Diabolo

Some years ago I was lucky enough to win the BASC recipe competition with this tale of my first goose and the eating of it. But, as mentioned above, the best goose I have eaten was a Canada, shot inland, and cooked in the same way. I lost my faithful "skinny 14 month old springer" at the age of 15 two years ago, which dates the article. We had many further adventures, they say you get one "dog of a lifetime", and although my other dogs have been good, he was most definitely it. His last ever retrieve was also a greylag, involving a good swim, at the age of 13. I count myself lucky to have had him, now laid to rest in a quiet corner of the garden. Steve

Started my fowling career down south many moons ago, Canada and greylag were on the menu of course, but never saw a pink. Then my wife's parents moved to Spalding, I read a certain book you may have heard of called "Kenzie the Wild Goose Man(!)" and I went to look for the pinks. Fell in love with The Fens and The Wash, and caught a bad dose of goose fever. Joined local clubs and would make a round trip of 250 miles to get out on the Wash saltings. Fowling has led me to where I live now, which is on the edge of The Wash, just under a mile and a half from the sea wall on the Lincs. side. And the funny thing is I keep thinking on a quote from (I believe) Thoreau, and it is this: "Some men go fishing all their lives, without ever realising it isn't fish they are after." And I think I have at last realised it wasn't geese I was after. Not in the sense of trying to fill the freezer, numbers were never important to me. I never particularly liked the act of killing birds anyway, and tried going out without a gun for the morning flight, sometimes a camera , but it wasn't the same. Didn't get the feelings of elation yet remorse after taking down a bird. What Peter Scott called the ultimate sanction. Might as well have bought a scope and stayed up on the sea wall with the birders. So what was it then that made me direct my life towards my current position? Reading some of the above posts sum up my feelings also. I'm in my late sixties now, lame with arthritis, but still hopefully get out over the sea wall when I can, just to be close to the wildest of nature, which is the reason I do it. And when I cant - I can sit in my back garden in my dressing gown and slippers with a mug of tea while the skeins fly overhead! Steve

Had a large skein of about 100 pinks over my place this morning (about 12 miles south of Skegness on the Lincs. coast) heading north west. Are they usually around this long before heading off? I've seen hooper swans around as late as late April, but can't recall seeing the geese later than mid March. Steve

From the article quoted: "Power company Centrica has signed an expression of interest in electricity from the scheme." That ain't securing an investment. As soon as they did the most basic due diligence on Centre Port they'd shut the door on them. It's laughable. The same article: "Centre Port is now trying to raise £5m for a feasibility study." Their hundred quid of current assets won't go far. Shall we have a whip round?

I expect Centrica can afford to give them a bung though, ordinary shares valued at £364,627,475.21 if indeed they did. Could be FAKE NEWS!

Mind you, Centre Port Holdings much more impressive - incorporated as a business March 2022, value of company...a hundred quid! 😆 CENTRE PORT HOLDINGS LIMITED filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK (company-information.service.gov.uk)

I'm even more convinced it's a non-starter then! I mean, just look at the website, hardly professional for this day and age, links to a non-existent twitter account. I think the RSPB representative on The Farming Program was right when he said the whole thing looks like something done by contestants in the early days of "The Apprentice". Looked up the company information at companies' house for "The Wash Tidal Barrier Corporation PLC" (as listed on the website). Total net assets...two quid!🤣 THE WASH TIDAL BARRIER CORPORATION PLC filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK (company-information.service.gov.uk)

Is that the same company though? Peter Dawe runs that company, and I can't see any serious financiers wanting to invest in a scheme run by him, here's an article on one of his other "projects" Brexit Party candidate charging up to £100,000 a person for place at post-apocalyptic farm | The Scotsman

The surge tide of 2013 (biggest for 60 years) only came up about a third of the way of the sea wall on Holbeach Marsh, I went and saw it. I would suggest that all the countries complaining they are going to be submerged by rising sea levels build one similar. My house is 9 feet below sea level less than a mile and a half from the sea wall and I have no worries about flooding by the sea. It's another project fear to fuel the green agenda gravy train, as I have pointed out.

Personally, I believe it's a non-starter. There have been ongoing similar tidal barrier projects in Wales for some years now, none of which have come to fruition. In my opinion it's just another example of someone jumping on the "Green Energy" gravy train to get financial input to their business. Doesn't mean we can be complacent though.

Geoff Worral (of Tideline Books) wrote this in his preface to the Tideline edition of Kenzie, The Wild Goose Man. When he passed away his signed first edition of the book mentioned in the preface became available, and I obtained it a few years ago. Also with the book was a letter from Kenzie to Worral about some work he was to do for him. Interestingly he has crossed out his original street name on the letterhead and handwritten the new name of the street following a visit to him by the chap now known as King Chares the Third! Steve

Cecil is a bit of a character, he might have been just trying to flog me some expensive gun oil! Steve

Never use WD40, it's a penetrating oil and can get into the brazed joints and cause separation. I was told this by Cecil at the Gun and Tackle shop Whaplode who had in a Perazzi where the top rib had come adrift. Steve

Skeins heading west early mornings over Lincs side of The Wash not unusual now, skein of about 200 over Skegness yesterday midday (Tesco carpark to ne precise!), looked to be heading north. Steve

Just heard a small skein from my garden, I'm a mile and a half from the sea wall, Lincolnshire side of the wash. Steve

Chris Packham, TV Presenter and leading campaigner against field sports is suing three people for defamation regarding a collection of articles that were published by Country Squire Magazine. Defeating this lawsuit “…. is the greatest opportunity the Countryside has had yet - of damaging Mr Packham and puncturing his anti-countryside campaigns.” ‘The Packham 3’ Defamation Defence Against Chris Packham (crowdjustice.com) The Packham 3 Fundraising Team

If anyone is looking for original paintings, prints and books relevant to wildfowling by Scott and others, a good auction specialising in ornithology is held annually at Keys Saleroom in Aylsham, Norfolk. This year it's on 25th September. The catalogue goes online on their website a couple of weeks or so beforehand. Steve

Hi Mellors, Up until a couple of years ago I dealt in sporting art, more as a paying hobby than trying to make a living, and have bought and sold many prints by Scott. At auction I would pay around £50 for a signed print and sell on for about twice that. Unfortunately (as a potential investment) unsigned prints are very abundant, and sell for their decorative value only, maybe a few pounds depending on condition and frame. However, what matters is if you like the picture on your wall, I still have a couple of Scott's myself, and think he was a wonderful artist. Steve

Same report on "Farming Today" this morning. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000l6q5

True, however I thought the "pro" comments came across as well reasoned and hopefully made sense to the previously uninformed, the "Cons" were, of course, the usual ignorant clap-trap. The presenter did at least mention the comments submitted went 50/50 for and against, so well done to all who responded to make the case for 'fowling. Unfortunately mine wasn't one of the ones selected, but I suppose it was a bit unrealistic to hear "Packham is a ****" read out before the watershed. Or after.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000kl74/look-north-east-yorkshire-and-lincolnshire-evening-news-01072020 The feature starts about eighteen and a bit minutes in, after the "hilarious" banter with the weather bloke. Was it fair? I think the report mostly was, it was on the lunchtime edition also, the presenter then didn't seem to have so much attitude, but it was given a different perspective (I.M.O) by the evening slot presenter. Don't know what the responses will be from the invitation to send comments in, but I think we can guess. They might refer to the comments in tonight's edition, so perhaps still time to get views across. Who knows, they might even use one from a a 'fowler in the interests of balance, as they're supposed to do! Steve

A Pattern of Wings by Jonathan Young. Available on eBay for under a tenner, a selection of really good short stories by various wildfowling authors, including a few surprises, and some great 'fowling art in good quality plates. Entertaining, inspiring and informative. What's not to like!😁 Good luck in your search, a good time to buy! Steve

Noel Dudley - 1896/1975! 👍 Makes a difference to a Google search, thanks for that! Looks to have been quite prolific, appears some works originally for sale in noted sporting art galleries. Most, if not all, his paintings appear to be of wildfowl scenes, so perhaps not a wildfowler first and amateur artist second as was my conjecture, but I would still think he must have been wildfowler of sorts. Steve

I recently acquired these two paintings at auction, catalogued as being of geese over Shep White's at Holbeach Marsh, and Pinkfooted Geese near Crowland. I'd say the artist (Signatures look like "Neal Dudley") must have been a wildfowler and amateur artist in the tradition of so many others who have been inspired to record their experiences of the sport. Dated 1963, I would think that in the one of a skein flying high over the marsh, the pillbox at Shep White's is depicted on the skyline, before the sea wall was raised, but am willing to be corrected by someone who recalls the marsh in those days. I collect wildfowling memorabilia and art when the opportunity arises, I will be contacting the auction house to see if I can find out more on the provenance of these pictures, but if anyone else has any information regarding the artist I would be very interested to hear. I think it is important to record these things for posterity, I have had the good fortune to recover several pictures by wildfowlers which would otherwise possibly have been lost. Steve

Certainly not the hands of people who work and are in touch with the land. Tweedledum and tweedledummer.