Welcome to the Christmas 2011 edition of the South West regional grass e-route, featuring news, events and Boxing Day meet listings. Merry Christmas!
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Welcome & Happy Christmas
Welcome to the grass e-route for the South West, with all the local news, views and events brought to you by Alison Hawes ( alison-hawes@countryside-alliance.org) May I take this opportunity to wish everyone a very enjoyable Christmas and best wishes for a happy New Year. 2011 was such a busy year nationally and here in the South West - as well as our campaigns on hunting, shooting and fishing we have been working on a broad range of issues all of which concern the rural community. These have included broadband, fly-tipping, affordable rural housing, fuel prices, food labelling and procurement, plus the ever popular Countryside Alliance Awards and our work on a number of countryside education projects. May I thank everyone who has supported the Alliance over the last 12 months. Whether you are a committee member, or help with fundraising, assist our stand at shows or even buy our Christmas cards we could not do our work without your support. I look forward to a successful and prosperous New Year for us all. Alison
Regional Lottery Winners
- 1st Mrs Milton from Umberleigh
- 2nd John Heywood from Bridgwater
- 3rd Teresa Dennis from Holsworthy
Congratulations to our winners. If you would like to join the Lottery for just £2 per month please contact me and I will send you an application form. The South West Lottery is similar to a 200 Club. Each and every month there is a jackpot winner.
By simply paying £2.00 a month (or £24 for a years subscription) you could be that winner. You could also win one of our other cash prizes. A minimum of 50% of the income will be issued in prizes each month. The more people who join the more prizes there are! If you would like to take part please email me at alison-hawes@countryside-alliance.org and I will email you an application form by return.
Boxing Day and Case For Repeal
Boxing Day is almost upon us and I hope everyone will be attending a meet, wherever they are. At least the weather should be kinder to us this year and most hunts in our area will be able to get out. Boxing Day meets are always important to hunts as they are our way of thanking hunt staff for all their work throughout the year. A listing of meets has been published by the Hunting Office and as I write Regional Staff and our Media team in London are busy briefing the media on "where we are at the end of 2011" and organising places for Boxing Day filming, with the help and support of hunts.
We bring you two documents so you too can make the case for scrapping the Hunting Act – whether to your friends, colleagues or helping to defend hunting by calling radio talk-shows and writing to newspapers. In time for Christmas we have updated our popular Case for Repeal to enable hunts and hunt supporters to articulate the Hunting Act's many failures. The updated Case for Repeal is on our website now and can be downloaded here. The document is broadly the same as the original 2007 version - we have long known that the Act is illiberal, cruel, divisive and confusing (the chapter headings). Another recently-updated document which is required reading for the hunting supporter, is the report from the Veterinary Association of Wildlife Management (VAWM), entitled "Hunting, Wildlife Management and the Moral Issue." The report makes a powerful for case for hunting as a natural method of wildlife management and argues that "there are not, and never were, any scientific grounds for banning hunting with hounds on the grounds of cruelty." VAWM also observes: "To state that hunting is not morally acceptable in a civilized society is to totally misunderstand wildlife. Wild animals do not live in a civilized society" Download the document here.
Arctic Dog Sled Team
From 30th March to 5th April 2012 our team of 12 intrepid mushers will sled 200 kilometres across the Arctic Wilds of Norway to raise money for The Countryside Alliance Foundation. This expedition is a physical and tough challenge, each member of the team is provided witrh a sled and team of 4 to 6 huskies, for which they have sole responsibility.
Decked out in thermal arctic kit they will then brave the extreme cold to complete their challenge. If you feel you are up to this challenge there are still 2 places left. For more information call Hester on 0207 840 9258 or download an application form here.
Shooting update
The shooting update this issue comes courtesy of David Taylor, the Countryside Alliance Shooting Campaign Manager
David recently met with Andrew Hoodless from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust to discuss their woodcock research that the Countryside Alliance has helped fund. The research will be completed by March 2012, with a publication date of around June/July.
David has also recently had a meeting with Roger Marriot, director of Bisley Live, to discuss the development of the show in the future. This show is planned to run again in May 2013.
We have produced another short shooting film on wildfowling, where we filmed wildfowlers on Walney Island in Cumbria, including Steve Thompson Chairman of the Walney Island Wildfowlers - watch the film here.
Media-wise, David recently took part in an interview on BBC London regarding the deer in Richmond Park, Adrian Blackmore our Moorlands Director provided an article for Sporting Gun and David has recently written articles for Sporting Shooter, Modern Gamekeeping and Countryman's Weekly.
And finally... Tesco is reporting that speciality birds (pheasant, partridge are included alongside guinea fowl, goose and poussin) are the fastest growing meat on sale as more people are seeking roast dinner alternatives. They credit the popularity to celebrity chefs championing game!
Forthcoming events
Friday 13th January – Lamerton Hunt Ball at Strawberry Fields, Lifton. 7.30pm until 2am. 4 Course dinner followed by Dancing to the Horse Band. Tickets £40. Contact Sally 07968971224.
20 January – The Illminster Beagles present an evening of movie clips “Somerset Life on Film” at Stoke St Gregory Village Hall. Featuring Withy growing; Peat Digging; Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway and Stag Hunting plus many more rural activities from the 20’s through to the 60’s. Admission £10.00 to include light refreshment. Licensed Bar Tickets from : Nan Eaves 01458 252125 Will & Di Tilley 01823 689229
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