Mr. Merkel

The current BASC magazine is showing 2 DSC1 courses being run at the Essex shooting school, Thornwood Common, Epping in June and December this year if its of help. Tim

I use 2 pairs of Hoggs of Fife GT3000 WNSL boots they cost £82 for both pairs, took a while to beak in and are now really comfortable, waterproof and hard wearing, currently in the 3rd year.

I am another for Susan Scales book, it is a good read loads of advice from top trainers and available on Ebay for a couple of quid. Tim

Mine also, I spoke to them today it would appear to be a distribution problem. ST have posted a statement on their facebook page as follows. Once again, we apologise to all our subscribers who have not yet received their issue and thank you all for your continued patience - your copy should arrive very soon. If you have any further queries please call our subscription department on 0330 3330233 or via e-mail customercare@ipcmedia.com Tim

There is a trained 3 year old black lab dog being sold in the for sale section here. All the best Tim

I live in the suburbs and do this on a regular basis, I travel with the gun broken down in leg of mutton case. in 40 years of travelling on a bus, tube or train the only time I have ever been questioned was by a London cab driver who wanted to know what lodge I was going to. No problems to travel with an unloaded gun. All the best Tim

We saw 8 or so Monday afternoon at Brundall Bay marina.

I have owned and shot Merkels for years, spares can be an issue but I have found them reliable and robust guns, remember Merkel are based in Suhl Germany which fell on the Eastern side of the wall, some of the early post war guns were very plain as supplies were short, try and find the ones marked Gerburuder Merkel Suhl or Gerbr. Merkel Germany. There were plenty about stamped with the German democratic republic GDR I dont think that there would be a problem with them I just like the older pre war models. They are good solid guns that will last you years. All the best.Tim

Mrs Merkel is an unpaid tester and destroyer of vacum cleaners, the Dysons were good for the 2 year guarantee that they used to offer, we had more Dyson motors than you can shake a stick at, our garage looked like a cleaner grave yard. Enter Henry, we bought 2 in a sale, 1 for upstairs and 1 for downstairs its now 5 years on and for a single on off switch they are both still running perfectly. If you change their bags regularly and keep them clean as Beardo says they love you long time and the car is back in the garage. Tim

Have a word with these guys at Bisley they are very helpful and gave me some good advise. Best of luck Tim http://www.stewardsportsglasses.co.uk/

Hi all, thanks for the replies and the smiles, last year we kept and brought on some English partridges which she enjoyed and has kindled the interest in keeping chickens, we noticed that the partridges ate the small white slugs but left the orange and greenish/brown ones alone (I took the big black ones for chub bait). It was lung worm that concerned me, the area we are thinking about putting the hen house and run does have more than its fair share of slugs. Tim

Thanks for the replies its good to know they will not come to any harm eating the slugs. All the best Tim

My daughter fancies keeping some chickens, the area she wants them to set up home was inundated with slugs last summer and the slugs have started to put in a show already this year. Will the hens eat the slugs? If so is there likely to be any ill effects to the hens in the short or long term. Many thanks Tim

I just read that potted history of John Wilkes and a few of the names mentioned in that news report are also mentioned as gunsmiths engaged by Wilkes, but in those days a lot of the gunsmiths were independent and may have worked for a number of gunmakers at the same time. Tim

Years ago I work for the Police and attended the Home Office courses in fingerprint identification, they had offices and classrooms in Beak Street, during the lunch breaks there was not much to do so I used to wonder around the shops in Soho having my eyes opened, it was always a pleasure to go to Wilkes. All the best Tim

I am pretty sure its John Wilkes in Soho but a very long time ago that I was there. Tim

Well done to those who voted it should finish a lot closer than how it started. As at 16.10 31st. Yes 50.05% (15,898 votes) No 49.95% (15,867 votes) Total Votes: 31,765 All the best Tim

The Telegraph is running a poll at the moment as to whether handguns should be legalized and licensed in the UK. If you have any views on this or just wanted to take park in the poll I have tried to put a link below, pass it on to other interested parties. Many thanks Tim http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/10595087/Hand-guns-should-be-legalised-and-licensed-Nigel-Farage-has-said.html

Hi, I also store in the loft, I bought a pack of 6 Allen silicon gun socks from the USA for $47 and keep them barrel down in the cabinet, in 6 years I have no rust or other issues from storage. Once a year a fold the socks up and place them in a re-sealable bag with a couple of drops of silicon oil leave them to stand for a couple of days this seems to rejuvenate the socks, I live in an older property but the loft is dry.

Done.

Took this of the Met Police website today, there is more but I just copied that which is relevant to the shotgun application process. APPLICATION FOR THE GRANT OR RENEWAL OF A FIREARM AND/OR SHOTGUN CERTIFICATE 1.You must not withhold information about any conviction. This includes motoring offences, binding overs, formal written warnings, cautions and convictions in and outside Great Britain, and (by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975) convictions which are spent under the 1974 Act. A conditional discharge and an absolute discharge both count as convictions for this purpose. Details of parking offences and fixed penalty notices do not need to be declared. 2.Applications must be accompanied by four identical photographs of you and sized 45mm x 35mm. The photographs must be full face and without a hat and must be a current true likeness. Ordinary passport style photographs are suitable for this purpose. A computer generated likeness is acceptable if it is full face, against a plain background and printed on good quality gloss or matt paper. If you are applying for both a firearm and a shotgun certificate you need only submit four photographs. 3.One of the photographs must be signed in ink, on the back by you, the applicant. Each of the referees must endorse a further separate photograph, in ink with her/his signature and the date the likeness was compared. 4.Unless otherwise advised by the police, you should post or take the completed form together with the fee and photographs to the police firearms licensing department. In the case of an application for renewal of a shotgun certificate, the current certificate or a signed and dated recent copy should be included with the application. 5.Personal health and medical declaration. You must disclose any physical or mental health condition that may affect your ability to safely possess and use a firearm (including a shotgun). This includes for example epilepsy, stroke, stress related illness, depression, alcoholism, heart disease, cancer etc. If in doubt, consult your GP. 6.Where an application is successful a letter will be sent to your GP and where there is good reason a medical report may be required.

Hi Longy, My problem is that like others I have not got a dedicated shoot/dog vehicle and limited storage when the transit box is not in use, so a collapsible model would suit me, one that folds up and takes up less room in the garage, if thats an option without to much comprise to strength/security. Tim.

If I am looking for a dog I ask that the bitches and sold puppies be separated and I just watch the puppies that are for sale, I like to study their size to the other puppies I firmly believe the wider the head the bigger the brain so I look for a wide muzzle, nice clear eyes but its still a lottery. Best of luck Tim

Scotsland, I possibly misled you with the stop whistle, I didn't try to stop him on the retrieve it was when he returned and was in front of me grunting with the dummy I tried the stop whistle to sit him to take the dummy, it didn't work and I did not try it again. Tim

Scotsland, Thanks for your reply Ive already arranged to see a trainer and have tried what you suggested about positioning in a corner, that has been my MO for the last couple weeks, returning straight to me was not an issue its the last 2 feet he will come forward and touch my hand then pull back snorting and grunting repeatedly, I am sure its a game to him but I cannot find a way to get him to deliver to hand first time. Ive walked away from him called him to heel and tried to take the dummy while he is at heel, no joy, if I ignore him and just let him have the dummy he will follow me about touching my leg as soon as I lean down to take it the grunting starts, Ive tried sitting on the grass standing in a shallow lake coming straight to me is again not the issue its the hand over, another issue that I have failed to mention is that he will not sit on the whistle with the dummy in his mouth, Ive run out of ideas hence posting a request on this forum. Hopefully I will overcome this shortly and we can move on. Thanks to everyone again. Tim