIAL RESERVE PORT (£9 for 75cl, Sainsbury’s) The best-selling port of all and a cinch to turn into a decadently rich sauce that works beautifully with lamb or pork. 2021 DOMAINE PÉGALINE PIN-SAULT (£15.95, Stone, Vine & Sun) Ridiculously drinkable Pinot Noir/Cinsault blend that would enliven many a dish — and many a cook. MORRISONS THE BEST ETIENNE LECLAIR BRUT CHAMPAGNE (£20, Morrisons) Famously came top of the supermarket pops recently and perfect for champagne cocktails. 2020 MAS BRUGUIÈRE ‘L’ARBOUSE’ PIC SAINT-LOUP (£21.50, Yapp Bros) Gloriously concentrated, herbal, Grenache/Syrah red, essential for stewed beef cheek and carrots. 2020 BODEGAS…