Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2015 i Shooting Gazette

FOXDENTON ESTATE GIN, Dr Watson Shooting and Hull Cartridge are just some of the brands that will feature on Peg 5 when it returns to the forthcoming CLA Game Fair at Harewood House. Peg 5, a concept devised by Charlie Stopford-Sackville and Shooting Gazette’s Edward Watson, brings together the very best British brands with a connection to shooting, and proved a hit with visitors during last year’s Game Fair at Blenheim. This year’s marquee will showcase the range of products offered by Oliver Brown, Bonties and Pipers Crisps, while vehicles from Bishops 4x4 and an F1 car from BAC Mono will also be parked out in front. Foxdenton Estate Gin will be unveiling a new apricot gin and Edward Watson will also be on hand to answer any shooting conundrums.…

PROFESSOR ANN MORTIMER, Sarah Turner, Sally-Anne Cockerill, John Dryden and Martyn Jones have been elected to serve on the BASC council. A total of 12 candidates stood for election, with voting open to all BASC members by post and online. The results were announced at the association’s AGM in Stirling in June. Jonathan Garton and Oliver McCullough were unopposed and therefore appointed to the Wales and Northern Ireland seats. Alan Jarrett and Mike Sherman will continue to serve as BASC chairman and vice-chairman respectively. John Graham was elected to the post of chairman of the executive and finance committee. Alan Jarrett said: “We would like to extend a warm welcome to all of our new council members who bring a wide range of experience and expertise with them. BASC is…

In an interview some years ago, Sir Max Hastings said to me, “there’s more balls talked about cartridges than anything else.” This was not a view shared by one of the most intense and intimidating guests I’ve ever had the misfortune to host. He was pure Afrikaner stock, a behemoth of a man, with a growl of a voice, like someone carving a figurine from a washing machine with a chainsaw. During the introductions he suddenly stepped so far into my personal space that we briefly shared DNA. I all but ducked, fists raised to my temples. He simply croaked: “Bathroom, Bru?” During the 10-minute journey to the first drive, his onslaught began. “Now, listen,” he said, sitting down next to me in the gunbus and crushing a box of…

PICTURE OF THE MONTH An event at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School raised more than £50,000 for the Willow Charity, which was set up by Arsenal legend Bob Wilson and his wife Megs, as a memorial to their daughter Anna, who died of cancer aged 31. This was the eighth annual shoot day organised by Willow and was supported by Paul White of Frogmore Property Company and Greg Nicholson, former director of CBRE. The event has raised almost £500,000 for Willow since it began in 2007. Chatsworth shoot raises £250,000 TV star Tess Daly was master of ceremonies at this year’s Derbyshire Charity Clay Shoot at Chatsworth, when £250,000 was raised for Derbyshire charities. Forty-four five-person teams took part at the invitation of the Earl and Countess of Burlington. The…

So much of the grouse season depends on the weather. We were lucky in 2013 and 2014 with fantastic summers, and reports came flooding in to suggest many estates had shot record numbers. There were grouse to spare right to the end of the season, and I had some excellent shooting with friends on keepers’ days in Aberdeenshire as part of an effort to get the numbers down in the dying days of November. By contrast, this year seems to have been a real let-down. On my ground the curlews were almost a month late to return – a bad sign that the weather was to stay cold and unsettled well into April. Extraordinary blizzards struck during the grouse egg-laying period, which threw the cycle of grasses and sedges out…

“I started shooting with a folding.410, but eventually graduated to a 12 bore over-under in 1976. After some success I arrogantly assumed what worked in the vertical would work in the horizontal, and in 2002, purchased a tidy if unremarkable Cogswell & Harrison sidelock ejector side-by-side 12 bore, built in 1919. Assumptions are dangerous and after some seasons of disappointment it went into the gun cabinet, only to re-emerge when I decided to try selling it at auction. “Having paid £1,500 and set that as my reserve, my first choice of auction house had two attempts to attract a buyer with no success so it went back in the cabinet. Prompted in 2014 by a Holt’s advertisement for valuation days, and as one was very local, I decided to have…

Live pigeon shooting was popular in the 19th century. There were several organised clubs in London and regular events took place outside pubs further afield. To call it a sport is really a misnomer as the practice was entirely driven by gambling. Enormous sums of money changed hands in the betting and on account of this it became vital to ensure every shot counted. As a consequence, in the muzzle-loading era large-bore guns firing big charges of shot were discharged at the unfortunate pigeons. In the 1860s the rules were tightened with the largest bore size decreed being a 12 bore firing no more than 1¼oz of shot. Before this anything went. Small cannon were constructed: eight, six and four bore, usually single barrelled, blasting large charges of shot from…

The Hunter GTX Extreme® from Lowa is the boot of choice for guns and keepers who demand strength and comfort when out in the field. Handcrafted in Germany using the finest leather, SPS midsole technology and Vibram outsoles, your feet will be stylish and well-supported, while the PRIMALOFT® insulation and GORE-TEX® waterproof lining will keep your feet warm and dry. For more information visit lowa.co.uk. To win a pair of these Lowa boots find the 11 listed words and send the completed entry form to: Wellysearch, Shooting Gazette, 7th Floor, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London, SE1 0SU. Entries to arrive no later than August 31. The first correct entry to be drawn will win. June’s winner was M.E. Hogg from Desford in Leicestershire.…

Gavin Gardiner's forthcoming sale of fine modern and vintage sporting guns at Gleneagles will include this pair of Holland & Holland single trigger ejectors, and their new owner is sure to want to get out into the field as soon as possible after the hammer goes down. Built in 2000, the bright 20 bore Sporting model over-unders both feature 30" barrels with Briley chokes, 14¾" stocks with pistol grips and foliate scroll engraving on the actions. The lot has an estimate of £50,000 - £70,000 and includes a fitted case with accessories. Gavin Gardiner's sale of fine modern and vintage sporting guns will take place at the Gleneagles Hotel on August 24. For more information, visit gavingardiner.com.…

Out of the box the gun was quite stiff to open and close as one might normally expect from any new gun, but this did not seem to ease after instructors Ed Smith and Steve Wood and I had put plenty of shells through it. (Ed. We spoke to the distributors and they tested the same gun and found it was unusually stiff too, but always recommend at least 1,000 shells go through a gun before the initial stiffness dissipates). In the actual act of shooting the gun performs very well indeed, coming up to the shoulder easily – as one might hope of a lightweight model such as this. Mounting is consistent and comfortable, and the gun feels lively in the hands while remaining predictable and easy to keep…

Catering: Friendly bar and excellent three-course evening meal starring pork belly from the heavens. And a breakfast to march on. 9/10 Accommodation: Brand new bedrooms are extremely well equipped and very functional but lack the charm of the older rooms in the hotel. 8/10 Atmosphere: Locals and guests mix in the cosy bar and dining part of the old pub. Warm, convivial and welcoming. 9/10 Service: Attentive owners clearly recruit and train the staff well. 8/10 Suitability for shooters: Dogs welcome in some rooms but no gun cabinet. It’s the best hotel around so you’ll deal with that. 8/10 Total: 42/50…

The Penwood from Thos. Turner & Sons of Reading, Newbury and Basingstoke (1920), the Special Smokeless from T. Turner & Sons of Newbury and Reading (1910), the Special from Leech & Sons of Chelmsford (1900) and the Blue Flash from Frank Garrett of Birmingham (1910). The Crest Water Proof from W. Golden of Huddersfield (1910), the Orange Black from William C. Till Ltd. of Battle (1920), the J.W.G. from Cox & Son of Southampton (1912) and the Southampton from Cox & Son of Southampton (1900). The Milburn from Milburn & Son of Brampton (1910), the M.S.B. from Milburn & Son of Brampton (1927), the Hyde Park from Aldride of Ipswich (1910) and the Express from H. Hodgson of Ipswich and Bury St. Edmunds (1922). Dates in brackets are the first…

Lightweight cotton Lovat breeks by Oliver Brown £125 oliverbrown.org.uk Lightweight safari shooting vest by Holland & Holland £495 hollandandholland.com Tattersall shirt by Cordings of Piccadilly £65 cordings.co.uk Summerweight field coat by Orvis £199 orvis.co.uk Cotton breeks by R. Ward Gunmakers £275 rwardgunmakers.com Bolton fleece by Seeland £59.99 seelanduk.co.uk Stretch technical tweed waistcoat by Musto £295 musto.com Roxburgh mains tweed cap by A Hume £39 ahume.co.uk Need to compose yourself before August 12? Subscribe to Shooting Gazette Subscribe via magazinesdirect.com  UK readers tel: 0330 333 4555 Overseas readers tel: +44 (0) 330 333 4555…

Mark Whitehouse Mark is an A-panel Kennel Club judge for spaniels and has represented England six times in international gundog events. He trains and breeds labradors and spaniels at the Cheweky Gundog Kennels in Yorkshire. Jeremy Hunt Jeremy has been breeding labradors for more than 25 years through his kennels, Fenway Labradors. He lives in Lancashire and is well known as a writer on country sports and rural issues. Don’t throw youngsters into work too quickly Q I have a young labrador bitch who’s about to start her first season as part of my picking-up team. Should I take her out with my older and more experienced bitch, or should I take her out on her own so I can devote more time to her? A This is a common…

Are there any projects that you are currently busy with? “As ever, I’m working on lots of different ‘top secret’ projects. We are the only shotgun cartridge manufacturer with the Royal Warrant, and there’s a huge culture shift towards buying British. People are investing more in products that actually represent better value because they perform better. Being able to put my ideas and strategies into its development is so exciting. The really exciting thing is that I’m actually able to help take Hull Cartridge to the next level. The chance to have an impact on an already established business and see results is fulfilling a huge ambition.” Come on then, how many days do you actually spend in the field? “Is this the question that nobody wants to answer? Approximately…

JAMES PURDEY & Sons has formally opened the new workshop on its Felgate House site in Hammersmith, London, following a two-year rebuild. The best London gunmaker’s new workshop, which opened on June 11, has been designed with light and space in mind, creating the best possible environment for its experienced team of actioners, stockers, locksmiths and engravers to work in. The new workshop at Felgate House comes complete with its own indoor shooting range, offering staff the chance to pattern test shotguns and regulate rifles under one roof. James Purdey & Sons moved to Felgate House in 1979 and the new workshop is built upon the footprint of its predecessor.…

Q: Is there any kind of legal limit on range when deer stalking? How far is too far? A: There is no specified range laid down in any legislation that sets out distances at which deer may or may not be shot. The subject of shot placement, range and precisely how far is too far provides members of deer stalking fora on the Internet many happy hours of debate – nearly as much as the question of what is the best calibre. Many people hold very firm views on the matter of range and are quick to condemn people who have shot deer at what they consider to be too great a range. I was always taught that one of the most important skills in stalking was the ability to…

There is nothing like a cause to demonstrate the extremes in human nature. From climate change to animal welfare, all have their coterie of foamers at the mouth when presented with those who question their views. Take Lord Deben, chair of the Committee on Climate Change. Before ennoblement, John Selwyn Gummer was perhaps most notorious for the televised force-feeding of a hamburger to his daughter during the mad cow disease scare. His latest outpouring opined that “no critic of climate change is now taken seriously” and that if we do not embrace the inherent risk, Bangladesh will become an uninhabitable wasteland and its 170 million population will be looking for somewhere else to live. We are absolutely right and you have no right to deny us is his thrust, and…

WIN A PAIR OF DUBARRY BOOTS THE AUTHOR of the Letter of the Month will receive a pair of Wexford boots from Dubarry of Ireland (RRP £325). The knee-length side-zip boots– designed for both men and women – are handcrafted from waterproof Dry Fast-Dry Soft™ breathable leathers. The high quality of the boot is reinforced throughout with an insulated GORE-TEX® lining that wicks moisture away from the foot, ensuring the wearer remains dry and comfortable all day. Dubarry’s new hard-wearing durable outsole gives maximum grip whatever the ground conditions. I READ with interest the article by David Whitby in the July issue about the preservation and protection of the countryside. Whilst I do not doubt Mr Whitby understands gamekeeping, I struggle to accept he knows anything much at all about…

Human Anyone who takes themselves off to shoot grouse without first undertaking some basic training is, to all intents and purposes, signing up for a stint in the cardiac unit. All right there are people who are ever so fit. They jog and run and work out in the gym and have a Body Mass Index in single figures. One reads about these people. One does not know these people. They are not people we know. They are not people like us. And people like us should not embark on grouse shooting expeditions without doing a bit of training, or we are going to conk out halfway up the first hill. And where’s the fun in that? So cut down on the booze and the fags and the cakes and…

1 Make sure you have your licence with you when in possession of a firearm. 2 Be able to provide as much known history of the gun in question - whilst the makers may be able to supply basic information regarding the date of manufacture and original specifications and for whom the gun was made, being able to add a little colour to the description of the gun in terms of where it has been, who has used it etc. makes the gun more attractive to potential buyers. 3 Bring the gun as it is, the barrels should be cleaned internally perhaps, but leave everything else as is - especially with regard to antique guns. It is far more attractive commercially to have original finish and patination (even a spot…

When the percussion system with the copper cap came into use in around 1820, gunmakers and sportsmen were quick to appreciate the advantages of the new system. Flintlock production rapidly diminished in the 1820s as a result. Percussion locks of the 1820s are distinctive. They have an ‘interim’ look to them, highlighting the transition from flint to percussion. The lockplates are substantial, particularly the fore-part, and they show a sparse, bold engraving style. The hammers are usually slab-sided and heavy in outlook, unlike the later, graceful, rounded percussion hammers. Detonating compound is highly corrosive so detachable hammer noses that could easily be replaced were often fitted. The hammers themselves were often retained by bun nuts that came into fashion during this period but which fell out of favour when conventional…

Most successful pigeon days are the result of good reconnaissance, but every now and again you have to disregard the general rules and back your hunches... Each time I travelled along a local road with tall hedgerows on either side, I saw a pigeon or two flying over. Curiosity inspired me to check out the field that appeared to be their destination only to find, surprisingly, it was one of young sugar beet. I have never found pigeons on that crop in Cambridgeshire, let alone shot them on it before. It was a large field – nearly a mile long by a quarter mile wide – and was split by farm buildings now only used for grain storage and let offices. This separated the smaller 12-acre part from the larger…

One of the smaller Italian manufacturers, Bettinsoli is nevertheless a name many British sportsmen and women will be familiar with, thanks to its importer RUAG, which is also responsible for bringing Perazzi’s guns into the UK. The Crypto line is a relatively new addition to Bettinsoli’s portfolio, marketed as being ideal for game and clay shooters alike. At first glance this 12 bore Lite model certainly looks like an interesting alternative to Beretta’s Silver Pigeon for example at a significantly reduced cost. Initial impressions are good, with the gun supplied in an ABS hard case with an extensive assortment of accessories. You will find, for example, a full set of multichokes including two extended chokes for targets at extreme range, and a second, thinner rubber butt plate allowing one to…

Q Last season I enjoyed my best ever grouse days and feel very confident shooting driven grouse, but why is the back bird so hard to master? A You are not alone with this. Many of my grouse-shooting clients say the same and I would agree that it’s one of the hardest game birds to shoot. Why? I can break this down into three main reasons. 1. Footwork 2. Movement 3. Connection Footwork is an important part of good shooting, but when gunning for partridges and pheasants I think most people move their feet without thinking too much. For instance, if the bird is over to the right then the front foot will move right as you start to mount of the gun. When you move like this your weight…

SPECIFICATIONS S 350 CDI L SE Line 7G-Tronic  Price: £67,995 Top speed: 155mph 0-62mph: 6.8 seconds Combined: 50.4mpg CO2 emission: 148g/km Ben Samuelson is the managing director of PR and events agency Samuelson Wylie Associates. Follow him on Twitter at: twitter.com/bensamuelson The Mercedes-Benz S Class is almost ubiquitous when it comes to transporting corporate heavyweights around, anywhere in the world, and has been since the first was launched in 1972. My father bought one in 1985 and it served him well for 13 years and 250,000 miles. It was the safest, quietest and most comfortable car in the world when new, and even when it had done a fairly interstellar mileage it felt like it was hewn from billet. Fast forward 30 years, and Mercedes-Benz’s latest S Class has arrived.…

Most moors left a decent stock of grouse after the 2014 season. The mild winter and the strangest spring, which to my mind never sprung, have resulted in there now being huge variation in numbers. There was a higher level of winter mortality on some moors than has been recorded for a number of years, while the very unseasonal dry and cold spring weather took its toll on the grouse broods on many other moors. There are reports of broods where numbers have dwindled considerably since hatching, yet generally the grouse chicks are well developed. The dry weather has encouraged grouse to migrate towards natural water sources, so it is currently difficult to get a realistic picture of actual numbers across a moor where the vegetation is varied. Prospects generally…

Ingredients Serves 4 • 8 grouse breasts• 50g diced aubergine• 50g diced courgette• 50g diced peppers• 50g diced tomatoes• 50g garden peas• 10g fresh pea shoots• 200ml fresh tomato sauce• 10g fresh basil leaves Method Season breasts and fry in a hot pan for two minutes either side. Remove and rest for two minutes. Sauté the aubergine, courgettes and peppers. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add peas, fresh basil and season. Spoon sauce into the bowl and place grouse on top. Garnish with pea shoots.…

Although I’m a fan of most gundog breeds, with labradors, cockers and springers all currently residing at ‘Clarke Towers’, it has always been the springer spaniel that for me has held the greatest appeal of all. My personal opinion is that no other breed of gundog comes close to the multi-tasking abilities of a well-trained, hard-going springer. Unfortunately, all too often the breed is associated with various misdemeanours during the course of a shoot day. Running in, finishing a drive long before the beating line, selective hearing and self-employed retrieving are just a few of the faux pas that some folk associate with the breed. Of course, this type of dog can be worth its weight in gold depending upon the type of shoot day. Either way, the breed should…

THE EASTERN Counties Golden Retriever Club held its novice, veteran and open working tests at Heveningham Hall near Halesworth, writes Diana Ewings. Seventeen dogs entered the novice test and the veteran event attracted nine, and it was lovely to see the oldies out enjoying their day. The judges were Phil Askew and Andy Mutimer, who split the five tests between them. The first test was a walk-up up a hill that had previously been inhabited by sheep. While it was a pleasant change to find some undulations in the Suffolk countryside, the deposits left by the sheep produced an unwelcome distraction for some. Next came a double: one dummy in water and one on land, which was run in pairs with the dog nearest the water retrieving the dummy in…

THE BRITISH DEER Society’s (BDS) vice-chairman Michael Thick has been elected as its new chairman. The former Imperial College genomics professor, who was the chief clinical officer at the Department of Health before his retirement, takes over from Mark Nicolson, who stood down after 14 years at the helm. Mr Thick took over during the BDS’s recent AGM in Surrey, which also saw current board members Dorothy Ireland, Philip Mackenzie, Maitland Rankin and Charles Smith-Jones re-elected to their posts. A keen deer stalker and member of two deer syndicates, Mr Thick will head up a board of 14 members which directs BDS policy and business. He had served as vice chairman for the previous two years, served on the board for the last four years, and been part of a…

After a morning on marsh or estuary, even the hardest, ugliest fowler can become a poet. No other fieldsport can rival this rich vein of creative inspiration, and it was probably set down best in the work of BB – Denys Watkins-Pitchford’s pseudonym in the sporting press for many years. It’s not so much the novelty of his subject matter that makes BB such an engaging writer, but more his simple, straightforward language which is so easily read. The sentences come drifting off the page with little or no effort on the part of the reader; perfect after a long day’s shooting as your head begins to nod and the dog stretches out with a sonorous groan in front of the fire. BB’s writing will provide enough interest to keep…

Dear Uncle Giles I have been invited to a day of driven grouse shooting this August and I have been led to believe we are expecting a bag of 200 brace. I am not in a position to reciprocate in kind so what can I take as an appropriate token of my appreciation? TWH (Concerned), by email Uncle Giles writes This is always a thorny one, isn’t it? And not only on a 200 brace grouse day, though that is an extreme example of the dilemma, I grant you. A kind and generous friend gives you an amazing treat, which you know is amazing, but you are in no position to respond in kind. What is a chap to do? The answer is that you have to look elsewhere for…

The Glorious Twelfth provides a romantic sense of theatre around the start of the shooting season, whatever the quarry. Grouse are not and have never been reared for shooting so the amount of birds may vary. The birds are wild and the game shot is a harvest. I was lucky enough to be at Egton in Yorkshire last August 12. There is an unspoken race between the restaurants in the south as to who can have grouse on the menu that night as young grouse, simply roasted, is a coveted dish. It is as anticipated an arrival in the cooking world as it is in shooting. There are so many ways to cook grouse, whatever age the bird is. Later in the season, a grouse curry or casserole is delicious.…

In the dog days of July when rearing is in full swing and the pheasant poults are being released into the woods, the imminence of the shooting season becomes more and more apparent. At this time not only does one have to look forward to the start to ensure everything will be in place by the opening day, but to look back and ensure that all the boring admin tasks that need to be done over the summer have been completed before the rush of shooting overwhelms the burden of administration. Chief among these at the moment is updating the shoot’s Health & Safety procedures. All businesses labour under this burden and clearly shooting has one of the more dangerous profiles of any business. But strangely, the risk assessment of…

Thanks to its famous association with Shakespeare’s Macbeth , the picture-book Cawdor Castle, built around a holly tree in 1375 by the Thane of Cawdor, certainly clocks up Brownie points for history. And with accommodation at a shooting lodge dating from the 1800s, tucked away on the banks of the Findhorn river, the situation gets even better. Add its reputation for grouse, pheasant and partridge shooting and the attractions are obvious – so I was pleased to tag along when a seasoned team of American guns visited last September. And it did need to be a full package that delivered on all counts because, as shooting agent Vernon Waters laconically put it to me: “If these guys are doing 7,000-plus mile round trips in their private jets, it’s got to…

We are all astounded from time to time by coincidence, a seemingly random event that for no reason has a connection with something else. Many coincidences can feel uncanny, as if some other force is creating our destiny. I recently experienced a series of nostalgic coincidences that began with a casual look through an auction catalogue and concluded with a remarkable discovery. It also resulted in me buying back an old eight bore of mine that I had not seen for 45 years. First we have to rewind to 1966. I was 15 years old and already fired with enthusiasm for antique guns. My uncle, an art teacher, had told me there was an old gun in the art department store cupboard that they sometimes used as a prop –…

Today we can buy cartridges that exactly suit our requirements. With a muzzle-loader in the 19th century it was nowhere near as precise, with a great amount of leeway possible on the part of the shooter. Powder flasks had graduated tops so you could easily change your load, while shot pouches had two settings for yet more variation. In a large bore muzzle-loader, the barrel was substantial, making massive charges quite possible and safe. There was nothing like the publicised material we have today and it is remarkable that most of the 19th century books on shooting do not list specific loads. The whim of the shooter usually dictated the load. However, there were well known general guidelines from gunmakers: 20 bore: 2 drams powder, ¾oz of shot. 16 bore:…

Standing on the banks of the River Derwent some 350 miles from home, I was reflecting upon the passage of events that bought about such a visit. I don’t mean in the short term, but career decisions that enabled me to be looking at this spectacular river. What if I had taken a left-hand turn instead of a right? Decisions that shaped not just my life but that of my entire family were made so many years ago, and I wonder where I would be had I not chosen the path of a gamekeeper, or indeed not chosen this particular gamekeeper’s path. I am sure we all have a tendency to take things for granted. I wonder how many people are able to stalk whenever they wish, step out the…

The Crypto range includes guns in standard guise or ‘Lite, in either 12 or 20 bore with 28” or 30” barrels. At 6lbs 1 ½oz, the Lite is a genuine featherweight thanks to its simple action and aluminium alloy construction, along with the shorter 28” barrels. The gun has 3” chambers – rare on lightweight guns, where 2¾” chambers are more often found – and features Bettinsoli’s unusual dual cone design with a long forcing cone in front of the chamber and in the section of the barrels before the multichokes. The manufacturer claims this has significant benefits in dealing with recoil – certainly useful if one were to use steel shot. More generally, the gun is of typical Italian design with some unusual visual cues such as the almost…

Such is the importance with which Bentley is treating the shooting market for its new 4x4, the Bentayga, that one turned up to my Soldiers Charity shoot in Abbeystead last month. Its precise shape was disguised by dazzle-ship style camouflage but it made its first public appearance, anywhere in the world, by driving through the middle of the event and up a very steep, muddy, grassy, 400-yard hill on the other side of the river. New territory for Bentley, literally. It is launched properly later in the year.…

With August once again coming around, our sporting thoughts inevitably turn north to Scotland. For most of us our dreams of owning a productive grouse moor will remain exactly that, however dreaming should be no bar to the reality of owning a Scottish sporting estate as Ardovie near Brechin proves. Set in the picturesque Angus countryside, this small estate is an absolute delight. On the market for offers over £1,300,000, the property extends to just under 79 acres and includes an A listed house, mature gardens and grounds, a gate lodge, a second house and even an excellent low ground pheasant shoot. The house was built in 1759 to celebrate the marriage of Robert Speid and Christian Grierson, with wings added in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The…

During a recent trip to Lincolnshire I was given some Moden’s Plum Bread slathered in butter and topped with Lincolnshire Poacher cheese. It was delicious and brought to mind another delicacy you might not be aware of - unless you’re from Lincolnshire, chances are you won’t have heard of stuffed chine. Unique to Lincolnshire, stuffed chine is a traditional dish made using cured pork and parsley. Once a staple in the county, its popularity has declined over the years. In the days before fridges and freezers, families would cure their meat to last them through the winter months. Each family would have a couple of pigs to kill – some of the meat would be salted and hung, the rest used fresh. Communities were tightly knit and there was often…

THE UTILITY Gundog Society held its spaniel novice and open working tests at the Cavenham/ Lackford Estate by kind permission of Robert Gough and headkeeper Wayne Alford, judged by Julie Cracknell and Lesley Young, writes Julia Reed. It was a cool, cloudy day, perfect for spaniels, and the ground – a bracken-bottomed wood, is also just right for the dogs. We would like to thank the land owner and keeper for letting us have the ground. Thanks, too, to our sponsor Sporting Saint. Both tests were marked as a field trial, which meant the judges could give advice to handlers if the dog was ‘put out. This proved useful to a few competitors who are new to the sport, and they went away with some helpful tips. Fifteen dog ran…