Bob Pinchin Wildfowler/Conservationist

[SuperGoose75]

Whilst getting my ''Norfolk fix'' on youtube recently, I came across this interesting video. 

Now I have read extensively on Norfolk Wildfowling and this is one name that I don't recall reading or hearing about before. Seems he was a Peter Scott type before Peter Scott was a thing. 

The talk of Wildfowling on Blakeney is at around the half hour mark on the video. There is also an interesting black and white photo of Wildfowlers in the video.

 

[Pushandpull]

Robinson is a great actor, but he is hard to like as he imposes his own sneering view on everything like a latter-day Citizen Smith. Conservation in North Norfolk is a long and complex story, and applying a prejudiced and above all discontinuous mind to it is not really helpful. 

Bob Pinchen was appointed "watcher" and later became Warden of Blakeney Point. He was not one of the upper classes and would have spent his days trying to frustrate flagrant breaches of the law, much like Jary on Breydon Water. There is still a Pinchen's creek so his name endures. It was chaps with money and influence such as Sidney Long, founder of Norfolk Naturalists Trust, who made things happen.

The "Gentleman Gunners" and their local "Henchmen" collected birds and often butterflies, moths etc. They were somewhere between naturalists and modern twitchers, spent a lot of time and money, and no doubt the locals mostly welcomed the business. Easy to sneer at someone collecting a wee brown bird from the bushes with a shotgun but decent binoculars had not been invented at the start of this era. Much of their work was of scientific value. Attitudes changed over the years.

It is easy to forget how many of the great bird artists such as Lodge, Southgate, McPhail were/are keen shooters. As for biologists start with Darwin and work your way through Aldo Leopold to the wildfowl expert George Atkinson-Willes. It was they who shifted the zeitgeist towards modern conservation. No just Scott.

To return to North Norfolk. the best book is "Cley Marsh and its Birds" by Billy Bishop, which has a lot of history in it. One of the last gentleman collectors, Clifford Borrer, wrote many articles about the old times for Shooting Times in the 50s before he died in 1961. Hard to find but a local historian could weave these into a book. A little later Pat Cringle, erstwhile companion of Frank Southgate, published some tales of Wells in the magazine. These were later put in a book "Saltmarsh and Sandunes".

 

[SuperGoose75]

On 15/08/2022 at 18:27, Pushandpull said:

Robinson is a great actor, but he is hard to like as he imposes his own sneering view on everything like a latter-day Citizen Smith. Conservation in North Norfolk is a long and complex story, and applying a prejudiced and above all discontinuous mind to it is not really helpful. 

Bob Pinchen was appointed "watcher" and later became Warden of Blakeney Point. He was not one of the upper classes and would have spent his days trying to frustrate flagrant breaches of the law, much like Jary on Breydon Water. There is still a Pinchen's creek so his name endures. It was chaps with money and influence such as Sidney Long, founder of Norfolk Naturalists Trust, who made things happen.

The "Gentleman Gunners" and their local "Henchmen" collected birds and often butterflies, moths etc. They were somewhere between naturalists and modern twitchers, spent a lot of time and money, and no doubt the locals mostly welcomed the business. Easy to sneer at someone collecting a wee brown bird from the bushes with a shotgun but decent binoculars had not been invented at the start of this era. Much of their work was of scientific value. Attitudes changed over the years.

It is easy to forget how many of the great bird artists such as Lodge, Southgate, McPhail were/are keen shooters. As for biologists start with Darwin and work your way through Aldo Leopold to the wildfowl expert George Atkinson-Willes. It was they who shifted the zeitgeist towards modern conservation. No just Scott.

To return to North Norfolk. the best book is "Cley Marsh and its Birds" by Billy Bishop, which has a lot of history in it. One of the last gentleman collectors, Clifford Borrer, wrote many articles about the old times for Shooting Times in the 50s before he died in 1961. Hard to find but a local historian could weave these into a book. A little later Pat Cringle, erstwhile companion of Frank Southgate, published some tales of Wells in the magazine. These were later put in a book "Saltmarsh and Sandunes".

 

Very interesting and informative  Pushandpull, thank you.

I also thought Robinson was very sneery with his comments towards Wildfowlers and Wildfowling. I've read enough on the subject to know what you have put is correct and factual. No long lenses or high powered glasses back in them days. And also regarding the artists that Wildfowling produced is even true to this very day. I think most of the world's best wildfowl artist's are from a Wildfowling/Waterfowling background. 

I found it interesting that even back then in the days of old hardened Wildfowlers, who you would have thought didn't process much of a conscious when shooting wild birds, when trying to earn a few bob would have taken priority over any form of conservation: would seek to protect the wild birds. I think it paints genuine Wildfowlers (who we know care and love the birds the most) in a very good light. Even as far back as Bob Pinchins day, and of course is still the case today. Good to learn that there is an actual creek named after the man. 

I have a a copy of Saltmarsh and Sandunes signed by the Wells chairman. I will put ''Cley marsh and its Birds'' on the to read list. Truth be told I haven't read a Wildfowling book in years, as other commitments took priority. It is something I am at present looking to get back into, and am awaiting books from two well known  Norfolk fowlers at the current time.

Thanks again for your imput👍

 

 

[Pushandpull]

The north coast has a tradition of self-taught sportsman naturalists becoming the best wardens. Not only the Bishop family but Bob Chestney at Scolt Head, and Ted Eales at Blakeney Point among others. These two both wrote books but there is less fowling history in them. A more recent one is the man who got you under your first Norfolk goose of course. See my PM.