Countryside Alliance - love the countryside

Ted Swaith, 21, Gamekeeper

For Ted Swaith, works begins before the alarm clock marks the start of the day for most people, but he wouldn’t change it for the world. Having grown up in the rural town of Much Wenlock in Shropshire, Ted was exposed to country pursuits through his family who fish and hunt. It was this environment that made him determined from an early age to pursue a career in the countryside. However it was shooting where Ted saw his future and so after leaving school he accepted a gamekeeping job with a local shoot where he had helped out in the beating line and rearing game birds since a child. Here he formalised his practical experience with an NVQ level 2 and 3 in Gamekeeping.

After a brief period working for the Warwickshire Hunt he returned to Shropshire and now runs a 1000 acre shoot at Shipton Hall in Shropshire. “I returned because it was the perfect opportunity to put my skills into practice and create my own habitat vision and shoot for the estate.” Getting that vision off the ground is a back-breaking task but one which doesn’t faze Ted, “I could be planting trees and cover crops, controlling vermin or repairing fences, no two days are the same which is why it never feels like a chore. A lot of effort goes into creating habitat suitable for game birds and other species and I don’t always feel this is widely recognised or appreciated.”

Shipton Hall shoot is a small scale game shoot, operating one day a week during the season, but running it is not a nine-to-five job. The year begins in February when game birds are gathered for breeding, with chicks usually hatched by the last weeks of April and being old enough to fend for themselves by September, “At the busiest time of the year I’m up at 5am and back for the evening at about 10pm. I usually manage to take a week off in March but it’s not guaranteed.” 

For many gamekeepers the most satisfying part of the job is receiving accolades for creating a magical shoot day, but for Ted this is only part of it: “I get the most job satisfaction from seeing my birds thrive and grow healthy. I’m also immensely proud of the fact that we’re now successfully breeding grey partridges.” But animal husbandry isn’t the only area where Ted gets job satisfaction. He finds it in the early summer mornings and the warm evenings when he’s often a guest in the company of elusive wildlife, “When the world is still sleeping I get to see otters feeding and lesser horseshoe bats swooping for insects - it’s a privilege to see this activity and another perk of the job.”

Ted believes the shoot brings in welcome revenue for local businesses and offers regular seasonal employment, “Many of our shooting guests travel and use local B&Bs and we employ 14 beaters, two pickers-up and extra kitchen help from the local area during the season.” Ted also believes the shoot plays a part in maintaining the community glue of the area. “During the season the beaters and shoot staff always have lunch at the local pub and it gives us a chance to enjoy a few beers with friends and other workers in the area.” Although Ted has a successful career in the countryside he understands why many of his peers live and work in urban areas. “There are more jobs and unlike me who gets a house as part of the job, they need urban wages if they want to buy a house here”. Yet the future is bright for Ted and with the season underway he continues to work in a sector that allows him live and work where his heart is – rural Shropshire.

Helen Leedham, 27, Saddler

Fashion isn’t usually the first thing associated with shooting, but for Helen Leedham, the shooting industry is the catwalk for her business – producing bespoke shooting leather accessories. Having grown up in the village of Cookley, near Kidderminster in Worcestershire, she was introduced to country pursuits at an early age having grown up with horses since the age of four and being introduced to shooting through her partner who is gunsmith. It was her passion for country pursuits and the rural way of life that lead her to pursue a career in saddlery. 

Helen excelled in academic studies at school and went on to complete a fine art degree at Bristol University. Not wanting a conventional job, she was inspired by her rural pursuits and wanted to design and create products of a superior quality for the saddlery and shooting industries. “I’ve used saddles and gun equipment all my life but I always thought designs could be improved which is why I wanted to learn to make my own.” Helen completed a course in bridle, saddle and harness making at Walsall College in the Midlands and is now a registered saddler and on her way to becoming a master saddler.

Her introduction to the shooting industry came through a teacher at Walsall College who was a pattern maker for the famous gun company Purdey. “The company needed hand stitching completed for cartridge bags and I was one of the students given the chance to demonstrate my skills.” This experience was the platform from which Helen then launched her career. She now works part time for the prestigious Westley Richards gun company and has also started her own business, Helen Leedham Bespoke Saddlery Products. Helen produces a range of standard leather shooting accessories such as gunslips and game-bags, but from time to time she gets unusual requests such as the recent alligator-skin gunslip. Whilst this is uncommon, clients are willing to pay up to £5000 for a custom made accessory.

Based out of a workshop at the back of her father’s house in Cookley, a typical week for Helen involves working on her orders and saddlery repairs in addition to commuting to Birmingham for her part-time work at Westley Richards. “My working life is quite hectic but I get a huge amount of job satisfaction, there’s nothing like seeing a customer’s face light up when they see their new bespoke product.” Helen’s reputation for quality is spreading but admits marketing her business relies on word of mouth because she doesn’t have the resources available to larger firms. “I’ve made good contacts with local shoots but the best advertising comes from the shooters themselves, who often travel around the country and receive inquiries on where they bought latest purchases.”

As a young entrepreneur Helen believes that cottage industries like her own are often more viable in rural areas. She said: “At the moment some of the larger firms in the area struggle to manage large overheads and wages, while small traders can carve a niche in the market with very low outgoings. But I think more advice should be made available on starting businesses in rural areas because having a person to talk through a business idea makes it feel less of a daunting task.” Helen also feels more affordable housing would help retain young people in her local area. “House prices are out of reach at the moment, but I’m hoping my business success gives me the income to be able to buy one day.” But with the shooting season truly underway Helen looks forward to creating more masterpieces for an industry that allows her to live and work where her heart is – rural Worcestershire.