The Field August 2022

THE past two years have been difficult for everyone, and grouse moors are no exception. A double whammy of poor breeding seasons and closure of the UK to overseas Guns, compounded by outbreaks of heather beetle, have tested the resolve of most moor owners. But the majority have weathered the storm and are now looking at better times ahead. Nevertheless, half a dozen productive moors in Scotland have been sold in a hot market, driven by a unique set of financial incentives to develop woodland and restore peatland with corporate investment and carbon offset finance. While this is in line with its policy on climate change, the Scottish government is now looking at ways to limit the distortion to the hill land market, which has taken prices out of the…

TO CONTACT THE NEWS DESK MESSAGE US VIA OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS OR SEND AN EMAIL TO EDWARD.WILLS@FUTURENET.COM Social spotlight INSTAGRAM JUBILANT JUBILEE The Platinum Jubilee was celebrated not only in the streets but digitally too. Nearly 4,000 Field readers enjoyed this photo of HM The Queen enjoying a day out and surrounded by horses, making it one of our most-liked posts. FACEBOOK PICKLED WALNUTS A guide on how best to pickle walnuts was posted on Facebook, which prompted one Field reader to reminisce about her long-forgotten combination of “pickled walnut and Stilton toasties”, which she described as being “delicious”. INSTAGRAM BUNNY BOOM A question was raised on Instagram as to whether readers of The Field had seen an increase in the rabbit population in their area this year. The answers…

BUTTERFLY PROJECT AWARD A joint project between the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) and Cirencester Golf Club has won a prestigious conservation award. Students from the RAU’s British Wildlife and Conservation course have been working to improve an area of grassland at the club that is a habitat for caterpillars of the Duke of Burgundy fritillary butterfly and the project was recently named as Outstanding Environmental Project 2022. FIGHTING A NOBLE CAUSE One of Wales’ best-loved broadcasters, Roy Noble, has joined countryside campaigners in calling on the Welsh government and Natural Resources Wales to stop mass tree-planting on prime agricultural land while also urging them to curtail “outside interests” and “juggernaut companies” from doing the same. NEW HUNTING BODIES The new representative body responsible for the governance of hunts and hunting…

23 July-7 August FREEDOM Art Exhibition – Lucy Boydell The Red Dot Gallery, Holt, Norfolk thereddotgallery.com Tel: 01263 710287 30 July-5 August Cowes Week Cowes, Isle of Wight cowesweek.co.uk Tel: 01983 295744 4 West of England Hound Show Honiton, Devon honitonshow.co.uk Tel: 01404 41794 5-27 The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Edinburgh edintattoo.co.uk Tel: 0131 225 1188 5-29 Edinburgh Fringe Festival Edinburgh edfringe.com Tel: 0131 226 0000 5-6 Highland Field Sports Fair Moy, Inverness moyfieldsportsfair.co.uk Tel: 07765 955216 5-7 Festival of British Eventing Gatcombe Park, Gloucestershire festivalofbritisheventing.com Tel: 01285 841786 6 Summer Saturday – Super Hero Raceday Newmarket, Suffolk thejockeyclub.co.uk 10-11 Champion Stake for Pointers and Setters Byrecleugh, Lauder, Scottish Borders scottishfieldtrialsassociation.co.uk 11 Rydal Hound Show Rydal Park, Ambleside, Cumbria rydalshow.co.uk Tel: ​01539 621413 11-14 International Agility Festival Rutland Showground, Oakham,…

An initiative launched in response to health and well-being concerns within the gamekeeping community, is celebrating its fourth year in operation. Raise the Game was launched in summer 2018 and brings together key organisations within the fieldsports sector to work with the Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust (GWT). A key success from Raise the Game is the STAG course, which looks at leadership, career pathways, resilience and coping strategies. The former Royal Marines-turned-trainers drew on their experiences to address common themes between the two professions, including family sacrifice, poor weather, working in small teams and more. A second course, HIND, was developed for gamekeepers’ wives and partners. The GWT recognises gamekeeping professions are livelihoods that shape the lifestyle of the whole family, and its support is for everyone. “We’ve made great strides…

Flower: Gladiolus/poppy Sturgeon Moon: 11 August Harvest: Corn, tomatoes and cucumbers August was named to honour the first Roman emperor (and grandnephew of Julius Caesar), Augustus Caesar (63BC-AD14). QUOTE OF THE MONTH “Summer declines and roses have grown rare, But cottage crofts are gay with hollyhocks, And in old garden walks you breathe an air Fragrant of pinks and August-smelling stocks”JOHN TODHUNTER (1839-1916) WEATHER FOLKLORE STATES “If the first week in August is unusually warm, the winter will be white and long.” PERSEID METEOR SHOWER: This meteor shower reaches its maximum between 11 and 13 August. This year, however, the best of the Perseids occurs at the same time as the full moon, which means that the moon’s brightness will very likely wash out many of the stars. Luckily, you…