Innehållsförteckning för Jan-2019 från The Field

2-4 The Oxford Farming Conference Oxford University. Theme is World of Opportunity. www.ofc.org.uk 3 BASC Young Shots Day Whitrigg Estate, Penrith, Cumbria. Cost £30. mike.thornley@basc.org.uk 4-5 The Cocker Spaniel Championship Thirlestane Castle, near Lauder, Berwickshire. Tel020 7518 1059. 6 Larkhill Racing Club Point-to-Point Larkhill, near Salisbury, Wiltshire. www.larkhillracing.co.uk 6 West Percy Point-to-Point Ratcheugh Farm, Alnwick, Northumberland. www.alnwickraces.co.uk 10-13 The Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, Duke Street, London W1. www.mayfair.com 11 River Helmsdale Opening Anglers should register for a permit for free fishing until 19th at Glencoast Tackle Shop. Tel01431 821372. 13 Dunston Harriers Point-to-Point, Ampton, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Tel01953 498198. 13 Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point Club Sherif Hutton, near York, North Yorkshire. www.pointingyorkshire.co.uk 18 BASC Taste of Game Dinner Bodysgallon Hall, Llandudno. Cost…

THE 39th GWCT Annual London Macnab Ball was held at The Savoy Hotel, London, generously sponsored by Hunter Boots and Hull Cartridge. Three-hundred guests gathered for a fun-filled evening that began with a Louis Roederer Champagne reception and canapés, before seats were taken in the Ballroom for dinner. Guests listened to David Ross, chairman of the Ball Committee, who spoke about the crucial work of the Trust, and watched a short film by the GWCT. A fantastic game dinner of pigeon followed by pheasant was served, while guests were diverted by magician Kieron The Mighty’s tricks. As partygoers took a tot of W&J Graham’s vintage port, Charlie Thomas of Bonhams took to the stage to conduct the live auction. Lots included: a day’s grouse shooting at Gunnerside; driven woodcock in…

HIGH BROADWOOD HALL FARM ALLENDALE, HEXHAM, NORTHUMBERLAND A Northumbrian farmhouse, powered by renewable energy, with two holiday cottages set in 115 acres. High Broadwood Hall Farm has views down the Allen Valleys to the Pennines and north to the Cheviot Hills. The stone-built farmhouse has a wealth of period features. Agent: Strutt & ParkerTel: 01670 516123Guide price: £1.5m EAST FARM STILLINGTON, STOCKTON-ON-TEES, CLEVELAND A smallholding with a range of traditional and modern outbuildings set in around five acres, including south-facing gardens and a paddock. The properties include a five-bedroom period farmhouse, a self-contained cottage annexe and a timber stable block with three stables. Agent: SavillsTel: 01325 370500Guide price: £995,000 WEST FARM CORNSAY, COUNTY DURHAM A Durham farmhouse extensively renovated by the owners, blending contemporary living (including underfloor heating) with period…

THE RESIDENCES HARD ROCK HOTEL, DAVOS, SWITZERLAND Cool name; cool contemporary properties and available to buy without the usual restrictions on foreign ownership. There are 21 one- and two-bedroom serviced apartments, with VIP access to amenities within hotel, including a pool, spa, gym, private dining and a rooftop bar. Agent: The ResidencesTel: +41 81 415 16 00Prices from CHF800,000 to CHF2m RESIDENCE ALEX VERBIER, SWITZERLAND This new-build ski apartment is part of a development project near Place Centrale. There are 10 apartments and three penthouses up for sale to foreign buyers. Each property has a Turkish bath, fitness room, ski room, cellar and access to an indoor swimming pool. Agent: SavillsTel: 020 7016 3740Guide price: CHF 9.7m 405 GLEN EAGLES DRIVE ASPEN, COLORADO, USA This house sits at the base…

HAMPSTHWAITE In the north of the old Bramham Moor country with beautiful scenery and neat fields bounded by walls, hedges and post-and-rail fences. WEETON Sitting in glorious rolling countryside next to the River Wharfe, this area is also in the north of the old Bramham Moor country and is in the cream of the BBMH’s hedge-jumping country. CAMPSALL In the south of the BBMH’s country, this is a very popular day and jumping is guaranteed as it is the venue for one of the BBMH’s cross-country events. FRICKLEY PARK The Badsworth used to have its team chase here and owners Charlie and Jayne Warde-Aldam are very supportive. Now a prestigious horse-trials venue, this is a great jumping day, all in a parkland setting. STAPLETON PARK Venue for the opening meet…

THE TURN OF THE SCREW (1898) by Henry James This novella wouldn’t satisfy Cox and Grant due to its length (and possibly its Gothic overtones) but it chills both supernaturally and psychologically: the possession of her charges brings about the unravelling of a young governess’s sanity as she tries to protect them from malevolent forces beyond the grave. James doesn’t quite nail the female voice, but the terror engendered by the juxtapositioning of innocence and malevolence makes for a deeply disturbing read. THE OLD NURSE’S STORY (1852) by Elizabeth Gaskell Sororal rivalry and infanticide lie at the heart of this short story. Again, it is a governess’s determination to protect the child in her care that gives the story its force. Though I would find it difficult to ignore a…

THE country is all very well but once in a while you need an invigorating trip to London, if only to remind yourself why you live in the country. The January sales are as good a reason as any for a shirt-popping lunch in town and these are my top 10 London restaurants for wine lovers. Cheers. “Each table has a button that says ‘Press for Champagne’, the type of button I like to have” Best Restaurant to Kiss and Make Up In: Andrew Wong (70 Wilton Road, London SW1) A friend with whom I’d fallen out took me to lunch here and I sat, arms crossed, waiting for him to apologise. One bite of the truffle dim sum and tears sprang to my eyes. Rich warm soup flooded my…

THREE MEN ON A DIET If you have ever wondered what it is like to be a middle-aged man, the classic clubbable, shooting bon viveur with some extra poundage, then this book offers a notable insight. That man might be you, so if you do see some parallels, and feel like making January the time to kick the paunch into touch, then this brilliantly frank and funny book is the one to buy. One of the trio of the title, George Courtauld, charts their encounters with the Atkins plan, Banting, fasting, feasting, calories and cynicism with a sharp eye, good humour and appealing style. Like Jerome K Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat, these three are afloat in a somewhat uncomfortable landscape but together they navigate their way through with…

PHEASANTS FEED THE NEEDY The Country Food Trust hopes to raise £100,000 by March to meet demand from charities for its pheasant casserole and pheasant curry. Since it was founded in 2015, the Trust has provided more than 130,000 game meals. This winter it hopes provide an additional 75,000 and is appealing to donors, charitable trusts and the shooting community for support. Visit: www.thecountryfoodtrust.org DUTCH MASTERPIECES ON SHOW The final stage of the National Trust’s exhibition of Dutch art opens at Petworth House in West Sussex on 26 January (until 24 March). On show are 24 works from Trust houses around the country, including Dutch paintings on loan from the private collection of Lord Egremont never seen in public before. For tickets call 0344 249 1895 or visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/petworth EEL…

MOST VIEWED Grandma’s top tip The November issue’s Sporting Diana has proved popular. Sarah Kate Byrne shared her ‘have-a-go’ attitude to fieldsports, her love for hunting sidesaddle and her grandmother’s mantra: “Spend it and God will send it.” “I like your Gran’s philosophy,” one Fielder commented gleefully. “Love the top tip,” agreed another. “Not a very sensible one,” Sarah replied. “So elegant, every girl’s dream,” mused one commenter. “Thoroughly enjoyed reading this fab article,” agreed another. #THEFIELDMAGAZINE The big January sale If Father Christmas left you disappointed, there is still time to snap up your The Field subscription in our big January sale. Social media gives a snapshot of our world but for even more on shooting, hunting, fishing, gundogs, food, fine wine and great fun, never miss an issue.…

KEEPERS AS SHOTS In recent weeks, I have been asking shooting friends for the answer to the great mystery of shooting: why are gamekeepers such good shots? In the summer, I took part in a charity clay shoot in Northumberland. I was shooting in a relatively strong guns’ team and as we waited at each ‘drive’ we watched and admired the teams made up of Northumbrian and Cumbrian keepers. They rarely missed and consequently came first and second out of some 25 teams (we were a proud fourth). But when do keepers put in the hours that we guns do? I was with guns who shoot 20 to 30 days a season and are deemed to be good grouse and partridge shots. The keepers cannot possibly have that many birds…

MARITAL problems often surface in January, the traditional month for informing the once beloved that it’s time for a joint visit to a family solicitor. Christmas is usually cited as the priming powder for divorce, spouses having exhausted the reserves of outward togetherness — a view strengthened by that gift of saucepans or a Terylene tie that expressed all too clearly the degree of tenderness in which the recipient was held. But in our mud-and-tweed world there’s another reason for New Year dissolution of wedding oaths, one easily solved by the purchase of a diary. Preferably, it should be the Eley one, which has the added benefit of awfully useful ballistical information, but any diary will do so long as it’s large enough to serve as the domestic planner and…

As we seek exciting new ways to add appeal to shot gamebirds, a good understanding of the meat hygiene and general food regulations is essential. The Wild Game Guide produced by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is an invaluable official summary of all the relevant rules and is easily found on the FSA’s website. Some key points, which have been legal requirements since 2006, are that: If you want to supply game in feather to a game dealer, it must have been shot in the presence of someone with a Game Meat Hygiene Certificate. This can be obtained by attending and passing a one-day course run by the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation. The gamebirds must be cooled to 4°C after shooting, which in mild weather will mean the shoot having a…

Never having encountered gyrfalcons, or Iceland falcons, before, Audubon studied the birds closely, noting their similarities to the peregrine falcon, climbing cliffs to examine their (empty) nests and dissecting and skinning the bodies. The largest of all the falcons, they live mainly along the coasts of the Arctic. He painted them through the night as rain dripped from the ship’s rigging on to his paper and paints; with characteristic overstatement, he called it “one of the severest tasks which I ever performed”. Animal: Exploring the Zoological World , published by Phaidon, is available now. RRP £39.95…

THE idea that plug bayonets were used for sport may come as a bit of a surprise to the reader. But, in fact, they were, particularly during the 17th century. This exquisite sporting example is one such bayonet, which was based upon the French military model used during the late 17th or early 18th century. However, it was probably produced in Pondicherry, India, shortly before the French withdrawal in 1793. Like its military cousin, the ivory hilt can be unscrewed, allowing the grip to be reversed for use as a dagger. The blade and guard are decorated with scrollwork in silver koftgari, and a Persian inscription that reads: Like a lion I am about to use force against rebels, I seek […] Oh Ali help […] As long as the…

IT always surprises me that so many southern friends and acquaintances ask to pop in and stay with us around August and September. I was brought up with that wise maxim of Dr Johnson’s ringing in my ears: “The noblest prospect which a Scotchman ever sees is the high road that leads him to England.” That possibly explains my mild bewilderment about the traffic moving northward. Presumably they must be coming to visit me… But, of course, I neglected to take account of the lure of the mighty salmon. “My fortnight in Scotland was a depressing experience. I am unable to recall a more bleak time in the history of this most majestic fish” Depending on your point of view, one of the advantages of living near Carlisle is that…

River restoration projects in Suffolk, Cumbria and Somerset were recognised at the 2018 Wild Trout Trust Awards. A restoration project on a tiny stretch of the Lark, Suffolk’s only chalkstream, won the contribution to wild trout conservation award. The Bell Meadow Project is one of a dozen projects undertaken by the River Lark Catchment Partnership to encourage wild trout to spread throughout the chalkstream. Alerted to the poor state of a stretch of the river in Bury St Edmunds by a resident, volunteers cut a new, smaller, meandering channel in the cemented riverbed using jet pumps and forks. The felled tree material overshading the river was staked down to form a new low bank. After the work was completed in December 2017 the river began to behave naturally again, depositing…

1 DRESS SPORAN MONTY LEWIS Red, vegetable-tanned leather pouch with green suede lining under a body of pleated horse hair, ox horn and handmade cantle and finials. Comes with belt, for Hogmanay high jinks. • Price£2,650 • Tel07823 228297 • www.montylewis.uk 2 EXMOOR INTEGRAL DOUBLE GUNSLIP ACORN SADDLERY Made from finest bridle-finished shoulder leather, lined with British wool, with brass fittings and innovative central divider for easy access. Handmade in North Devon, customisation available. • Pricefrom £849 • Tel01769 573847 • www.acornsaddlery.co.uk 3 TWEED SHOULDER BAG ARAMINTA CAMPBELL Tote bag in five shades of Araminta Campbell’s durable tweed and Scottish leather. Elegant travelling companion, handmade in Edinburgh. • Price£225 • Tel0131 555 7395 • www.aramintacampbell.co.uk/tweed-shop 4 ARRAN CHAIR FISK Upholstered in short-haired Arran sheepskin with tweed sides and back. Make sitting a statement.…

ESTATE benchmarking is not some ancient rural craft, with carpenters chiselling out words on wooden seats: “Here slept his Lordship on several occasions after one too many drams on the moor”. No, estate benchmarking refers to an annual survey of English estates by Savills and on the basis we’ll cling to any good news amid the most feral of political catfights in living memory, it is refreshing to learn that there was a small rise in net income – a whole 0.3%, to be precise. Residential and agricultural assets remain the key revenue generators. “Many owners have been giving renewed focus to opportunities for diversification,” explains Ian Bailey of Savills. “Many privately owned estates are looking to new trading businesses as a source of additional revenue and as a means…

TY UCHAF LLITHFAEN, PWLLHELI This Welsh coastal farm comes with its own stretch of beach along the Llyn Peninsula and is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Ty Uchaf extends to 200 acres and includes a farmhouse with views across the Nany Gwrtheyrn valley; it is in need of total renovation subject to planning consent. The farmland is a mixture of heather grazing and small pockets of woodland. The private beach extends to nearly 300 metres. The history of the property includes quarrying and mining, but the mines and minerals under Ty Uchaf are excluded from the sale. Agent: Carter JonasTel: 01248 880959Guide price: £750,000…

MY New Year’s resolutions usually involve being less piggy and exercising more, with a view to becoming an irresistible goddess (in turn to woo a hunk). So, effectively, self improvement with a view to getting some romantic action. I usually pledge to watch my mouth, too, because I swear like a trooper and I don’t think that helps the cause. I can think of few resolutions that I’ve kept or that have benefitted another living soul. Writing a column, particularly when you’re a born show-off, enables you to become progressively self absorbed. Given a platform to explore your first-world problems publicly each month is fantastic for homing in on how spoiled you are. After rereading some of my recent grumbles, I did start to see the basis of the expression,…

I have always enjoyed a glass or three of fine malt but it took a trip to the Spey in 2001 to realise that there is serious investment potential in it, too. My hostess’s father had bought a cask of Glenlivet (the local distillery) – 1976, I seem to remember – and, once it was ready, had it bottled, naming it after their house. Bottles of the linctus – it had come out at about 48% proof and was best with a splash of water to stop it anaesthetising your taste buds – were everywhere to hand, even in bedside decanters in case we woke having nightmares about that day’s long-distance ‘involuntary release’. On departing – and oh how I wish I had more friends like this – I was…

I can’t have been more than six when my father sat me on his lap by the fire a few days before Christmas and read me my first MR James: Number 13, a ghost story set in Denmark, about the appearance and disappearance of the eponymous room in an inn, and its unearthly inhabitant of whom all we see is a skeletal hand, covered with long grey hairs, which emerges when the protagonist and his colleagues try to enter. My mother was, of course, furious – such tales of the supernatural were entirely inappropriate for her besmocked little girl. But I was hooked. Indeed, from that moment, I have well understood the frisson of frightened excitement – “the pleasing terror” of which James wrote – that a good Victorian ghost…

FURNITURE PAINTER Q I have an antique Scandinavian grandfather clock that I inherited from myDanish great-aunt. The clock has been through many stages of repair and now it is the case that needs repainting. I would love to find a specialist Scandinavian furniture painter to undertake this project. Can you recommend someone? ER, West Sussex A There is a specialist in decorative furniture, Chinoiserie work and North European painted furniture in Herefordshire. This restorer only takes on certain pieces of work and a Scandinavian clock is one of them. There is a two- to three-month turnaround on each piece and a full quote is given before work commences. Contact me at the email address at the top of the page and your details will be forwarded to the restorer. FAVOURITE…