The Game Review 2022

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REVIEW 2022

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

Contents 05 Scottish Game Fair, We look back on another record year.

06 The Game Fair, A royal visit and 120,000 visitors cement Game Fair’s status as largest country show 09 James Martin, His 4th year in the Game Fair Kitchen, James Martin continues to delight.

11 Euro Challenge, It was close but Italy lifts trophy to this year’s Euro Challenge

13 Home International, Shot,

24 Champion of champions, there

44 Gunmakers Row. Industry Luminary Aboo Cattran tells us his bests bits of Gunmakers Row.

27 Dressed to Impress, The winner of the seventh annual Best Dressed Lady competition

46 Bryn Williams, From

can only be one and its Ben Hollamby

31 How do you like your eggs 32 Royal Visit, The Princess Royal dropped in preserving a tradition of Royal Visits over the decades.

49 Time to put your thermal on.

35 BASC

52 Lost buildings of Ardudwy.

50 LAPADA, London calling.

marked and blind retrieval skills were put to the test as England comes through.

38 Amanda Owen, Our

Jess John examines the extensive history and heritage that spans centuries.

14 Its all theatre, Charlie Jacoby

42 What’s cooking,

59 Going for Gold, Welsh Game Fair sponsors Clogau.

A magic blend.

recalls the best bits of this year’s Cater Jonas Game Fair Theatre

16 A car is born, We (and the

Yorkshire Shepherdess had the crowds following her like sheep.

Something smells good.

The Game Fair’s cookery theatre brings to life The Taste of Game.

Princess Royal) take a closer look at The Grenadier

Amanda owen cover image: credit Yorkshire Agricultural Society

Snowdonia, Bryn Williams gets the kitchen ready for the inaugural GWCT Welsh Game Fair later this year.

17 The Great and the Good bring stardom to Game Fair 19 It's all in the wrist, one man’s mission to promote fly fishing.

23 High Gun, Buckinghamshire Building Bill Baughan aims high to win.

Our Ambassadors do more then you think. Pg 38-40

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

Crowds delighted at GWCT Scottish Game Fair Last year's record attendance was repeated again at the 33rd GWCT Scottish Game Fair. From the 1st – 3rd of July 32,400 visitors flocked to the 3-day GWCT Scottish Game Fair, fair sponsored by NFU Mutual,Which took place last month at Scone Palace in Perthshire.

Regular visitors and those new to the event gathered to celebrate the Scottish countryside, its vast array of exciting pursuits and the importance of conservation. Young and old alike, people came together to enjoy and celebrate all that The GWCT Scottish Game Fair has to offer.

Crowds were delighted with everything from gundog displays and competitions, falconry and hill pony demonstrations to shooting and fishing competitions plus off-road driving, foraging and delicious foodie inspiration.

Around 2,000 people enjoyed the new Nick Nairn Riverside Restaurant featuring a delicious menu inspired by game and the bountiful produce available in Scotland.

The 100 strong army of volunteers, alongside 2,300 staff working on trade stands, ticketing, car parking, and hospitality produced a spectacular fair and in the process generated £150,000 to fund GWCT scientific conservation research to protect endangered species including capercaillie and Atlantic salmon.

Headline sponsor NFU Mutual’s regional manager for Scotland, Mark McBrearty, said: “We’re delighted to have had the chance to headline sponsor the show for the fourth year running.

We love meeting face-to-face with people and have had a lot of engagement with customers, some of whom we haven't seen in a few years and it's been great to catch up in this wonderful setting. Following the success of the gin bar last year, showcasing products from some of our customers, we decided to

promote a new range of our customers products, including, Wallhouse Distillery, Isle of Skye Distillers, Gin Bothy, Blackford Craft Distillery and Bardowie Gins.

In addition this year, we also had Jawbrew as our sole provider of beer.

People have absolutely loved it! We are an insurer of all things in the rural community and so many of our customers attend this event. We want to support the GWCT as much as possible and believe the Scottish Game Fair is a fantastic event that celebrates the shared passion all of our organisations have for celebrating, protecting, and enhancing rural life in Scotland as much as possible.”

The GWCT’s Director for Scotland Rory Kennedy added: “This year’s event was a phenomenal success, entertaining and education tens of thousands of visitors over the space of three days. This year also saw us mark Scottish Year of Stories with an ambitious storytelling and book festival,

spanning three distinct events tents and involving almost 30 traditional storytellers, conservationists, authors and interviewers. This included a dedicated ‘kids nest’ to engage even the youngest of our visitors. This wonderful event proved highly successful and will form a really special addition to the Scottish Game Fair going forward.”

Show director James Gower added: “We thought last year was amazing but this year has surpassed our expectations. Given the show was arranged only 10 months after the 2021 event, we are really pleased with the outcome.

The community involved in fieldsports and conservation in Scotland is second to none. We are proud to attract an audience from much further afield too, providing a welcome boost to the local and regional economy. Game fairs are a great platform to showcase the wonderful produce Scotland has to offer and our exhibitors have enjoyed high spending crowds throughout the fair.

From Bentleys and locally distilled gin, to tweeds and fishing tackle, across the board we have seen a record inflation-busting spend. The highlight for me is seeing the sea of smiling faces from traders, performers and visitors.”

Next year’s event takes place from Friday 30 June – Sunday 2 July 2023.

For more information, Visit: www.scottishfair.com

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

The Game Fair proves it’s still the frontrunner for outdoor country events The sound of shotguns rang out across Ragley Hall in Warwickshire on Friday morning for the opening ceremony of the 63rd year of The Game Fair.

The annual gun salute was lead by film star Vinnie Jones and other notable luminaries from the world of country pursuits and used as an opportunity to thank the Marques of Hertford for lending his estate to the landmark event.

Later in the day The Princess Royal flew in to enjoy a tour of the show spending time with British Association for Shooting & Conservation before presenting the inaugural Prince Philip Distinguished Service Awards.

Across the three days more than 120,000 visitors attended matching a record set last year when The Game Fair demonstrated its resilience by opening just a few days after lockdown as one of just few outdoor shows to go ahead.

James Gower, managing director for The Game Fair commented: “Last year was exceptional welcoming crowds on an unprecedented scale. We were not sure entirely sure what to expect this year and to have repeated it is a reflection of the country’s passion for the countryside, rural businesses and it’s culture. Visitors are not ‘day-outers’ they are the stakeholders of the countryside and they were here in droves to support it and celebrate.”

More than £60m is thought to have been spent at the show with millions more due to be conducted later as a result of it. Visitor Dr Emma Haynes, who attended The Game Fair with her husband Andy, commented: ”We’ve had a fabulous day. We’ve bought a shotgun, a scope and various other bits. We’re going to leave before Andy buys a tractor!”

Another visitor, Lisa Frost, said: “We’ve all had a brilliant day, my nine-year-

old son Henry shot at things, climbed things, fished for things, patted lots of dogs, learned about bees, ate lots of food, fell in love with gundogs, bravely showed off with the hunt hounds, learned about shotguns at Holland & Holland and generally had a ball!”

Gunmaker John Rigby & Co. has been exhibiting for many years. Managing director Marc Newton commented: “The Game Fair has been absolutely brilliant.

The crowd has been very diverse, with visitors from both the UK and abroad, which is great to see again after the restrictions brought about by the pandemic. We’ve taken quite a few orders and there’s been a great vibe around our stand, which is what we set out to achieve.”

Felicity Hirschfield, head of marketing at INEOS Grenadier, commented: “This is our second visit to The Game Fair. Last year we had one car and a small stand, but this year we’ve had a much bigger presence. We’ve been non-stop, packed,

all day every day, with a complete mix of potential and existing customers - that tells us we’re in the right place.”

Liam Stokes, chief executive officer at British Game Assurance, added: “It’s been fantastic on our stand and to be part of the discussions there and elsewhere about the hot topics of the day, like lead ammunition. One of the highlights has been our auditors talking face-to-face with gamekeepers wanting to know how best to prepare for their audit. The amount of enthusiasm we’ve had for the game we’ve been giving out has been positive, too.”

Stuart Yates, events manager at Fairfax & Favor, commented: “We’ve launched our new boot collaboration with Le Chameau, L’Alliance, which has gone down really well. A lot of influencers came by. The stand has been absolutely packed and you couldn’t move at times, but it’s been good to see so many people enjoying the brand.”

Aboo Cattran, director at Sportsman Gun Centre, added: “It’s our first time back in four years and it’s been a really good fair. The infrastructure is amazing, while signage and road access have been fantastic - it’s probably been one of the best laid out fairs ever. We’re enamored with it and it’s great to be back and show people what we do.”

Next year’s event takes place from Friday 28 June – Sunday 30 July 2023.

For more information, Visit: thegamefair.org

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

As our farmers know all too well: no pain, no grain.

They say nothing worth having comes easy. Unfortunately for our farmers that’s true of the barley we use to brew our beers. We use a classic variety called Golden Promise, grown to our own unique specification.

The biscuity, golden malt it produces is the perfect partner to our natural spring water, and is

vital to Landlord’s depth and delicate balance of flavour. It’s also a type of barley that’s notoriously hard to grow, and our exacting specification makes it even more difficult. Which makes it a costly ingredient and a real challenge even for experienced farmers. Luckily we can offer some liquid therapy.

All for that taste of Taylor’s 8

THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

At the top of his game For the fourth consecutive year, chef James Martin hosted the exclusive restaurant housed within The Enclosure sponsored by Investec’ at The Game Fair, which was held Friday 29 to Sunday 31 July at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire.

As well as designing the game-based menu, James makes a point of mingling with diners during both the breakfast and lunch service. As well as being familiar face on TV, the 49-year-old Yorkshireman grew up on a farm, is passionate about his gun dogs and the countryside. He regularly appears on ITV’s This Morning as well as hosting his own weekly show James Martin’s Saturday Morning. A huge exponent of cooking with game, James tells us why The Game Fair is such a good fit for him.

DO YOU SPEND LOTS OF TIME IN THE COUNTRYSIDE? I like the city but I’m a country boy at heart because I was brought up on a pig farm. Farming, food and countryside is in my blood. I’ve always been passionate about the countryside and I’m quite fortunate to live just outside of Winchester in rural Hampshire so we’ve got outdoor space right on our doorstep.

Tell us about your working cocker spaniel, Cooper.

Cooper has been in training with Jason Mayhew for four-and-a-half years.

I’ve always been fascinated by man’s

ability to train dogs. When I was a young kid, there was a gamekeeper in my village who used to look after the Castle Howard estate and he used to have an immaculately trained gundog called Jett. I was always so impressed by him. He would just sit there, without a lead and just wait for his owner to return. Now I finally understand what it takes for that bond to happen. I love picking-up on local shoots with Cooper.

His special move is a 400-yard blind retrieve. He’ll also sit on a riverbank all day long watching me bother fish. He’s everything I ever wanted from a dog.

Last year we took part in ITV’s The Pet Show which saw Cooper compete in an agility course, and he is still top of the leaderboard. At The Game Fair I will be taking part in a display in the main arena with Jason to showcase gundog training. I hope Copper behaves – he works better for Jason than me!

DO YOU GET MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO SHOOT, HUNT OR FISH IN YOUR OWN TIME? Fishing wise, a friend of mine has a nice stretch on the River Test and another mate of mine has a bit of the River Itchen so I get out there whenever I can. I’ve

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really got into fishing but I think that’s an age thing as well, I was never really into it as a young kid. I think the older I’ve got the more I’ve realised what a special pastime it is. On one trip to Scotland I spent four days on the River Tay and caught nothing but a cold but just being there was something I’ll never forget. Shooting wise I enjoy pheasant and partridge shooting but mostly I love picking-up with Cooper. The Guns always look a bit surprised when they see me at lunchtime. At the end of the day I always take away 60-70 brace straight back to my restaurants.

WHERE ELSE DO YOU ENJOY SPENDING TIME OUTDOORS IN THE UK? Scotland is one of my favourite places on earth, it really is. Orkney, Shetland and the Highlands, any opportunity that I can get to go up there I go because it’s just bloody spectacular. The west coast of Scotland is also amazing.

Anybody who knows me knows that I love Scotland and Scotland has always been very kind to me over the years. I also love the New Forest, it’s beautiful.

A chef mate of mine Gareth Ward has an amazing

The Game Fair’s Managing Director, for years and he really has faith in letting me just crack on. You’ve only got to go to The Game Fair once to see why it’s so special.

WHAT OTHER AREAS OF THE GAME FAIR DO YOU ENJOY?

Michelin-starred restaurant called Ynyshirin in Mid-Wales and I love to walk up Snowdonia when I visit, it’s wonderful.

WHAT DO YOU PARTICULARLY ENJOY ABOUT THE LARDER OF THE BRITISH COUNTRYSIDE? I think we’ve got one of the greatest larders in the world. We’re fortunate enough to be on an island surrounded by water. From Scotland’s seafood - like scallops in Orkney, right the way down to Cornwall with Cornish sardines. I think there’s such a variety there and meat is exactly the same because of the topography of the land. You’ve got amazing beef up in Scotland, amazing lamb from Wales and then there’s fantastic garlic on the Isle of Wight. We have such a variety of weather north to south. I think that’s what makes Britain unique. As a chef you’ve got so many seasons, from the Jersey royal potatoes to Scottish raspberries – and of course game.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU TRY TO INCORPORATE GAME INTO THE DISHES YOU COOK IN RESTAURANTS/AT HOME? When it is in season, I use it all the time.

I use masses of feathered game and people know that I probably promote it more than anybody on television.

Every week I’m cooking with pheasant, partridge, grouse and guinea fowl. I’m a big fan of it because I was brought up on it and I was surrounded by it. I think there’s a real myth surrounding game and a lot of people don’t necessarily understand it. I think a lot of that is just about education and where I

stand in terms of what I do for a living, hopefully I can teach the public there is something else out there. I have been working with Wild & Game to help them develop their recipes so we constantly get given little tasters and testers. I cook it a lot, frozen spatchcocked partridge on the BBQ is delicious in the summer.

If you marinade it with a bit of yoghurt and some spices and put it in a tandoor, that’s my kind of thing.

YOU HAVE JUST COMPLETED YOUR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR AT THE GAME FAIR. WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK? I have been attending The Game Fair for 20 years, so it is amazing to now be involved professionally. My day-to-day restaurant is usually a 100-seater so to walk into a marquee where you’ve got 300 covers in the middle of a field, that’s something very different indeed.

I remember one of the times I attended The Game Fair I parked my motorhome in what I thought was next to the restaurant. When I woke up there were dozens of horses all around me. It was quite a surreal moment while I was still blurry eyed! It’s an amazing event and the food is an essential part of it but it’s one of many parts that make it a very special show. The restaurant is in a great location as it’s at the epicentre of where things happen which is a cool place to be. I’ve worked with James Gower,

I really like seeing the birds of prey at the Falconry Village and the working dogs. I also like Gunmakers’ Row walking the full length of it is the one thing you’ve got to do if you’re there haven’t you? It is pretty spectacular so I’m looking forward to that.

WHAT WAS ON THE MENU THIS YEAR? Lamb has always been quite popular, so we put that back on the menu fitting because Amanda Owen took the reins on Sunday. There’s got to be something for everybody so there was a little bit of fish in there and of course we always put game on the menu. Partridge is always a winner and we’ve got a great supplier for that with Wild & Game, whose gamebirds are certified by British Game Assurance so they have the highest welfare standards. I used to go to The Game Fair as a punter and just have a wander round and now to see it on the other side and see all the infrastructure and planning that goes into it, is amazing. It’s great to be involved and hopefully for many years to come we can build up something really special.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

I really want a tractor. Not to plough a field, I want to drive it to my local pub the Wonston Arms with Cooper and park it outside.

To experience The Enclosure for 2023, you can purchase one of three available VIP packages starting from £99 per person which includes entry to The Game Fair.

For more information, Visit: thegamefair.org

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GUNDOG RESULTS 2022

Italy win 2022 Euro Challenge Italy won The Euro Challenge on the second day of The Game Fair, being held on the grounds of Ragley Hall in Warwickshire on July 29 - 31.

The winners lifted the trophy after an impressive score of 348, achieved following two days of tough competition at the Hertford Arena, with teams representing The Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK, Sweden, Germany and Belgium all in attendance.

Each country enters a team of three different breeds for The Euro Challenge, comprising: a labrador, a golden retriever and a minor breed. This year saw the Irish water spaniel and flatcoat retriever entering the competition.

Team GB were runners-up with a score of 327. The Netherlands came third with a score of 324. Belgium came fourth with a score of 317. Switzerland came fifth with a score of 302. Sweden came sixth with a score of 289. Germany came seventh with a score of 257.

The Euro Challenge, sponsored by Isuzu, Härkila and Dog & Field, is unique to The Game Fair. Devised by the late

Graham Cox over 20 years ago, the competition sees handlers and their dogs complete six different tests, involving memory and blind retrieves. The competition returns following a two-year absence imposed by the restrictions of the pandemic. While highly competitive in nature, it is known for its warm and friendly atmosphere.

Italian Chicco Arcostanzo’s golden retriever Armageddon won Best Golden Retriever and also Top Overall Dog, with a score of 119. Chicco’s Italian teammate Alessio Terri’s Cow Boy Duke was Best Labrador, with a score of 115. Team GB’s Helen Ford won Top Minor Breed with her flatcoat retriever, Percuil Dasher, who scored 116. The winner of a new award for 2022, the Commentator’s Choice, was given to Irish water spaniel Green Socks Shine Like a Star, handled

by Switzerland’s Annelies Roeterdink.

The Euro Challenge was judged by Mary-Jane Opie and Sally Jenkins. The competition saw a marked contrast in conditions over the two days, with hot and sunny weather on the Friday followed by overcast, windy conditions on the Saturday.

Italy team captain Alessandra Lupo Franchi commented: “It is so great to be back. The Euro Challenge is something incredible and we love being here. The course was fantastic and the organisers

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created many different challenges for the dogs. We worked ours in all directions, had some challenging retrieves and we were happy with what we achieved. The judges did a great job and did all they could to feel comfortable and welcome.”

Chief steward Abbie Reid commented: “It’s absolutely fabulous to be running The Euro Challenge again.

The standard of the dog work from all the breeds, and the handling, has been excellent.”

Gundog advisor Barbara Kuen and organiser Lisa Harris commented: “The competition was definitely worth the wait. It’s been well represented and it’s great to welcome back so many old faces, and some new ones too. There was a lot of impressive dog work and the atmosphere was superb. Italy were exceptional, magnificent. The Continental dogs are on par with ours, if not excelling in some areas. The Euro Challenge also deals with mixed abilities, enveloping different breeds.

It was wonderful to see the likes of the Irish water spaniel competing and to see Green Socks Shine Like a Star win the Commentator’s Award. That kind of thing is very precious to this competition.”

Simon Eusonof from sponsors Härkila and Julie Collins from sponsors Dog & Field assisted with the prize giving.

Help was also gratefully received from Riverlily Working Dogs.

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THEGUNDOG GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022 RESULTS 2022

England win HPR Home International Teams of five dogs and handlers from each home nation - England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales - showcased the best Hunt, Point, Retrieve breeds across the UK. Their hunting, steadiness to shot and marked and blind retrieval skills were put to the test on a challenging course, organised by Howard Kirby for The Game Fair, in warm, dry conditions which tested dogs and handlers to the limit.

The event returned in 2022 after its well-received inauguration at last year’s Game Fair (also won by England) illustrating the growing interest in HPR breeds in the gundog world.

England took first place with a score of 445, Ireland were second with a score of 393, Wales were third with a score of 339 and Scotland were fourth with a score of 311. Suzi Burton, who was handling her bitch, Maus, also took Best Overall Handler and Highest Scoring Retriever Dog with a score of 120x120.

Fellow England team member Alan Parr took the awards for Best Hunting Dog, Judges’ Choice and Guns’ Choice.

Suzi Burton commented: “I am absolutely thrilled and surprised, I really didn’t expect a maximum set of marks, especially as Alan got 118 - that in itself made my day. I had no idea we'd done so well. Everyone on the team has worked really hard for a long time. This

The England HPR team won the second HPR Home International, which took place on the opening day of The Game Fair, held at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire.

didn’t come easy. We’ve been practicing different things, trying to think what could there be on the day. I’ve really enjoyed this course this year, it’s a much more challenging one than last year and so we’ve had to think a lot more about how to approach each element of it. As for Maus, she will have a really nice dinner and a sleep and I think she will be very happy!”

Judge Rory Major commented “ Howard Kirby and his team really have

this event sorted and we’ve been able to show off the HPRs in a good light. It was a fantastic course with a lovely layout and set out beautifully for us to judge.”

Organiser Howard Kirby commented: “It’s great that The Game Fair has allowed us to do this and I’m delighted with the way the day went.

The dogs went superbly, handlers had very difficult conditions to run in, especially the heat and the dry ground.

You want good things to happen in a competition, so the chances of a dog coming up with a score like Suzi Burton’s are slim, but she did it.”

For more information, Visit: thegamefair.org

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

Stardust settles on the Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre Sitting on the stage of the Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre at Ragley Hall, I am only dimly aware of sentiment among fair-goers. Well – that is to say – it starts dim. As dim as a TOC-H bulb is how low the wattage of the sentiment goes. Then it starts to brighten.

Day one of the 2022 Game Fair, the countryside was here to enjoy itself. It was loud, sassy, confident. The audience stuffed the theatre full.

Is it raining? I peer outside. Usually the theatre fills up when it starts to rain.

The sky is peerless.

Last year, it was not like this. In 2021, the rural audience had emerged like rabbits too long down buries, twitching and nervous, before regaining their customary swagger by day three. They had two years of relentless media, served up to them at home, telling them that the countryside is unfriendly, costly, crowded and, said the BBC, even racist. It took them a day or two to realise that the media was lying to them. In 2022, they hit the Game Fair car parks running, so to speak.

Is it the quality of guests? That might be it. The Game Fair Theatre programme is a three-day chatshow, where guests including countryside heavyweights such as Lord Botham and BBC Countryfile’s Adam Henson speak their minds to me and to an audience that – unbelievable in this modern media age – broadly agrees with them about what the countryside is and does.

This year we had Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda Owen, JB Gill from boy band JLS and Saturday kitchen chef James Martin as staples of the stage.

A bit lightweight? Nonsense – the audience love them. Amanda fielded questions from photography to ‘how do you tell the story of ‘death’ in the countryside’, because that’s what a lot of farming is about. She could answer them brazenly, because she knew the audience was with her.

Magnificently, JB bared all about his farming business in Kent, and James went the full Yorkshire when it came to his tales of surviving in business during the last couple of years.

For politics, there was Nigel Farage bravely trying not to say ‘Brexit’ to me (he didn’t try too hard) and Labour’s shadow food farming and fisheries minister Daniel Zeichner explaining his party’s public stance on countrysports.

I gave Daniel an easy ride. We all know Labour’s private stance on countrysports. What’s more important is getting him on video saying it out loud.

Then we had the folk heroes. In 2004, the Westminster Eight burst into the chamber of the House of Commons to protest against Tony Blair’s restrictions on hunting with hounds. Some 18 years later, and 20 years after the Liberty & Livelihood march that put more than 400,000 countryside campaigners on the streets of London to protest against the same law, it was wonderful to see six of them on the stage in good spirits and still hunting. Blair continues to fail to break the back of the countryside.

I spoke to Dominic Wightman, currently being sued for libel by Chris Packham, in a chat that I am sure will have Packham’s lawyers contacting their invoicing department.

And what of the tricky conversations?

It took some persuading but I had the head of firearms licensing at the Metropolitan police on the stage to defend his constabulary’s record on granting and renewing shotgun and firearm certificates. That’s been a bugbear for shooters ever since the covid lockdowns.

Plus I had Duncan Orr-Ewing form the

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RSPB facing former GWCT chairman Ian Coghill and making an extraordinary claim which sounded a lot like ‘We at the RSPB love gamekeepers, we employ gamekeepers, we are committed to ending gamekeeping’. I mean – what?

More stardust came from love Island contestant Ollie Williams, making the case for trophy hunting, which those latterday colonial rajahs Boris Johnson and Zac Goldsmith have been trying to ban in other people’s countries (notably not their own).

And then there are the chats that took me by surprise. I learned about Lyme’s disease and tick prevention from Darren Bullock, who imports tick-proof clothing brand Rovince. I had lots of help on farmland market and management from the staff at theatre sponsor Carter Jonas, especially Christ Turner posing the question ‘A 65p profit: is Clarkson's Farm for real?’. And a hit for the sheer power of her message was Country Food Trust chief executive SJ Hunt, backed up variously by Adam Henson and Mike Robinson, explaining the work of the CFT and just how many families are using food banks. Did you know there are more food banks in the UK than McDonalds?

We recorded the best bits from this year’s Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre and you can watch and listen to it at Fcha.nl/gft2022

Written by Charlie Jacoby. The Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre presenter extraordinaire.

THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

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BENTLEY EDINBURGH

THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

A CAR IS BORN! New British vehicle manufacturer, INEOS Automotive, is continuing to showcase prototypes of its all-new Grenadier 4X4, ahead of its highly anticipated launch later this year.

Show visitors will have the opportunity to get up close to the Grenadier, with product experts on hand to share information about how the rugged off-road vehicle is perfectly suited for those in the agricultural industry who need something hard-working and durable, without compromising on modern comfort and refinement.

VISIT GRENADIER AT GWCT WELSH GAME FAIR

The Grenadier’s story began in London at the Grenadier pub in 2017, when the idea for a new offroad vehicle was conceived by INEOS Chairman, Sir Jim Ratcliffe. A 4X4 enthusiast and experienced adventurer, Sir Jim identified a gap in the market for a back-to-basics, utilitarian workhorse.

INEOS Automotive was formed and a team of professionals assembled to bring the vision to reality, partnered with some of the biggest names in development and manufacturing.

Inspired by legendary off-roaders of the past and built from the ground up on an all-new platform at a world-class production facility, the new British-designed 4X4 is being built to meet the varied and extreme demands of customers around the world. Perfect for hauling farm equipment, towing a horsebox or trailer and tackling challenging terrain, the INEOS Grenadier has undergone more than 1.1million miles of intensive testing in plain sight, to make sure it’s, reliable, capable and built to go the distance.

The Grenadier is powered by 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol or diesel BMW engines with the power and torque to easily tow up to 3.5-tonnes. Features include a hose-out interior with the resilience to cope with a tough inservice life on the farm and will be available with an extensive range of accessories for all off-road commercial and adventure activities.

Order books are now open.

Information on specification and pricing is available at www.ineosgrenadier.com.

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

Amanda Ownen delights guests with cooking, stories and top farming tips

Two smoking barrels kicked off the show with star Vinnie Jones participating in the opening Gun Salute

Designer Clare Haggas spotted in the crowds.

WHO'S

JB GIll of JLS Fame turns his hand to support chef and author Jose Souto in the cookery theatre.

WHO

HRH Princess Anne enjoys some shopping with husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy James Hamilton Laurence

Fa m o u s fa ce T h e G a m s a c ro s s e Fa i r Ca n yo u n a m e them?

Up with the Larks, James Martin prepars to feed 2000 VIPs

Kathryn Cargill, Mayor of Alcester chats to sponsors at the opening Breakfast hosted by the Marquess of Hertford

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

Fly casting champion Hywel’s mission to promote fishing in Wales Former world and European fly casting champion Hywel Morgan says the first GWCT Welsh Game Fair in September will provide a platform to showcase fishing in Wales to an international audience.

The GWCT Welsh Game Fair will be held at the Vaynol Estate, near Bangor from September 9-11 and Hywel says the setting, with a large lake in front of the iconic mansion, could not be better for fishing.

Hywel, from Pontrhydfendigaid, near Aberystwyth, is baffled why thousands of anglers drive through Wales every year to catch a ferry to go fishing in Ireland when his homeland has some of the best wild brown trout rivers and lakes in the UK. “I am keen to ensure that there is a really good fishing presence at GWCT Welsh Game Fair to promote the availability of angling in Wales,” he said.

“For some reason, most anglers travel

through Wales to go fishing in Ireland.

“It’s about time the people of Wales started shouting about what we have here. The GWCT Welsh Game Fair is an ideal opportunity for us to inform and educate people.

“We probably have some of the best rivers and remote lakes for wild brown trout fishing in the whole of the UK.” In partnership with The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), the GWCT Welsh Game Fair is being organised by Stable Events Ltd, which also organises The Game Fair in Warwickshire and The GWCT Scottish Game Fair in Perthshire, Money raised at the Welsh event will support the GWCT’s charitable work and give a welcome boost to the region,

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with tourism and visitors contributing to the local economy.

Fishing, clay shooting, gundogs, game cookery, falconry, horses and hounds, as well as rural crafts, food and drink will feature at the event, which is expected to attract people passionate about the countryside, country pursuits and conservation.

Hywel, the son of famous Welsh angler the late Moc Morgan, first picked up a fishing rod when he was 18 months old and was just three when he began fishing the upper reaches of the River Teifi.“I don’t remember the first fish I caught because I was too young,” he said. “I can remember my dad carrying me across the rushes on the Teifi Pools to put me on the side of the lake.

“In my teens, I got into seatrout fishing and would spend five nights a week on the Ystwyth.”

Hywel entered his first fly casting competition at the age of 12 and was soon winning prizes at the CLA Game Fair. In fact, he became so successful that he won most of the fly casting competitions at the event for three years running and was politely asked to stop entering!

He then devoted eight months to intensive fly casting practice of up to eight hours a day which ultimately paid off when he

“Fishing is one of the best ways to de-stress.

It can be frustrating at times, but it’s escapism.

It takes you to wild places that most Welsh people would never see.” became Europe an and world champion.

He now fishes competitions with the Ospreys Fly Fishing Club and travels the UK teaching anglers and giving fly casting demonstrations across the UK. He also regularly appears on TV and writes for several angling publications.

Recognising the need to engage more young people in fishing, Hywel’s mission is to get children off computer games and outside in the fresh air beside a river or lake.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has been good for fishing because a lot of people have had more time on their hands and have rediscovered angling,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to escape and clear your mind.

“Fishing is one of the best ways to de-stress. It can be frustrating at times, but it’s escapism. It takes you to wild places that most Welsh people would never see.”

Visitors to The GWCT Welsh Game Fair can take the opportunity and pick up a rod to try fishing for the very first time.

As well as fishing, the GWCT Welsh Game Fair will feature clay shooting, gundogs, game cookery, falconry, horses and hounds, as well as rural crafts, food and drink.

Leading Welsh celebrity chef and author Bryn Williams, a farmer’s son from Denbigh, will be creating a bespoke menu for guests in a VIP Enclosure Restaurant and taking part in live, openair cooking demonstrations throughout

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the weekend.

A keen shooter and novice fly fisherman, Bryn is chef patron of Odette’s in Primrose Hill and at Porth Eirias, a beach-front restaurant, café and bar at Colwyn Bay. Visitors can look forward to a wide range of attractions, displays, live debates, shopping at hundreds of trade stands and family entertainment, all with a countryside theme.

The event will bring together representatives from a range of conservation, farming, field sports and fishing bodies for debates on Welsh rural issues. The aim is to foster greater communication and co-operation between sectors and promote the benefits of country pursuits and conservation to a wider audience.

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

Billy Baughan is High Gun at The Game Fair 2022

Buckinghamshire builder Billy Baughan won overall High Gun at The Game Fair Challenge, which took place during The Game Fair, held at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire, on 29 - 31 July.

The Game Fair Challenge is a 50-bird English Sporting clay competition with a layout developed by E.J. Churchill at the fair’s Shooting Line. Mr Baughan won with a score of 48x50, one clay ahead of runner-up Bob Blundell.

Twenty-seven-year-old Billy adds the High Gun prize to the CPSA Champion of Champions titles he won at The Game Fair in 2021 and 2018. Billy won the Callaghans Fine Paintings High Gun Perpetual Trophy, a six-month lease on an Isuzu D-Max V-Cross and a Grade 3 Adjustable Yildiz Pro Shotgun.

Runner-up Bob Blundell was awarded a Yildiz Steel Sporter.

Following the award ceremony, conducted with the assistance of Amanda Owen, The Yorkshire Shepherdess, BILLY COMMENTED: “I’ve always shot The Game Fair, ever since I started shooting. I didn’t think I could win, there are so many good shots now, but everyone has their day and today was mine. I don’t know where the trophy is going to go, probably the dining room.

I don’t mind a bit of off-roading, so the D-Max will be returned covered in mud I can assure you!”

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OTHER WINNERS DURING THE GAME FAIR CHALLENGE WERE: Ladies High Gun: Marie Meadows (41ex50) won a Robert Mayston Original Pen & Ink Picture, a £100 Waring Brooke Voucher and a bottle of gin from G and Tea Ltd. Best Junior Shot: Archie Alexander (46ex50) won a Yorkshire Field Apparel Clothing Package plus a Wagstaff watch.

Student Hot Shot: Kallum Burrell won a Tragar Ranger Gill.

THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

Hollamby is the Champion of Champions!

Kent lorry driver Ben Hollamby won the CPSA Champion of Champions clay shooting competition in blustery conditions on the Saturday of The Game Fair, which took place at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire over 29 - 31 July.

Taking home an assortment of prizes, including a trophy and an Isuzu D-Max V-Cross for six months, Ben commented: “The wind wasn’t too bad, I quite like it. I’d rather wind than the high temperatures The Game Fair experienced on Friday. There was no real preparation for the competition; I was working the night shift until the early hours of this morning and drove straight here. I just turned up and pulled the trigger. The Isuzu is going to be taken to France on a road trip later this year. I think my daughter will probably have some of the prize money!”

The Champion of Champions is an invitational competition, with each CPSA County Committee in England invited to put forward a County Champion to compete for the coveted title at The Game Fair.

A total of 27 shooters entered the competition, organised by the CPSA and held at The Shooting Line, organised by E.J. Churchill. After shooting 50 targets on the English Sporting course,

the top five competitors were invited to shoot at the Super Final: Sam Ward (Staffordshire) qualified with a score of 49ex50. Ron Chipman (Yorkshire) and Michael Cyffin-Jones (Shropshire) both qualified with a score 48ex50, while Ben Hollamby (Kent) and Cheryl Hall (Oxfordshire) qualified with scores of 47ex50.

The Super Final consisted of a 25-target Sportrap layout, also organised by E.J. Churchill. Cheryl Hall was the first female shot to reach this stage in the competition’s history.

Ben Hollamby won the Super Final with a score of 22ex25, but a shoot-off was required for second and third place, after Michael Cyffin-Jones, Sam Ward and Cheryl Hall finished on 20ex25. In the shoot-off, Michael and Sam tied on 8ex10, with Cheryl dropping into fourth place after scoring 7ex10. It meant that a sudden death shoot-off between Michael and Sam was required to break the tie. Michael scored two to finish second, with Sam scoring one to finish

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third. Thirty-four-year-old Ben is a sponsored shooter at Dartford Clay Shooting Club. He was awarded with a six-month lease on an Isuzu D-Max V-Cross, Oakley sunglasses, 750 Gamebore cartridges, a Musto cartridge bag, £200 and a one-year CPSA Membership (on renewal).

CPSA chairman Dr John Martin commented: “The standard of the shooting at this competition was very high, as was the quality of the competitors - they’d be up in the rankings at the British Open. Over the years this competition has grown in popularity and Ben Hollamby has had to work very hard to earn first prize.”

Isuzu’s events and public relations executive Alexander Taylor commented: “Here at Isuzu UK we are proud to be automotive partner to The Game Fair and also partnering with the CPSA. The Game Fair’s audience perfectly matches our products, being focused on outdoor pursuits, with the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross offering unlimited capabilities.”

THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022 EST. 2007

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

Cara Wilson-Quarmby named Best Dressed Lady at The Game Fair 2022 The winner of the seventh annual Best Dressed Lady competition, sponsored

by British clothing brand Welligogs and British luxury leather goods and accessories brand Mackenzie & George, was Cara Wilson-Quarmby.

Winner: Cara Wilson-Quarmby.

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The 27-year-old from South Lincolnshire beat off stiff competition from a record number of other hopefuls, who turned out on a warm afternoon during the opening day of the Game Fair at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire.

“I’m in shock, I’ve no idea how I am going to spend my winnings!” said Cara, whose outfit included boots from Fairfax & Favor, a Clare Haggas scarf and a hat from Hicks & Brown. The outfit impressed an independent panel of judges and their decision to award Cara the top prize of £1,000 worth of Welligogs vouchers was announced swiftly to a colourful gathering which spanned the generations.

Jayne Clarke, a cleaner from Nottinghamshire, was awarded second place for her outfit which included a scarf from Clare Haggas, a bag from Gianni Conti and a resplendent dress loaned to her by one of her clients.

“Finally! I’ve entered since the year dot,” said Jayne, who was awarded a £500 gift card from Mackenzie & George. “This year I went for colour coordination on a budget. You haven’t got to have a million dollar budget to look good”.

Tess Annan from Weligogs commented: “All of the entrants looked beautiful, especially Cara, and I think it’s fab that Jayne has won a prize, too. I’m so lucky I didn’t have to choose the winner, I don’t think I’d have been able to and I know the judges found it really tough. The ladies here really dressed to impress.”

Melanie Clarihew from Mackenzie & George, commented: “I wasn’t expecting such an enormous turn out and such a huge range of different outfits and ages. It was fantastic to see such a rainbow of colours and styles as well.”

Welligogs, a family-owned company based in Brocton, Staffordshire, is renowned for its take on contemporary British style. “Sartorial scouts” combed The Game Fair to find the ladies they thought were the epitome of country chic and invited them to enter the competition.

Mackenzie & George is a Shropshire-based company which produces luxury leather goods and accessories, takes its inspiration from English countryside and equestrian lifestyle.

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

How do you like your eggs Written by Charlotte Hill, CJ'S BIRDS OF PREY

Its been a busy season through out the summer with The Game Fair being a big part of what we do here at CJ’s Birds of Prey, apart from all our baby Peregrine, Aplomados and Harris Hawks we have a whole host of new babies that we have joined us training for this years shows and are in training for The Game Fair 2023. These guys will be up and running to educate and entertain you in the Falconry Area and The Main Arena next year.

We have 4 new owls from our friends at Oxford Owls all our owls come to us as little balls of fluff that live with us and share our front room integrating into everyday life as they grow.

Our first charge was a young British Barn owl in fact he is a brother to our current 2 British barn owls so welcome to Gordon. As a baby like most owls Gordon had a face that only a mother could love but as time went on the ugly duckling changed into the proverbial beautiful swan.

Next came 2 completely different owls they came together and where reared together. Galliano our new Asian brown wood owl and Gin sling our Vermiculated Eagle Owl. Both these guys are very cute babies and grow very quickly but maintain a lot of their fluff for a long time.

You may remember seeing Sake with us before at The Game Fair she is our old Asian Brown wood owl and is still very much with us, but she has now decided to retired from flying at shows Galliano will be taking over her duties and she will be tagging along to watch.

Gin sling is a very different owl to the

Brown wood owl his colouring is very special in that it is what is called Vermiculated this describe the wavy lines of the marking on his plumage that helps these owls like other vermiculated birds camouflage against the bark of trees.

Latest arrival in the owl world is Guinness our Black Barn owl Yes Black barn owl, well not so much black as really dark brown. He is a barn owl like ones you would see in our countryside but has a dark melanistic plumage, these guys are fond primarily in eastern Europe he is smaller than our other barn owls but has matured faster then them. He makes a great addition to our barn owl family as we now have African, British, Dark breasted and Black.

We then had 3 Kestrels who have been partially raised by Ragley (our male

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Peregrine) sister Wonky she laid 3 eggs this year but none hatched then a friend of ours had some kestrel chicks that where too much for their young parents so we gave them to Wony and she reared them to 25 days old when they came on to the team and began their training.

Two new British Buzzards also joined the team a male and a female brother and sister who have been raised together as chicks the male is very striking in a light blonde plumage whereas the female is more what you would expect from our native common buzzards.

We also had 2 new Saker falcons join the team these are the true Arabian falcon and symbol of the Arabian falconry.

We already have a mature male called Aberlour he has wowed the crowds at the Game Fair many times let hope that the 2 new additions (yet to be named as they have not flown free yet ) live up to Aberlour’s standards.

Finally we recived only in the last 2 weeks our new Chilean Blue Eagle many of you will remember “Blue” the Chilean blue we had last year who had flown for many years at The Game Fair, well he turned 10 this years and we could see from his attitude that he was yearning for a mate so he went to Derbyshire where he met his new other half and low and behold they produced 2 eggs of which our new boy is one so he is the son of our original “Blue” and we look forward to many years of him flying at shows and for him to make his debut at the Game Fair next year 2023.

THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

Princess Royal visits the Game Fair 2022 Written by Charlie Jacoby

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022 You couldn’t miss the trees heading around the 2022 Game Fair. Not full-grown, of course. This wasn’t ‘Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane’.

These were saplings in bags – thousands of bags – provided by the Woodland Trust. And they were riding a royal wave. In a video earlier in the year, Prince Charles encouraged the people to "plant a tree for the jubilee".

"In other words,” he added wittily, “a 'tree-bilee'". This is now formally called the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC), a unique tree-planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s platinum jubilee in 2022. Across the UK, everyone from individuals to Scout and Girlguiding groups, villages, cities, counties, schools and corporations are encouraged to play their part to enhance our environment by planting trees during the official planting season between October to March.

Game Fair visitors picked up their sapings from the Woodland Trust, then had to take their trees home and keep them watered until tree planting commences again in October 2022, through to the end of the jubilee year.

Her Majesty’s daughter, the Princess Royal, could easily achieve the title ‘royal treeplanter-in-waiting’, following a year’s dedicated spade work, digging in new trees, at many of the events she has attended.

Perhaps Princess Anne realised that the best way to get those trees into the ground was to meet those who have the space to do it at scale: Britain’s landowners and countrypeople. So it was a double delight for visitors to the Game Fair at Ragley Hall on Friday 29 July that they could both see the Princess Royal walking around the stands, and they could take home a little royal memento in the form of a Woodland Trust sprig.

Accompanied by Game Fair chief executive James Gower, Her Royal Highness visited stands at the Game Fair including BASC. She met people on the frontline of nature conservation, all of them – naturally – highly in favour of treeplanting.

BASC’s Dr Matthew Ellis says of his conversation with the Princess Royal that she is, “Very knowledgeable about what we do and very knowledgeable about the habitats”. He says he found it easy to get political in his conversation

with her, even though the royal family generally avoids politics. “We talked about conservation, the good we do as shooters, how we manage the habitats, and how we translate that into the language of government,” he says.

Richard Bailey of the Peak District Moorland Group says he found meeting her “a bit daunting”. He says: “We specifically talked to Princess Anne about issues we have in the Peak District: the amount of footfall we have, anti-social issues, the lack of vegetation management we have on the moors and how driven game shooting can be perceived as really good for fire mitigation, nature recovery and wildlife abundance on the moors.

“She just gets it. She’s knowledgeable on a lot of subjects. She’s brilliant.”

Dr Matthew Ellis adds: “Shooting is part of the everyday. We have everyone from dustbinmen to dukes taking part in shooting in the UK. We are the British countryside – all of us.”

One of the most notable dukes to enjoy shooting was Princess Anne’s father, Prince Philip. More devoted to horse than guns, she nonetheless presented honours to noted shooters at the 2022 Game Fair in his memory.

Wearing a gold flower brooch, that’s a favourite of hers when she goes racing, the Princess Royal presented two new awards to commemorate the Duke of Edinburgh’s patronage of BASC. She gave BASC Prince Philip Distinguished Service Awards to Jonathan Young and Collin Teago. Jonathan, a former editor of The Field magazine, received the honour for his national contribution to shooting and conservation. Collin, who is a warden for BASC, received recognition for his outstanding commitment to the Lindisfarne Wildfowling scheme.

Since the covid lockdowns ended and country people have been able to return to their usual summer agricultural, rural and game fairs and events, the royal family has been out in force. The Princess Royal was at the Norfolk Show earlier in the summer and Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were at the Royal Cornwall Show.

One of the most hardworking members of the royal family, Princess Anne has been in the vanguard of royal family members returning to these public duties. As part of her visit to the GWCT

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Scottish Game Fair sponsored by NFU Mutual at Scone Palace, Perthshire, on Friday 24 September 2021, she enjoyed a tour of the central Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust exhibit, which had the theme ‘How good is your game, how green is your farm?’.

Something of a curtain raiser to the 2022 tree-bilee, the display illustrated how farmers can be ‘greener’ through on-farm environmental audits, monitoring greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration measures, and improving farming efficiency, with benefits also to be gained by working together in farmer clusters, particularly with regard to soil quality, water and wildlife at landscape scale.

The display explored a similar theme for game managers in ensuring their work, whether upland or low ground, delivers biodiversity net gain – in the uplands adopting workable, pragmatic, evidence-based approaches and solutions, and likewise in the lowlands understanding and practising sustainable management that can deliver benefit for the wider environment.

Show director James Gower was on hand to help the Princess Royal unveil a plaque to mark the opening of the 32nd GWCT Scottish Game Fair.

Ten months later at the English Game Fair at Ragley Hall, while Princess Anne took the opportunity to visit several stands at the fair and meet a range of people, the day was dominated by trees, and she took every opportunity to talk about the QGC. With a focus on planting sustainably, the QGC encourages planting of trees to create a legacy in honour of the Queen’s leadership of the Nation, which will benefit future generations.

As well as inviting the planting of new trees, The Queen’s Green Canopy will dedicate a network of 70 ancient woodlands across the United Kingdom and identify 70 ancient trees to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 years of service. And the initiative has gone global. Prince Charles announces that all 54 Commonwealth nations have committed to a network of forest conservation projects as part of the QGC. Trees planted passed the million mark in March 2022. They could be ten times that by the end of the year.

Open Morning: Saturday 17 September 2022 Click to register Applications for entry for 2022/23 can still be made for some year groups.

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LEGAL EXPERTISE FOR LAND OWNERS AND RURAL BUSINESS

PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE SCOTTISH GAME FAIR

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

BASC foot forward

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation is a Game Fair partner with a whole lot offered to Show visitors in 2022

A packed schedule of demonstrations and events was planned to complement the main BASC stand, where visitors could learn all about matters relating to gamekeeping, gundogs, deer management, firearms, wildfowling, conservation, member offers and more.

And who would expect anything less from the largest shooting membership organisation. And more than 25,000 BASC members turned up to show their support!

Whether you’re a newcomer to shooting or an experienced Shot, you found something to appeals on the BASC coaching lines. The BSA-spon-

sored BASC airgun range offered tuition and the chance to try some of the latest BSA airguns across several disciplines.

If shotguns were more your thing, a lesson with one of BASC’s qualified coaches tested your knowledge with the Safe Shot assessment. Professional advice and expertise at its best.

This year, BASC once again hosted Try Sustainable Ammunition sessions – a chance to put standard steel cartridges to the test under the supervision of a qualified coach and dispelled any myths and misconceptions as we move away from lead.

The BASC Scurry League 2022, spon-

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sored by Skinner’s and Sporting Saint, returned with competitions running across the three days. There was a range of prizes on offer each day.

Serving up some delicious dishes in BASC’s Kitchen Theatre this year were Amanda Owen (aka The Yorkshire Shepherdess) and musician and farmer JB Gill. BASC food ambassadors Rachel Green and Jose Souto were there, as was Great British Menu chef George Farrugia and BBC Good Food Show chef Mark Lloyd. Packed audiences attended the theatre each day located at the top of the Totally Food aisle – one of the busiest we have

seen in recent years.

The BASC commercial services team were on hand to talk members through deals from a range of BASC partners, not forgetting specialist gundog and shooting insurances and offers from over 20 vehicle manufacturers through the BASC vehicle scheme.

New to the BASC main stand this year was a dedicated interactive media area where one could watch BASC films, listen to official podcasts and find out more about the work engaging with the press. Visitors were able to vote for their favourite images to decide the winner of the prestigious BASC Top Shots Photography Competition, explore the BASC website and flick through a copy of the latest edition of Shooting and Conservation magazine.

This year’s Fair was memorable – for all the right reasons not least a visit from HEH The Princess Royal who spent considerable time on the stand along with a specially prepared game lunch and with more than 110 political guests, including 20 MPs from almost every political colour – thanks in no small part to the work of BASC’s political affairs team – it represented an excellent platform to celebrate and showcase all that we hold so dear.

BASC is a major supporter of UK Shows and Events.

Members also Receive complementary entry to the Northern Shooting Show held each may in Harrogate. https://www.northernshootingshow. co.uk

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

amanda

owen visits the Game Fair

2022

By James Gower. Director of The Game Fair

"So how does she do it? Passion and professionalism is the answer, combined with a relaxed anything goes attitude"

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Accompanying Amanda Owen around our VIP Enclosure, it is easy to see why the Channel 5 star has had a meteoritic rise in popularity as her media career has gone from strength to strength.

But the first question she is asked time and time again is “how do you do it”?

What the admiring public mean of course is – How does she juggle a hectic farm-life, raising 9 children and a gruelling production schedule and still take time out to join The Game Fair team for three days. I am sure she has her own answers but I witnessed an easy-going quality, a come what-may quality that allowed her to go-withthe-flow and one that put people at ease when meeting her. This is of course combined with an acute and professional knowledge of her trade which was hugely appreciated by The Game Fair’s audience, many of whom are farmers and landowners themselves who otherwise can see straight through the more shallow countryside presenters that fill our screens each week.

Visitors to the Game Fair are of course the stakeholders of the countryside, those with genuine passion and concern for its welfare – so only the genuine article will do and Amanda has it in spades. That sentiment is true for James Martin too. The renowned chef grew up on a farm, trains his gun dog and only brings to the tables the most sustainable, locally sourced and quality

THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

ingredients.

These giant personalities help us to educate and spread the word more widely into mainstream media. Their quality and presence make for a great day out but their message reaches government, policy makers and the wider public.

Similarly, pop star turned farmer JB Gill was there demonstrating in the cookery theatre and joining the debate in the Cater Jonas Game Fair theatre.

Newcomers to The Game Fair join the dots between these characters seen every day in their living rooms to the sustainable best practice models of rearing and harvesting game.

Normalising what we already know to be normal and ensuring column inches of coverage alongside the TV listings and the more mundane coverage of what Kim Kardashian is wearing this week. And that is the power of The

Game Fair, reaching far beyond 3 days each summer, but assisting the narrative and indeed helping to deliver it to a wide audience, more than 1million readers through its own channels each year. Prince Philip knew it, writing in 2000 “The Game Fair is the countryside’s shop window’ and so it continues perhaps more relevant today than it has ever been.

Make of him what you will but Nigel Farage was there, a keen supporter of The Game Fair for many years, DEFRA Ministor Victoria Prentis, appointed Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Geoffrey Clifton-Brown Chairman of the all Paliamentry Group for Shooting.

This is if you like the parallel Game Fair, existing alongside the spectacle, the

circus, the shopping and the fun. You spent more £60,000,000 pounds at the fair, but these parallel activities will ensure our industries and indeed our livelihoods continue to be viable, economically active and enable our countryside to thrive for generation to come.

So how does she do it? Passion and professionalism is the answer, combined with a relaxed anything goes attitude.

But don’t underestimate the hard work which must be enormous and relentless and fabulously rewarding. Read about it in her own Celebrating the Seasons with The Yorkshire Shepherdess available from….

For more information, Visit: thegamefair.org

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

Listen to the Land This year marked the Scottish Government’s ‘Year of Stories’ and provided a great opportunity to introduce a new and exciting element to the Scottish Game Fair in the form of the Listen to the Land, storytelling and book festival.

This event had an intentionally broad audience and was planned to provide interesting and thought-provoking content, regardless of whether the attendee was a hardened hill keeper or an urban day tripper.

We also wanted to make the event accessible to all age groups and had a dedicated Kids Nest’ events tent for our younger attendees. Kids were spellbound with the participative, drama-led, storytelling sessions, many returning at various stages of the day. However, this tent also hosted a number of educational speakers on environmental subjects including discussing the microorganisms and fungi that live off cow pats – what kids don’t like talking about poo!

Listen to the Land provided an ambitious programme of 29 speakers over three days, across three tents; the Kids Nest, Adult Hive and within the relaxed sofas and coffee tables of our Advisory Tent. We also had a pop-up retail space from the Edinburgh Book Shop, selling a range of rural, sporting and environmental titles, including those of the speakers.

Working with our sponsors, NatureScot and Bidwells, we wanted to make sure the event enthralled and entertained but also allowed a space for ‘courageous conversations’. There was Andrew Painting of National Trust of Scotland talking about rewilding and his book Regeneration. Similarly for kids Lindsay Litteson was reading from her book ‘The Rewilders’.

However, there was also plenty traditional fare. It was standing room only for Ian Coghill discussing his thought- provoking book, Moorland Matters, all things deer were addressed

by Skye’s Scott MacKenzie and Megan Rowland, while Katrina Candy was charming children with the latest

Patrick Galbraith editor of Shooting Times and Author of ‘In search of one last song’

There was Andrew Painting of National Trust of Scotland talking about rewilding and his book Regeneration. Similarly for kids Lindsay Litteson was reading from her book ‘The Rewilders’ instalment of her Captain Partridge books. Topics included barn owls, woodcock, regenerative farming while Shooting Times editor, Patrick Galbraith, talked about his book; In Search of One Last Song - Britain’s disappearing birds and the people trying to save them.

The event brought together an eclectic mix of speakers and was a

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great addition to the core content of the game fair. With this success it is intended to bring back this event next year and we are already in discussion with a number of exciting authors and speakers. We look forward to seeing you there.

Written by Rory Kennedy.

Director of GWCT Scotland

THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022 Co o k in g U paS of Ga ymp me a h o ny t Th e Gam e Fa i r Writt en

By Jo

se L S

outo

“The BASC wild food Theatre” is a beacon of light showing the best of UK game here’s to doing it all again next year.

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022 Over the winter months we all practice many field sports and whether it be Ferreting, Game shooting, Stalking , Falconry or Fishing our love of the countryside and the bounty it has to offer is what unites us all. The camaraderie, friendships and family that we enjoy while practising these field sports always inevitably centres and concludes in the sharing of the food we have harvested. The Game Fair is for us as Country people a celebration of everything we all hold sacred in field sports and the countryside so what better way to celebrate than to show the best of what our harvest can offer at “The BASC Wild Food Theatre”.

This year we had a whole host of Chef and celebrities cooking all things game and showing us how its done. As always the schedule for the theatre read like a who’s, who of the game promotion and cookery world, You Tube sensation Scott Rea and celebrity chef Rachel Green gave us a butchery demo and sausage making class on a Roe deer carcases their demo was a great insight into the uses of a carcases and how easy venison sausages can me to make. I paired with my good friend Rachel on a few dems but she also cooked up some fantastic game dishes over all three days her ability to make game look easy and taste incredible is well known at the game fair and I always love working with her. Rob Griffiths from Vale House cookery school join us to give us a taste of what to expect if you book on one of his courses where game features highly and one of the high lights of the show was his venison salami which we all got to try. Some one we had not see for a while was ex River cottage Celebrity chef Mark Lloyd back from his travels in Scandinavia Mark cooked up an array of rabbit dishes that left us in no doute as to how good rabbit can be. The BGA’s Leon Davies and Louise Clutterbuck did a presentation on game birds and spoke about the importance of the BGA’s role in ensuring the quality of game to end customers as well as their game assurance scheme.

Two renowned foodie celebrities and game aficionados also joined us over the 3 days Amanda Owen came in to talk about life on the farm as the Yorkshire Shepherdess and to cook a

couple of her favourite recipes as well as sign copies of her book “Celebrating the Seasons with The Yorkshire Shepherdess”. Together with our behind the scenes home economist (and legend in her own right) Denise Tolley Amanda talked and took questions about the kids, life on the farm and what she likes to cook at home.

My good friend Boy band member of JLS , Farmer, tv presenter and all round good guy JB Gill was with us this year, JB and I have been friends for years and back in 2018 we cooked venison together at The Game fair just after we did a spread in the telegraph on his love and interest in deer. JB and I did 2 simple dishes to show off the versatility of venison he did a pulled venison shoulder in a brioche bun with a celeriac and gherkin coleslaw and I did a spicy venison steak pot finished with wild garlic. JB’s knowledge about venison and his passion to cook and teach is something I am much in tune with I think if you are passionate about what you do as well as believe in it, it shines through an that is exactly how it happened.

Other chefs that featured this year where George Farrugia a relative newcomer who trained under the likes of Pierre Koffmann and Eric Chavot.

George loves Game and has shot with his dad since a young boy so the field to table story is in his blood keep an eye out for George as we can see him going places. Another chef making his debut was Chris Marney one of the founders of Game for Anything Chris’s love for game shone through with his Venison Tortel-

lini his passion for game as an ingredient was much evident in his dish and the flavour combination was enough to inspire any budding chef. Finally I did the field to table Roe deer and Boar dems these dems have become a main stay of the game fair and from the numbers watching they are still as popular as ever I love doing them and get a real buzz from everyone in the audience wanting to learn how to do something or even how to do it better.” The BASC Wild Food Theatre” is there to inspire, teach and entertain as well as to be a champion for our UK game we need to ensure that all of us use game and that that we educate friends and family to use it, we are so lucky in this country to have the Game Fair and BASC helping to spread the word and give us this stage so as to show off this most wonderful ingredient. Finally a big thank you must go to the people who made this well-oiled machine run efficiently and on time Denise Tolley and all her crew of home economists behind the scenes without them the show could most certainly not go on. To Simon and Tristan the directors of Lincolnshire Game and Cristian Nissen the director of Highland who sponsored all the game, venison and wild boar we used over the 3 days and who ran along with Kelly and Hannah the game hospitality area within the cookery theatre and finally to Annette from BASC who keeps us all in order not only at The Game fair but months before. “The BASC wild food Theatre” is a beacon of light showing the best of UK game here’s to doing it all again next year.

Jose cooking with J.B. Gill

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

Gunmakers' row fr industry luminary aboo cattran,director at the sportman guncentre, recalls his time on the gunmakers' row

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

rom Little acorns So what will I remember 2022 for?

WRITTEN BY ABOO CATTRAN, SPORTSMAN GUN CENTRE Covid, inflation, Eurovision? No, not any of these issues!! For me and for Sportsman Gun Centre as a company, the stand out moments were the positive. The feeling of trepidation, the adrenalin rush and excitement at being part of the largest country fair in the world and also of being a key part of Gunmakers’ Row. Being back in front of the country and shooting fraternity was just amazing. To see, meet, talk and interact with the people we as a company have served for 30 years plus, was just enthralling. The refreshing of old friendships, of forging the new, and of inspiring the next generation to own, preserve, and love their sport.

The crowds came out in their droves with Gunmakers’ Row the prime target of their attention. Stands creaked under the public masses that were in excess of 120K visitors this year, as they trawled the stands for the bargains, the unique and the also the unknown. The public, some of whom had saved their money specifically, had come along to see the largest collection of retail shotguns the world over. Their enthusiasm to see the cream of the UK shooting trade was evident as the sales racked up hour by hour. The row was swelled with the young and old, the experienced and the inexperienced. With the pillars of the UK manufacturing in strength, Holland and

Holland, Boss and E.J.Churchill who as a trio make up the foundations of the British tradition of the finest gunmakers the world over. These giants of the UK trade, added to by other UK and international retailers and manufacturers, added as always a real diverse and eclectic mix and a real sense of strength to this year’s offering in “The Row”! . . believe it or not The Game Fair was first established way back in the heady summer days of 1958 in the same year that the UK saw its first Motorway open! In that inaugural year there were only 55 exhibitors and the organisers ad a budget of £500…. This year there were 118 stands in Gunmaker’s Row alone. It is this broad church of offerings that brings more and more people back year after year.

I am sure that after the success of this years show that in 2023 that number will once again be increased by the addition of some of the UKs other retailers and distributors but also with the inclusion of missing incumbents from this year’s show of a few of the world’s largest manufactures…

“The row” reminds me of China town in London as you walk under the Gunmakers’ Row Arch that welcomes you to the purified area that is all about shooting.

The parrels of both with the air filled with gun oil and old-time leather which hones and heightens the anticipation, and releases the salivation of expectation!!!

To all associated with the UK gun trade the Gunmakers row is the place of bright lights, noise and a place where people can experience that once in a lifetime moment. Be that the first gun purchase or the answer to a burning question.

This years “Best kept secret “was the attendance of 17 police constabularies whose sole aim was to issue variations and support the UK gun trade by issuing on the spot license changes. This was all orchestrated by Warwickshire Police

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who have committed to easing the recent pressures brought about by COVID delays and the pressure on license holders. This commitment and engagement is a never seen before service that showed a genuine commitment to support the shooting fraternity. I do believe this was the single most positive aspect of this year’s Gunmakers’ row! Such an honest and progressive gesture the like that has been unseen on such a scale, and one that will be repeated in 2023.

If the sentiment has wetted your appetite to consider coming, remember this; The Game Fair gives you in it's many forms the bridge to walk across to try all aspects of country life, its morals and most importantly to experience shooting its many forms. Do plan your time and places to shop on Gunmakers’ Row. There is a lot to see and do and time can run away from you. Do your research and decide where you want to go. Save your money, as you can purchase on the day and take away.

Be ready as you will be exposed to experts in many fields, be it air riles or clay shooting to stalking. Experience the excitement and the education of the how and the why.

Most importantly this “Aladdin’s Cave ” brings together people of a like mind who are committed to working with nature for the enhancement of habitat and wildlife in a way that ensures the sport we all love works cohesively to nurture the changes needed to keep alive the tradition as forged in the foundations of our nation…

to enhance our love of all things outdoors.

THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

Celebrity Chef Bryn Williams to cook at the inaugural GWCT Welsh Game Fair click here to book the Restaurant

Leading Welsh celebrity chef Bryn Williams says 90 per cent of the quality game he cooks is his London restaurant, Odette’s in Primrose Hill, comes from North Wales and quickly sells out.

Being a passionate advocate for sustainable, field-to-fork fare, he’s the perfect chef partner for the first GWCT Welsh Game Fair to held at Vaynol Estate, near Bangor from September 9-11. He will be running a VIP Enclosure Restaurant, aptly named The White Park Restaurant after the famous Vaynol Cattle, and taking part in live cooking demonstrations over the weekend.

The Game Fair is set to be a spectacular celebration of Welsh fieldsports, conservation and heritage. The three-day event - https:// www.welshgamefair.org/ - is being organised by Stable Events Ltd, the company behind The Game Fair in Warwickshire and The GWCT Scottish Game Fair in Perthshire, in partnership with The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).

Bryn, who grew up on his parents’ farm near Denbigh, believes it’s no coincidence that the quality venison, pheasant, wild duck, woodcock, snipe and partridge he cooks in his restaurant comes from well managed land in North Wales.

“Coming from farming stock, I grew up with shooting and I use a lot of the

delicious and sustainable game that my dad and his f riends shoot in North Wales,” he said. “It gets shipped to London and I cook it in my restaurant.

“When we have a shipment arriving, we phone a few of our customers and the tables sell out even before I have prepared the game. I am always looking for new suppliers.

“I love cooking the different types of game during the winter; it’s beautiful.

In this day and age, when people are talking about carbon footprints, sustainability and land use, I think game ticks every single box.

“It’s a sustainable, local source of food from great land where farmers do an amazing job. What more could you want? Quality game goes hand in hand with great land, hedgerows, woodland and rivers.”

He’s delighted that the first GWCT Welsh Game Fair is coming to North Wales where he also runs Porth Eirias, a beach-f ront restaurant, café and bar at Colwyn Bay. The VIP Enclosure is a very popular attraction at every game fair thanks to the on-site restaurant, which is open for breakfast and lunch, accommodating up to 200 diners at

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one time.

Bryn, who has hosted several successful cooking series with Welsh-language television channel S4C, will be creating bespoke breakfast and two and three-course lunch menus for VIP ticket holders, with a focus on game and sustainable, locally sourced ingredients.

“I am passionate about Welsh food and game, its heritage and, of course, quality,” added Bryn. “A game fair is a fitting place to express this, promote it and provide the public with an amazing experience, which is why I am delighted to have a restaurant within the GWCT Welsh Game Fair this year.”

James Gower, The Game Fair Ltd managing director, added: “We’re pulling out all the stops to make the GWCT Welsh Game Fair the event of the year for Wales and I’m over the moon to share the news that Bryn is joining us!

“His food is sublime, and his outgoing, approachable personality is the ideal fit for our VIP Restaurant and our live cooking demonstrations! I’m excited to see what Bryn creates for the menu and sampling some of it myself.”

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

ABOUT THERMAL IMAGING Helping you see thewood from the trees

What is thermal imaging Unlike night vision, which amplifies residual light, either in the form of an analog or digital device, and therefore cannot see in complete darkness without artificial illumination, thermal imaging is the transformation of invisible infrared thermal radiation into an image that can be observed by human eye (no matter if it's day or night). The transformation of invisible thermal radiation into a visible image to the human eye helps to discover hidden details that are not visible to the human eye during normal observation of the visible spectrum. The ability to monitor the heat emitted by observed objects and not just visible light gives us the opportunity to evaluate the condition and properties of observed objects from a different perspective. Currently, thermal imaging is an integral part of technological processes in engineering and food production and many other industries.

History of thermal imaging In 1800, infrared radiation was discovered by Sir William Herschel (1738-1822).

Macedonio Melloni (1798–1854) invented the thermomultiplier, which made it possible to register wavelengths in the IR spectrum in the range of up to 1.94 µm. In 1929, the Hungarian physicist Kálmán Tihanyi (1897-1947) invented a camera sensitive to infrared radiation as a device for anti-aircraft defense of the Great Britain.

The first thermal imaging cameras were cooled with liquid nitrogen, which was very complicated and made them more expensive. New technologies enabled the thermal imaging sensor to work at normal temperatures.

In 1973, the first portable infrared scanning system was built, and in 1975, the

first thermal imaging device with video output. The first device in the form of a portable video camera with recording was created in 1995.

From their original military use, thermal cameras have now spread to astronomy, healthcare, engineering, construction and also hunting.

Night Pearl The company ZÁHOŘÍ TRADE s.r.o. was founded in 2000 and specializes in the hunting segment. It offers highquality products from its own production and also represents world-famous manufacturers. In 2007, it expanded its offer with night vision devices and thermal imaging. In 2009 ZÁHOŘÍ TRADE s.r.o. has created its own brand Night Pearl, to satisfy needs of the most demanding hunters around the world.

Night Pearl covers the complete range of thermal imaging and night vision devices. In thermal imaging technology, it offers monoculars, add-ons and dedicated thermal sights. In the night vision segment, it produces monoculars, binoculars, add-ons and sights. It is one of the few companies in the world that offers its customers all available technologies in this field.

Night Pearl company has been operating in Great Britain since 2021. At Night Pearl’s stand, participants can find the entire portfolio of offered thermal imaging products. Among the products in which there was the greatest interest were the dedicated thermal riflescope Marten 650 and the add-on SEER 50 Plus II.

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Marten 650 This high-end thermal riflescope that retains the look and feel of a traditional daytime riflescope, allowing hunters to utilize the habits experienced with the use and operation of conventional day scopes. Superior thermal imaging technology with 640x480 px, 12µm sensor provides a perfect image in all conditions, whether you are hunting in rain or fog, in a deep forest or at the open fields, day and night.

SEER 50 Plus II This add-on with a robust construction, that can be easily attached using an adapter to the day riflescope, it is equipped with high quality sensor from Lynred with NETD 35mK. By using an extender for bigger batteries or connecting to the USB power bank you can extend working time for even longer hunts. Due to the precise alignment during assembly, no zeroing is required. this add-on is ready from the box.

THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

"Visitors to the pavilion were treated to a dazzling array of jewellery, paintings, furniture and silver"

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

LAPADA

T H E B E S T O F T H E G A M E FA I R H I G H L I G H T S

The LAPADA Pavilion returned to The Game Fair for the second year this summer, brimming with art and antiques from some of the UK’s most prominent dealers. Visitors to the pavilion were treated to a dazzling array of jewellery, paintings, furniture and silver. Highlights of the show included a beautiful Victorian 5.35 carat cushion cut Ceylon sapphire and diamond pendant, for sale by Howell 1870. Other jewellery highlights included a stunning fancy cognac diamond statement ring set in 18k yellow gold for sale by Saul Greenstein & Co, and a very unusual Rolex Prince watch with a stunning guilloche dial and a case of 18 carat white gold for sale by Timewise Vintage Watches.

Blackbrook Gallery had for sale a marvelous antique portrait of a greyhound, ‘Shortcoming’, who was the Winner of the Waterloo Cup in 1921. The Waterloo Cup was created by the same man who created the Grand National, and at the time, the greyhound race was a much more popular event. Blackbrook Gallery also had a fine portrait of ‘Joseph Gilliver’ (1759-1833) handling a cock.

Gilliver was proclaimed by the Sporting Magazine (Nov 1834) to be ‘the most celebrated cock-feeder England ever produced’, having been handler and feeder of the Royal Cocks for both King George the third and fourth.

On the opening day of The Game Fair, the Princess Royal flew in to enjoy the show and was given a tour of the LAPADA Pavilion by the association’s Chief Executive Freya Simms before

presenting the inaugural Prince Philip Distinguished Service Awards. The Princess spent time looking at paintings, jewellery, watches & furniture, and even found an example of a Heuer watch she wore when she was first eventing on the stand of dealer Timewise Vintage Watches.

LAPADA, the Association of Art & Antiques Dealers, is the largest society of professional art and antiques dealers in the UK. It is a trusted resource for private collectors and the art and antiques trade in the UK and 18 other countries around the world. From its inception in 1974, the association has grown significantly, now boasting over 500 worldwide members who are all experts in their fields, with specialities ranging from fine art, jewellery and furniture to contemporary works, sculpture and ceramics. Due to the Association’s strict Code of Practice, clients are offered total reassurance when purchasing from a LAPADA member. It also offers industry advice and lobbies on issues affecting its members and good practice in the art and antiques trade. LAPADA’s website is also a leading online marketplace for sourcing authentic art and antiques from trusted LAPADA-accredited dealers.

LAPADA’s partnership with The Game Fair has been a natural fit, as both organisations champion heritage skills and craftsmanship while preserving tradition. The LAPADA Pavilion will be returning to The Game Fair for the third year running next summer, this time with even more dealers and works of art

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to discover.

The LAPADA Pavilion is in some ways a miniature version of the spectacular LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair returning the Berkeley Square in Mayfair, London next autumn. At this event, over a hundred specialist dealers will exhibit works from across the art, design and antiques spectrum. Since its inception in 2009, the LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair has grown to become one of the most anticipated and prestigious events on the London social calendar. The LAPADA Fair showcases the UK’s best offering of art and antiques, celebrating traditional craftmanship and its incorporation into contemporary spaces. It’s one of only two yearly events to grace the beautiful Berkeley Square. At the heart of the modern, cosmopolitan city yet steeped in historical resonance, the location could not be more fitting for this event.

Exhibitors at the fair present works spanning millennia, including jewellery, furniture, carpets, tapestries, antiquities, clocks, ceramics, glass, silver and fine art. Authenticity is assured thanks to a 70 member specialist committee rigorously pre-vetting every item on sale.

With prices ranging from a few hundred pounds to several million, sought after pieces appeal to both the established collector and first time buyer alike. A unique stage that welcomes visitors from across the world, the fair blends eclecticism, artistry and hospitality in perfect measure. It is an esteemed occasion, and a door to an intriguing world. We hope to see you there.

THE WELSH GAME FAIR 2022 “As we prepare to celebrate the Welsh countryside at the GWCT Welsh Game Fair later this month, we join Jess John who takes a look back at past custodians of this fascinating landscape and reflect that the current generation is only striving to ensure that traditions and innovations exist harmoniously ready for the custodians of the future. The Lost Building of Ardudwy help to understand the past and tell our stories of today”.

The Lost Buildings of Ardudwy A landscape steeped in Welsh mythology, Ardudwy is home to hundreds of abandoned farmsteads and cottages.

Part of cultural heritage project officer Jess John’s work is to play detective and uncover their secrets

THE LANDSCAPE OF SNOWDONIA is a backdrop to an extensive history and heritage that spans centuries. The National Park protects over 800 square miles where the mountains, rivers, streams and lakes have names and stories passed down through generations of Welsh story tellers in an ancient language often described (by the locals at least) as the ‘language of the heavens’.

Here, the landscape reads as a palimpsest of thousands of years of cultural, social and industrial history all told through archaeology, monuments, buildings, myths and memories.

As the Cultural Heritage Project Officer for Snowdonia National Park, knowing that all this is on my doorstep makes every day exciting, if a little

overwhelming. Over the past year we’ve been playing detective and uncovering the stories of the ‘unforgotten’ bythynnod (cottages) and abandoned farmsteads of the Ardudwy landscape, the strip of land on the western side of the Rhinnogydd Mountains with around 16 miles of coastline. These bythynnod were the homes of the ‘gwerin-weithwyr’, a word difficult to translate but it comes close to ‘working peasantry’. Although the word ‘gwerin’ is used in a positive way here. These were the slate boat men, tea dealers, egg dealers, married farm hands and paupers. Slightly less numerous are the abandoned farmsteads comprising of the farmhouse and outbuildings but no less illuminating with regards to viewing a rural way of life in this difficult landscape.

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A TALE OF TWO RUINS Two dwellings struck me as particularly interesting, a tiny cottage called Llam Maria and a farmhouse at Blaiddbwl.

Although similar in their abandoned state and their place within the landscape, these two ruins reveal completely different stories about the social standing, wealth, and way of life of those that lived in them.

In December 1873, The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard published extracts from a report written about the Llam Maria cottage by a sanitary authority inspector entitled, A Sad Case: ‘I have within the last week inspected several places in the Parish of Llanenddwyn and Llanddwywe-is-graig, and among some of the worst cases that We ask ‘if walls could talk,

THE WELSH GAME FAIR 2022

Left Tal Rhos, Llandecwyn. Still maintained as much as possible by the farmer Below Cell Fechan, meaning small cell, is an abandoned farmstead above Barmouth

We ask ‘if walls could talk, what would they say’? And then we try to answer that question.

what would they say’? And then we try to answer that question.

Photos Toby Driver RCAHMW came under my notice is a house called ‘Llam Maria’ in the parish of Llanenddwyn, about three miles above Llanaber, where a woman named Margaret Jones lives, with three illegitimate children, apparently of the ages of ten, seven and three respectively.

The poor children appeared to be very needy indeed, as regards food and clothing. They were in no way properly dressed, but merely had some old rags about them. The bed clothing consisted simply of old rags, with one or two old worn-out blankets. I am of opinion that

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the best course to be adopted is for the Guardians, together with the Sanitary Authority to cause these innocent little children to be removed to the workhouse, or some other place, where their immediate wants would be attended to, to prevent starvation.

Independently of their moral training and education, as far as I could ascertain from questioning the children, neither of them had ever seen a church, chapel or school – for, as they said themselves, ‘they had no clothes to go.’

THE WELSH GAME FAIR 2022

Mr H. Ll. Roberts, the former inspector describes his visit to the place thus: ‘Cottage: external walls good and freshly built; thirty links long by thirty broad, and this divided into three rooms, of which the room where people live is the largest. In each of the chambers lay a woman, one confined of an illegitimate child, and another in the other room laid up with something worse (although I should not like to say this for a fact). The windows were all in holes, and stuffed with rags to keep the wind out. Pig, dog and hens all in the house. A family of ten live here off and on, of whom nine are illegitimate children. Manure heaps and dirty sinks, very offensive, right under the window of the kitchen, which is all in holes. Height of house to eaves ten links, ventilation bad, and the chambers and kitchen saturated with urine. No privy.

2s6d. allowed from the parish!’ It transpired that the residents of the house reported upon lived upon the entrails of pigs, and were otherwise in a most lamentable condition.’

Margaret, the mother at Llam Maria, is described as a pauper on the census in 1871, along with countless others living in bythynnod across Ardudwy, and it is very rare that we come across their individual stories or are allowed a snapshot such as this into their lives. In

Above What remains of Llam Maria in Llanenddwyn Bottom View of Graig y Gwynt in Llandecwyn

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a few years, Llam Maria was empty and the question as to whether the family went to the workhouse is one that is, as yet, unanswered. Today, Llam Maria is a ruin, almost completely destroyed with only an outline of stones in a field and easily missed by the many walkers who are making their way to Ffynnon Enddwyn, the holy well of St Enddwyn, a few hundred yards away.

One hundred years earlier, and a mere seven miles away, lived Evan Ellis, a gentleman at a rather large farm called Blaiddbwll. For several hundred years the family had married their children into prosperous families across Ardudwy and beyond, monopolising land, farms, mills and livestock. With a will inventory totalling £90, including ‘14 Head of Cattle of all sorts’, (cattle rather than cash being king in 1772). Evan and his family had a much more comfortable living than the family in Llam Maria.

Blaiddbwll was still a hive of activity in 1872, when Margaret was living in Llam Maria, where a Methodist Sunday School is regularly held in one of its smaller buildings. However, according to the tithe records of the early 1840s

THE WELSH GAME FAIR 2022 the land has already been subsumed by a different farm, Werngron. Today,the farmhouse and outbuildings at Blaiddbwll and the once rather large Tannery a few hundred yards away are ruins. Unlike Llam Maria, there are still walls, a section of roof and some of the barn pillars still standing.

ENRICHING THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT RECORD To walk past either of these buildings, and both do happen to be on public rights of way, you could only guess at

the wealth of social history they both represent. And yet, that is what many of us have been doing whilst roaming our local area, we have been guessing at the stories of these building’s, even more so over the recent lockdowns as we walked our immediate landscape.

Llam Maria is one of five ruins along the popular Ardudwy Way trail, which runs from Barmouth to Harlech, you pass in ten minutes of walking. Three of them are on the Historic Environment Record described as Post Medieval Farmsteads, one is an

unnamed outline on today’s OS map and one doesn’t seem to exist at all.

The ruin that doesn’t exist in any current official record is called Capel Ty’n Drain (the chapel under the thorns). Not only was this a home (two homes according to the 1851 census) but at the beginning of the 20th century it was a Methodist Chapel which held meetings and a Sunday School similar to the one at Blaiddbwll.

Left Capel Ty’n Drain in 1913 Below Capel Ty’n Drain today, Llanenddwyn

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THE WELSH GAME FAIR 2022

A few decades from now it is possible that the bare bones of Capel Ty’n Drain would still be there, however, there is a real possibility that the people who remember it will not be. This goes for many of the bythynnod left to ruin.

Lack of funding and capacity in the various projects to document and survey these buildings often means there is no opportunity to delve and explore their histories, and moreover, what they could add to our understanding of our past cultural, social and industrial heritage.

This wish to enrich the Historic Environment Record with social and cultural history is how the Harlech and Ardudwy Cultural Heritage Project was born. This small but complex project is led by Snowdonia National Park Authority and is supported by Gwynedd Archaeological Trust (GAT), Cadw, The Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of Wales (RCHMW) and the People’s Collection Wales.

Building on previous agrienvironmental projects, the farmstead

Above left Tannery at Blaiddbwll, Llanbedr

mapping project for Ardudwy was completed by GAT in 2018, as a pilot project, and in 2020. Where this project felt it could contribute, without duplicating work already done, was to focus on those buildings abandoned and left to ruin. This, at the time, included agricultural buildings such as beudai (cow sheds and barns) and twlc (pigsty), however the scale and number of these meant we soon made the decision to focus on bythynnod and farmhouses.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Place names are a surprisingly complex and sometimes controversial subject here in Eryri (or Snowdonia) and across Wales as a country, their origins often lost. Some spellings can be traced back to a 15th century lawyer ‘having a go’ at spelling what he could hear. Word meanings are a combination of folk tales, descriptive words and names of people. Putting those complexities aside, place names truly are the gems of cultural heritage. Let’s re-visit Llam

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THE WELSH GAME FAIR 2022

Maria for a lovely example. Llam mean stride or step and Maria is the name of a person, or in this instance a giantess.

Maria was the giantess of Moelfre, a mountain in the area, and according to one version of the tale this is where she would holiday.

As she stepped down from the Moelfre and towards Craig y Ddinas her footprint has imprinted on a rock, beside the now-named Llam Maria.

When a historic event happened long enough ago, there is often sprinkling of myth thrown in for seasoning. There is a reason for that of course, we’re referring to stories from a time where communities were reliant on word of mouth for their news. These names are not protected.

The Royal Commission for the Historic Monuments of Wales hold the place names list, and this project aims to pass on the names collected during the project. There are streams of names steeped in wonderful history that have been changed on a whim, usually but not always, for an anglicised version. Our

Above right Blaiddbwll, Llanbedr

mission, alongside societies such as the Place Names Society, is to celebrate and share these names in order to safeguard them for the future.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT The communities of Ardudwy are rural ones, farming being the predominant industry, and therefore farm buildings are a significant part of our landscape

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and built environment. Many traditional farm buildings have become redundant through increasing mechanisation and the amalgamation of farms. This, combined with the large-scale depopulation at the end of the 19th century means we are left with a fleet of ‘murddunnod’ (homesteads or cottages gone to ruin) across the countryside. At the beginning of the project a call went out to the local communities to volunteer what they knew about the ruins in their area.. The response was overwhelming. In the parish of Llandecwyn alone (with the population of under 600 people) we received notification of more than 100 ruins. Rather than being a combination of dwellings and outbuildings, these 100 plus buildings had all been lived in

THE WELSH GAME FAIR 2022 Left, top Byrllysg Bach, Dyffryn Ardudwy

and therefore steered the direction the project towards its current focus - those ruins which were once homes.

This project aims to fill in some much-needed gaps and make these stories available to anyone and everyone who wishes to read them. It would be a mistake to think that all this information, the locations of the buildings, stories and anecdotes about the wonderful characters who once lived in them are either lost or permanently confined to boxes in archives. Most of the information collected has been provided by local people who are willing to take you for a walk and talk about their memories of those who once lived there.

One character in particular is worth mentioning. Dafydd Styllan was known for making brooms and working odd jobs. He was once planting a garden for a widow when she asked him to fetch some potatoes from a farmer.

“I wasn’t given any money to pay for them” he told the farmer, who replied: “Tell her, I will await payment from those worthy of resurrection” “Well,” said Dafydd, “the question is, will you be there to receive it?”

Styllen, or correctly Castellhen is a ruin of a TŷUnnos a couple of yards away from Llam Maria and it’s believed Dafydd was one of Margaret’s brood.

The aim of the project is to act as the conduit for the community who hold these wonderful stories and to funnel them to the organisations who will safeguard the data and make it accessible to future generations.

Oral histories, historic land use and place name research are huge parts of the project. Recording the memories of older people in the community is not only a way to capture the past, we can learn a lesson in how we might change our way of life for the future: living off the land in a sustainable way, understanding our seasons and living in a closer community.

Left, middle Byrllysg Bach imagined Left, below Blaen-ddôl, Talsarnau

For more information, Visit: www.welshgamefair.org GWCT Welsh Game Fair - 9th - 11th September 2022

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

A STORY FROM WELSH GAME FAIR

SPONSOR

Welsh Game Fair sponsors Colgau Gold have teamed up with Bryn Williams in support of the White Park VIP Restaurant to feature at the GWCT Welsh Game Fair this Sept 9,10,11th. They are a phenomenal business and here is their story.

In 1989 a local man named William Roberts made a very unexpected and exciting discovery - an abandoned gold mine in the mountains of Snowdonia. This was the Clogau St. David's mine in Bontddu. Despite its disused state, he planned to transform it into a tourist attraction where visitors could pan for gold. But the idea was opposed due to its location within the Snowdonia National Park. So instead,

he decided to gamble on the idea that there would be some undiscovered gold still buried within the mine. To make best-use of this precious gold, William used it exclusively to create jewellery of the very highest quality, beauty and originality, with Wales as his main design inspiration. But it wasn't until 1994 that the first range of jewellery emerged, which consisted of just five pieces that were sold through a handful of small gift shops near the Clogau St. David's gold mine. Luckily by this time they had already amassed a significant amount of high quality gold and it is from this stockpile that most of the Welsh gold that we use in our jewellery today comes from.

THE CLOGAU ST. DAVID’S GOLD MINE The Clogau St. David's gold mine was once the largest and richest mine of all the gold mines in the Dolgellau gold

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Inside the Clogau Mine mining area. It is situated in Bontddu, near Barmouth in Gwynedd north-west Wales. After producing copper and a little lead for quite a number of years, the mine developed into gold production in the 1862 'rush' and continued as a major operator until 1911, during which 165,031 tons of gold ore was mined resulting in 78,507 troy ounces (2,442 kg) of gold. It worked the St David's lode of Clogau mountain alongside the

THE WELSH GAME FAIR 2022

Ben at the mine in the 1980s BEN S. ROBERTS MANAGING DIRECTOR

The Team at Colgau have created these commemorative pin badges to celebrate the Nations Game Fairs.

For a limited time only you can buy them at The Game Fair Box office here

co-owned Vigra Mine.

For over 150 years, the mine went through mixed fortunes with the gold veins being most inconsistent and difficult to locate. Since 1911 the mine has been re-opened several times for smaller-scale operations.

By the late 1990's however, the last train carrying Welsh gold from the Clogau mine clanked to a halt. In 1999 the mine was taken over and held by a local exploration company.

1854: THE STORY OF THE BLEND

click here to buy the badges stableevents.yourticketpurchase.com/p/ welshfair

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Gold was discovered at the Clogau St. David’s mine in 1854 and it became the richest and most productive gold mine in the Dolgellau gold belt. My father, Bill Roberts, acquired the Clogau St. David’s mine in the mid 1980s and began a small scale mining operation.

When I first visited the mine with my father, I saw the gold in its raw form. I was struck by the pale rose-yellow tone, unlike anything I had seen, a result of the copper that had previously been mined there giving this rose cast to the mine ore. This appreciation of the beauty of this unique shade is behind the creation of blend 1854. To celebrate 165 years since gold was discovered at Clogau and to celebrate our 30th anniversary, this unique blend is used in our limited edition anniversary rings and our Windsor wedding bands.

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

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THE GAME FAIR REVIEW 2022

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